BOISE (Day 5 - part 6)

1966: Officials discovered fake commissary coins, resulting in the store's closure. 330 prisoners decided to 'strike' not 'riot'. Among their requests were to open back up the store, better dentistry, replacement of straw mattresses and end to the 'silent system' in the dining hall. 100 armed officers lined the prison wall with rifles and shotguns. The men returned to their cells and a 'shakedown' (surprise cell search) was ordered. They found knives, rope and more counterfeit coins and those men were punished and isolated. The store was reopened but no other demands were met.

1971: Rats infested the drinking water storage, diseased cooks prepared meals, and temperatures hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the cell houses. A 10-foot tunnel was found inside the maximum security building so it was closed. So the next day, when an electrical fire started in the old hospital (now social services building), the prisoners began throwing rocks at the fire department. They then set more fires, ransacked the kitchen, and stabbed two fellow inmates. Eventually the prisoners were allowed to sleep outside for two nights while fans were installed in the cell blocks. However, one inmate was believed to have escaped. His body was then discovered five days later rolled up in a sports mat, having been stabbed and bludgeoned to death.

1973: Inmate Larry was sent from here to a new prison, 15 miles away. There, he sustained injuries, but since they didn't have a medical facility, he was brought back. Officials said he injured himself intentionally to return "home" but Larry claimed he was abused. Rumors spread, and upon his being returned to the new prison, inmates blocked the path. So the warden agreed he could stay, but it was too late. About 15% of the prisoners (clad in football gear) rioted... ransacking to commissary and setting fire to the dining hall and several other buildings. The flames jumped to the prison chapel. The prison closed permanently 9 months later.

We then went into the Trusty Dorm. Originally used as a carpenter shop, this later housed "trusty" inmates. The exhibit in here was Faces of the Idaho State Penitentiary.

Men, women and children ranged in age from 86 down to 10 years old. ... "Moral crimes" often targeted specific people or groups. They could also change with the times.

Here are a few of the various crimes:

Louis moved to New York City from Hungary in 1887. He eventually took up residence with a married couple. When her husband was away, he threatened to kill her if she didn't marry him. She did, but her husband found out what had happened and managed to get to her at a train that was about to depart for Salt Lake City. Since she had almost no luggage with her, it was obvious to the jury it was not a mutually planned. He served just over 2 years.

In 1920, William took a 17-year-old girl from Salt Lake City and arranged for her to be a prostitute, planning to keep the money she earned. He was sentenced to up to 25 years. But letters flooded in from community members claiming it was a mistake and defending his character. Even the young girl wrote saying that she was now married and doing fine and that she hoped he would be pardoned. He was released in 1922. He moved back to Salt Lake City, took a job on the railroad, got married and had two kids.

Carl was born around 1890. At some point, he met Daisy. In 1940, she had already gotten married at the age of 14, but filed for divorce 2 years later. Before it was even finalized, she had gotten married again (officially committing bigamy). While her second husband was off at WWII, Daisy claimed that the 53-year-old Carl threatened to kill her and forced her into marriage. Nine days later, both were arrested, her for bigamy and him for Aiding and Abetting Another to Commit Bigamy. Both were fined and sentenced to 1 - 3 years.

James was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon). In 1913, he married Elizabeth, a widow with 4 children. In 1925, Elizabeth left him so he married his underage stepdaughter. He was sentenced to 1 - 5 years and was released after serving 3 years.

Back then, there were a lot more laws about who you could be with.

In 1894, at the age of 22, Alice got married and they had 7 children. In 1922, she was found in bed with another man. She was sentence to 6 months - 3 years. The prosecuting attorney described her as a "moral degenerate", "menace to society:, and "leading an immoral life". Although rarely enforced, adultery is still a felony in Idaho.

Walter left home at the age of 16 to be a musician. He spent time in jail for drunkenness and illegal voting. In 1923, he was arrested for living with a known prostitute, reportedly living off her earnings. He had apparently lived with other prostitutes before. He was sentenced to 2 - 20 years. Ironically, the prostitute was listed as his nearest relative on his intake form. His lawyer appealed his case, stating that the prosecution had defined him as a pimp, however he had simply lived with her... such as a child or parents might live with a woman of bad repute. His conviction was overturned and he was released after 11 months.

In 1908, at 19 years old, John was "intimate" with a young woman who claimed he got her pregnant. He said there were many others who could have been equally responsible. However, he was the one who took her out of town to get an abortion. They left believing she was healthy. Unfortunately a few days later, she checked into a hospital and died. Her sister testified against him. He was found guilty and sentenced to 3 years, however he ran. He was caught 3 years later and incarcerated. He appealed and was released after serving less than a year. He joined the Armed Forces during WWI and was killed in action in France in 1918.

Dora left home when she was 16 and gave birth to her first son less than a year later. The couple then got married in 1886 and had 7 more children. They divorced in 1914, and some time later, she moved with her children to live with her boyfriend. When police raided their home in 1917, they found the boyfriend in bed with Dora's youngest daughter. Dora was in the next room with the door open. She approved of the situation. She served 3.5 years of a 7 - 20 year sentence. The boyfriend received a 15 - 30 year sentence.

George and his family were incarcerated at the Tule Lake War Relocation Center in California during WWII. This was a prison camp for Japanese and Japanese Americans after the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was constantly having money problems so often wrote fraudulent checks. In 1949, however, when he wrote a bad check for $5, he was unaware that it had just become a felony. He was the first man in Idaho charged with that felony. When he was incarcerated, he had a severe case of tuberculosis. 6 months later he died and was buried in the prison cemetery.

Born in Switzerland in 1898, Otto was deaf since birth. His family immigrated to the US in the early 1900s. In 1921, he forged a check at a drug store, then later sent a note saying he was going to rob them. He was sentenced 1 - 14 years. The prison physician recommended he be sent to the Idaho State Sanitarium. His sentence expired in 1936, but he was kept there until 1959 when he was finally pardoned. He was 60 years old.

Paul worked in the Coast Guard until 1945. He then did odd jobs. In 1957, he committed his first act of forgery while intoxicated. He then continued to make checks out to himself but sign it a different name. He was eventually caught and charged with two counts of forgery, with a sentence of 5 years on each. He quickly earned "trusty" status, which allowed him to live and work outside of the main prison walls. He was granted parole after serving lass than a year of his sentence. Within 10 days, he tried to cash another fictitious check and was returned to prison to serve more of his sentence. He was finally discharged in 1964.

In 1852, John immigrated with his family from Russia to the US, but his parents died within 3 years after arriving. In 1897, he was caught with a machine to make counterfeit US silver coins. He served almost 4 years of a 5 year sentence and was released in 1900 for good behavior. In 1901, however, he was arrested again for counterfeiting, this time in Washington. Apparently his partner was another ex-convict from here. By the time he was pardoned in 1912, he was over 70 years old. In 1913, he was again convicted, this time in Connecticut, for conspiracy to counterfeit.

Their photos unfortunately didn't come with a life story.

Wallace was arrested for pimping in 1932 in Idaho Falls and served time in the county jail. In 1933, after his second conviction for the same crime, he was sent here. He is the only inmate ever formally charged with Pimping. After he was released, he was soon arrested again in 1936 for rape. He was sentenced to 5 years - life. He continually refused to do his prison work duties. Fearing he would be a bad influence on the other inmates, the warden considered confining him in the dungeon (isolated punishment). Instead, he was sent to the state hospital where he remained for 20 years.

Ah Chuck was born in China in the 1850s and arrived in the US when he was around 26. In Boise, he became a gardener... and an opium dealer. In late 1924, he got caught in a police sting operation in the city's attempt to stop drug use. He got sentenced to 3 - 10 years. He was 70 and a drug addict, with a shrunken left leg. In 1925, he was granted a pardon on the condition that he return to China immediately.

Before coming here, Francisco had served 3 years for Attempted Grand Larceny in San Quentin Prison (California). In 1914, two months after moving to Idaho, he was charged with Arson. There had been a series of 17 fires across various farms. He was believed to have a motive because he had been looking for work in the area but had been unsuccessful. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 5 years. For unknown reasons, the charge was later changed to Attempt to Burn a Sack of Grain. He was released nearly 4 years later.

Other than being from Colorado, there's unfortunately no more info on Delbert ... although I'm sure it was an interesting story!

Delia and her six siblings were raised on the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. In 1935, she and an accomplice stopped man on the road, put a gun to his head, and ordered him to drive to a secluded spot. They tied him up and left him on the side of the road, and took $70 and his car. They each got a sentence of 5 - 10 years. She pleaded for clemency and was given a pardon on the condition that she abstain from alcohol, obtain legal employment and be on probation for a year. Over the next 11 years, she was arrested for various crimes in Washington, including vagrancy and public drunkenness.

Showing behavioral issues, Irving's mother sent him to a military academy at the age of 5. He was expelled after 3 months. At age 13, he committed several thefts and stole and wrecked a car. He attempted to rob a business by pretending to have a fun. He was then sent to his father (who had served time at San Quentin) in Oregon but was abused and ran away. This led to another crime spree. He was in and out of solitary for fighting. In 1951, he was transferred to an institution for juveniles in California.

Sandro was born in Hungary. He and his 4 younger siblings lived with their grandmother since it was claimed his parents were shot and killed by Russian soldiers. In 1956, with the assistance of the Catholic Church, we came to the US. He quit every job he got after a short period of time. Eventually he stole $21.35 and was sentence to 2 years. After 8 months, he was in a fight and sent to the prison hospital with a fractured jaw. It was decided he was unfit for American citizenship and given to the immigration authorities in 1958.

Laura also grew up on the Nez Perce Reservation. Both her parents were unemployed and suffered from alcoholism. She ran away when she was 11 and dropped out of school at 13. At 16, she was arrested for not attending school and again for driving without a license. Sh got married at 17 and had a child a few months later. In 1959, together with some friends, she stole another friend's car, abandoned it, and stole a second car. She was sentenced to 5 years. However, upon entering prison, it was realized she was 6 months pregnant. She was released to give birth but returned to prison 8 days later to serve another 6 months.

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