Tommy, 'Jelly Roll' and I go to Prison. . .

     When Tommy and I arrived at the Missouri State Penitentiary yesterday,  I was as excited as any little girl would be on Christmas Eve. Unusual people and places grab my attention.  They always have.  I was an only child and had an imaginary friend named Billy. I lived in my imagination.  That is how I grew up. Apparently, nothing has changed. That fact may be one of many reasons I am in therapy.
    Yesterday, as the tour began, we took a seat while our tour guide gave us the run down on what all we would see. He knew former corrections officers were in the group. He asked the group to raise their hands if anyone one worked at MSP and to state their jobs.  Three men raised their hands. Two of them said, "Corrections Officer" the third said, "Convict".  I knew right then it was going to be a good day. I looked at the man, laughed and said, "Really???".  He laughed and said "Really".  We were talking earlier, in the bookstore, about the paintings some of the inmates created
    We all stood to begin our tour. The convict lined up with Tommy and me.  I was delighted.  I knew he would have stories to share and I wanted to hear them all.  He also gave me permission to write a blog about our day and I could use any photos I had taken.  In turn I bought his book. It is titled, "St. Louis and Southern Illinois Crime". Love it. I am still the little girl that collected or stole the "Wanted Posters" from the Post Office when I was a little girl. This was a perfect day for me.
    I was surprised how huge the 'housing units' were and also how dirty the place was.  Of course it was built in 1836 and closed in 2004. It opened the same year as the battle at the Alamo was fought. States west of the Missouri line did not exist.  The prison is rough, rugged and still standing. Everything was made of rock and iron.  The housing unit we were seeing is where our friend,  Jim "Jelly Roll" Cochran lived for a while. He said, "The first time I was here,"  he was on the second tier. Of course 'first time' caught my attention.  He said he was at MSP three different times.  He missed going to Alcatraz by one month.  They closed it before he got there. He was also in Leavenworth.  I laughed and told him that what ever he did he wasn't very good at it. He laughed and said. 'I was a bank robber...and no I wasn't very good. But I sure did like the money.'   He also said he robbed grocery stores in Jefferson City for his first run in with the law.  Jim missed the riot at MSP, but he did get in on the clean up. I think he said he lived in East St. Louis. That is still a rough area to grow up in.

   We stayed on the first tier. We were allowed to roam in and out of the cells. They were incredibly small. When the prison was most overcrowded, they had six men in a cell.  The cells were so small, I can not fathom where these six men slept.Tommy said they probably took turns sleeping.  It was also cold in the building. The dungeon was down stairs. They took us in this place and turned out the lights. I could not see my hand in front of my face.  One man supposedly was sentenced to the dungeon for 18 years. He was only allowed out of his cell to shower and that was twice a week.  I don't know what kept him from going insane or blind. He had straw for a bed and one blanket. Two buckets, one full of water and the other one was his toilet. There is some debate about the length of time he served in this madness. When he was released he wrote a book about his incarceration. I personally have some doubts about this story. I think it is based on a truth just not the whole truth.  Jim didn't believe it, neither did Tommy. 

   Originally, people sentenced to death were taken to downtown Jefferson City and hung in the town square by the sheriff.  In 1937 Gov. Stark signed a bill calling for the death penalty to be by lethal gas. Between 1937-1989, forty inmates were put to death in the gas chamber. That was the last place we visited. We walked down a path to a small building where a white cross was embedded in the rock walkway.  It was made by an inmate. We were allowed in the building and could have our photos made while sitting in the gas chamber chairs. There were two of them side by side. A huge window gives spectators a view of the execution from the side and a little behind the convicted felons.  Our tour guide told us to remember that 40 people had died here and to be respectful. Several people had their photos made. Tommy and I were two of them. As I think about it, I have no clue why we would want to do this.  It just seemed like a good idea at the time. 

 Soon our tour was over and we all went our separate ways. Jim, Tommy and I walked back to our cars. Jim gave me his book and signed it" To Vicky Carter from Jim 'Jelly Roll' Cochran." He made a note in the book to the articles that pertained to him.  He was funny and very gracious. We thoroughly enjoyed meeting him.
 He is 72 and married. He goes to church and meets up with his buddies once a week for breakfast.  Oh to be a fly on the wall at that breakfast table. I bet the stories are priceless.

Below are a few photos I took at MSP.