Sunday Cemetery - Comanche Cemetery

Published in April 1913 in the Daily Oklahoma out of Oklahoma City, OK

VANDALS VISIT THE COMANCHE CEMETERY

 Comanche, Okla, April 13 – (Special.) – Comanche was thrown into a fit of feverish excitement and indignation was intense when the fact became known vandals had visited the cemetery and proceeded to smash and tip from their foundations the monuments over thirty-one graves. The reason for the act cannot be accounted for unless it was the work of some demented person. Large and small monument in the path of the vandal were served alike, many of the smaller ones being broken when tipped over, and where many of the stones were more securely fastened than others, the base and all were toppled over. The officers have thus far been unable to find a clue to the guilty party or parties.

Saturday Spotting - Census Records in Danger

Published in December 1913 in the Duluth News-Tribune out of Duluth, MN

NEW BUILDING NEEDED FOR CENSUS BUREAU

Director Harris Says Records Are in Constant Danger of Destruction by Fire.

      WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 – Urgent need exists for a more sanitary building for the census office, according to Director Harris, who also declares that the records of the bureau as now stored are in constant danger of destruction by fire. Greater space for the storage of records and equipment is highly desirable, he says.

     “A fireproof building, erected with proper regard for lighting and sanitary conditions and having ample storage space, would facilitate the work of the bureau and would greatly increase the comfort and well-being of its employees,” the director says. “In view of the vast quantity of valuable records which must be stored, many of which could not be replaced if destroyed, the need of a fireproof building is especially pronounced, and while the census bureau remains in its present quarters there is great need of a larger fireproof vault for the storage of population schedules of past censuses, as the capacity of the vault now in use is insufficient to meet the bureau’s requirements.

Complains to Secretary Redfield

     In a letter to Secretary Redfield, Director Harris has this to say about the danger to the records:

“The total number of volumes from 1790 to 1880 comprised 4,622. In 1890, when schedules were not bound, we had approximately 44,000 bundles of schedules. For 1900 we have 2,813 volumes. The population returns for 1910 are in a fireproof vault and fill it completely. They have not been bound and are constantly referred to. The census returns from 1790 to and including 1900 are continually referred to for genealogical purposes and the returns for 1850 and 1860 are constantly being examined to secure data showing the ages of pensioners, as they are unable to obtain any other record evidence of their ages. These volumes, especially, are proving invaluable and could not, of course, be replaced if they were destroyed, and as time passes by the census returns will prove of greater value, as it is the only list to which individuals can refer in order to establish relationship in their families, often required in settling estates.

“In addition to the census-returns we have many divisions records, the loss of which would cause great embarrassment and thousands of dollars would have to be expended to attempt to replace them. For instance, the geographer’s division has the plans of division in to enumeration district, into which the country was divided in 1910. These official records, if lost, could not be replaced and would involve great expense in the preparation for the fourteenth census. There are in all the divisions of the census bureau division records that are essential in preparing for another census, and they would all be lost if there were a fire which destroyed the present building occupied by the census bureau.”

Sunday's Cemetery - Who Mourns for the Prisoners

Published in March of 1913 in the Trenton Evening Times out of Trenton, NJ

PRISON CEMETERY DISMAL PLACE WITH NONE TO MOURN FOR DEAD

     Graveyards as a rule are known to be dismal places with a sort of a spooky feeling in the atmosphere and are only frequented by relatives or friends of those interred who wish to place flowers on graves or to pray for the departed ones. The Prison graveyard, located on Cedar Lane, is the potters’ field for convicts. It is an unusually gloomy place.

     Enclosed by a high fence with a stout look to prevent curious people from entering the graveyard contains many dead convicts. Since the electric chair has been placed in the State Prison in 1907, there have been numerous graves added to this cemetery. There are several rows of markers of convicts graves in the rear of the cemetery and many have been decayed by the weather, but mound still remain.

     The graves are never touched. Unlike other cemeteries weeping relatives or friend cannot be seen standing over the graves. There are no tears or flowers for the convict dead.

     The cemetery was formerly located in the Prison yard. Just before the wall was erected around the prison, the cemetery was removed to its present location. All of the bodies interred there were reburied in the new cemetery. The majority of the bodies of convicts, who died at the prison, are claimed by relatives or friends. The officials of the prison do everything possible to locate friends or relative of the deceased prisoners.

     Among the bodies buried in the cemetery is that of Henry Jones of Mercer County, who died in 1906. It will be remembered that Jones, while serving a short term, murdered fellow prisoner and was sentenced to death. Later his sentence was commuted to life in prison. The electrocuted murders are buried in quick lime and within a few hours after interment their bodies are practically eaten away.