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Monthly record books of admissions and discharges to the Eastern State Penitentiary. For admissions the information provided is admission date, inmate number, race, age at admission, more gender, physical and mental health, habits, marital status, smallpox vaccination status, hereditary diseases in the family, number of convictions, length of sentence, amount of time spent in county jail, place of birth, and occupation. Discharge information is name of inmate, inmate number, date discharged, race, age when discharged, gender, physical and mental health at time of discharge, health during imprisonment, length of time served, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by month. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Bertillon books for inmates incarcerated at the Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, length and width of head, length of left more middle finger, length of left foot, length of left forearm, height, width of trunk, length of outstretched arms, length of right ear, and length of left little finger.  (While working with offenders detained in Paris’s Palais de Justice in 1882, Alphonse Bertillon (1853-1914) used statistical methods to devise a system of bodily measurement intended to identify criminal characteristics.  Bertillon’s methods involved photographing each subject looking directly at the camera and in profile with the camera centered on the right ear.  The subject’s height, length of one foot, arm, and index finger were also recorded.  By the 1890s, Bertillon also recognized that fingerprints provided a means for unique identification of individuals.  Though many scientists, including Francis Galton, criticized on statistical grounds Bertillon’s system of measuring the hands, head, torso, face and limbs as a method of identifying criminal characteristics, the records generated nonetheless proved useful for identifying and keeping track of specific individuals convicted of crimes.) Images are arranged chronologically by inmate number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Records of commitment of prisoners to the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is commitment number, name of person committed, county and court in which tried, crime more of which convicted, sentence imposed, citation of indictment, and signature of the clerk of court. Images are arranged numerically by commitment number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Recommendations sent to the Governor by the Board of Pardons for granting commutation or parole.  A commutation is the changing of a penalty to a more lesser punishment by the pardoning power while a parole is a conditional release of a prisoner having an indeterminate or unexpired sentence.  Information provided is date of recommendation, name of inmate recommended for commutation or parole, the text of the opinion of the Parole Board recommending commutation or parole and the commutation or parole number. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. The first volume indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of inmate and the other two volumes by institution. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of commutations granted to inmates incarcerated at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information given is date of reception, prisoner number, name of prisoner, age, race, more place of birth, number of convictions, location of court in which sentenced, nature of crime for which convicted, date and length of sentence, amount of time expired, date of expiration by commutation, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by date of reception. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of commutations granted to inmates incarcerated at Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is prisoner number, name of inmate, dates transferred to or returned from more Rockview where applicable, date sentenced, length of sentence, sentence expiration date by commutation, date returned for any violation and sentence imposed for such violation, date of any re-parole, and date of final discharge. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Affidavits signed by inmates received at Eastern State Penitentiary acknowledging the property in their possession at the time of admission.  Information provided is affidavit number, name more of inmate, date received, crime and county of conviction, description of any property in his possession, and signature of the warden. Also included are documents found within affidavit book (1839-1850), including bills of goods sold to the Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP); a list of promissory notes owed to the prison fund as reported by treasurer John Bacon; Court of Quarter Session documents outlining crimes and punishments for men being committed to ESP; extracts from Report of the Chief of the Detective Police and the minutes of the Board of Inspectors, as well as several letters. Correspondence includes a letter from night watchmen to ESP Board of Inspectors requesting a pay increase and a letter from Governor Curtin's personal secretary requesting information on a prisoner's behavior and health in relation to an application of pardon on his behalf. Images are arranged chronologically by date signed by inmate. Miscellaneous documents unarranged. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily inmate population statistical reports for Western State Penitentiary.  Information provided is date of report, number of inmates in the old prison, number of inmates in more the new prison, number of prisoners received and released, number of prisoners and vacant cells in each block, and the number of night battery men and patients and night nurses in the hospital.  Also given is number of inmates employed in weaving, clothing, brush, broom, steward, construction, electric, hospital, shoes and tailor, Dept. #17, yard, home, battery, north block, and south block occupations, the number excused by the warden, the number excused by the resident physician and the total number employed. Images are arranged chronologically by date of report. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of the Board of Pardons for capital cases. Information provided is name of inmate, inmate number, county, date warrant issued, date of execution, date more certificate of execution filed and remarks that general provide dates of applications to Pardon Board, issuance of new warrants, and commutations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of death warrant. Indexed internally, alphabetically by surname of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection have been digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. less

This collection contains Board of Pardons reviews of criminal cases, except impeachment, to determine whether clemency should be recommended to the Governor for his or her more approval or disapproval. While the United States' Constitution grants the President of the United States the power to grant pardons, in Pennsylvania the pardoning power is shared between the Board of Pardons and the Governor. The Board of Pardons consists of five members including the Lieutenant Governor who serves as chairman, the Attorney General, and three members appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. This collection contains applications made to, and proclamations issued by, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Grouped into applications and proclamations and then arranged chronologically by date of action. The applications volumes provide brief narrative case histories and recommendations for pardons or commutations and whether the pardons or commutations were granted. Volume 1 covering the period 1874-1877 provides reasons why the Pardon Board made its recommendations while for the period 1882-1930 records of commutation actions are included. The last volume covering the period 1931-1934 contains mostly commutation records with only a few pardon actions. The proclamation volumes provide the Board's recommendations and reasons for its judgments. less

Discharge books for the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, age at discharge, race, gender, crime for which sentenced, county where more sentenced, date sentenced, length of sentence imposed, date discharged, how discharged, length of time served, occupation while in prison, education received while in prison, weight when received and when discharged, amount earned by inmate in overwork, amount paid on discharge, and place of intended residence. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Descriptive discharge dockets for inmates released from the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided name of prisoner, prisoner number, weight, age at time of discharge, gender, crime more of which convicted, sentence imposed, date of sentencing, date of discharge, method of discharge, duration incarcerated, occupation practiced, education received while incarcerated, intended place of residence after release, and amount of money received upon discharge.  From 1892, the name of the county responsible for sending the inmate to the penitentiary is given and also occasionally the date the prisoner may have been returned to custody.  Sometimes noted is the amount of property owned by the inmate and the inmate’s weight at time received and when discharged. Images are arranged chronologically by date of discharge. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

An index of prisoners admitted to the Western State Penitentiary. Although the exact dates of the index are not known, it appears to cover inmates from more the mid-1930s to the early 1950s. The information provided is the name of each inmate, the assigned inmate number, and any additional notes, such as new inmate numbers assigned. Images are arranged alphabetically by surname of the inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

This collection, arranged chronologically, contains Baldric purchase reports for clan supplies, as well as bills, checks, and receipts for food and uniforms. Details of members' financial more accounts also provided, as well as scratch paper used for accounting purposes. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide range of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by today’s standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research. less

This collection, arranged chronologically, contains official documents, such as Imperial Kligrapp appointments, applications for reinstatement of former Klansmen, as well as appeals for admission, are provided more in this series. Numerous handwritten general interest letters from the public are also included. Official decrees for those Klansmen who had been banished are given, as well as obituaries for prominent members of the KKK. A large portion of the correspondence concerns the Grand Dragon, Samuel G. Stouch, and his letters concerning the establishment of Klan contacts in neighboring states. Kligrapp quarterly reports and requests for the establishment of Klan chapters are also given. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide range of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by today’s standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research. less

This collection contains series grouped by subject and then chronologically, of various papers, election returns, rosters, publications, and applications detailing Klan operations. The rosters and election more returns were sent to the headquarters in Philadelphia, listing new Klan personnel and elected leaders. Each quarterly roster (present for the years 1933-1938) details the number of new members received, those suspended or deceased, the total number of members, losses and/or gains, as well as the province number, Klan number, and official Klan name and address. Election returns, or 'Report of Officers Elect,' provide names, numbers, location of Klan, date of klonklave and location of klavern in question. The names of the various officer positions up for election included: Exalted Cyclops, Klaliff, Klokard, Kludd, Kligrapp, Klabee, Klad, Klarogo, Klexter, Nighthawk, Klikann Chief, and Klokan numbers 1 and 2. Among the various papers are counter signs giving code and password cyphers once a Klan met necessary requirements and all memberships were paid up. National and Imperial countersigns were given and consisted primarily of state names. All were signed by Stouch, the Imperial authority of the KKK in Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The bottom half of the counter sign sheet consisted of a pledge of undertaking the proper instructions for guarding the passwords. The enlistment papers, 1924-1926, provide information relative to new Klan recruits. Data such as the company, troop number, rank, serial number, name, address (street, city, county), enlistment period, age, height, weight, complexion, eye color, hair color, distinguishing marks, marital status, military service, education, qualifications, character, occupation, enlistment date, and signature of the recruit is provided. Enlistment papers are only available for the following counties: Adams, Allegheny, Beaver, Carbon, Clarion, Crawford, Erie, Indiana, Lawrence, Mercer, Northumberland, Venango, Washington, and Westmoreland. An information file regarding the acquisition of the KKK records is present, attributing the 'find' to Private R. Roth, Pennsylvania State Police 4th Squadron Intelligence, on 3 June 1940. Mailing lists, 1924-1938, give province number, county seat, population, square mileage, name, street address, city, and county. There is a list for the Women of Unity Klan #17, New Jersey. Official Bulletins, 1936-1937, declare provincial tax reports, Imperial Klonvocations, lunch committees, presidential elections, Halloween parties, and Ham and Egg suppers. Publications which belonged to Samuel Stouch are present, including Facts in Review, published by the German Library of Information in NYC (which listed daily news broadcasts from Berlin) and a book written by fifty-four leading American writers, We Hold These Truths, which provides statements on anti-Semitism and contains lists of anti-Semitic publishers, organizations, and individuals in America. Quarterly reports list all members in good standing, the number of members naturalized, those reinstated and transferred, those died, banished, or suspended. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide range of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by today’s standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research. less

This collection, arranged chronologically, contains reports listing Kleagle robes ordered, address, date, location of Klan, quantity of Klansman's and Terror's robes and helmets ordered, as well more as those for the Exalted Cyclops robe and helmet sets. The name, number, and hat size for each Klansman is also stated. Disclaimer: The Pennsylvania State Archives provides digital access to a wide range of historical documents, some of which may be considered offensive by today’s standards. The Archives does not endorse views expressed in these historical collections but presents these collections to aid in scholarly research. less

Letters sent to and mailed from prisoners incarcerated at Eastern State Penitentiary (also known as Cherry Hill Prison). Correspondents are usually friends and family members. Topics more include parole, family and financial concerns, illnesses, and daily activities. Images are unarranged. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record books of medical statistics kept on the inmate population by resident physicians at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is name of inmate, date of more reception, inmate number, race, gender, general physical health, general condition of mental health, description of habits, vaccines received, hereditary diseases in the family, number of convictions, place of birth, occupation, and remarks. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Minutes of the meetings of the Board of Inspectors and Board of Trustees of the Eastern State Penitentiary.  From 1927 these volumes also include entries relating more to Graterford. Information provided is basic operating policies, administrative and fiscal decisions rendered by the Boards, correspondence with the Warden, treasurer reports, statements of receipts and expenditure, and prison population tabulations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of meeting. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection have been digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. less

Minutes of the monthly meetings of the Western State Penitentiary Board of Trustees. The minutes are not verbatim, but rather are merely summaries of the proceedings. more Each set of minutes gives the names of the board members present. Matters discussed at each meeting include recommendations made to the governor to parole certain inmates. Other topics discussed are parole violators and delinquents, requisitions, personnel matters, and funding and construction issues for the Western State Penitentiary and Rockview Prison. At the start of each meeting the previous month's minutes were reviewed and approved. The signature of the secretary officially marks the end of each meeting's minutes. Images are arranged chronologically by date of meeting. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

This collection contains applications made to, and proclamations issued by, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. Grouped into applications and proclamations and then arranged chronologically by date more of action. The applications volumes provide brief narrative case histories and recommendations for pardons or commutations and whether the pardons or commutations were granted. Volume 1 covering the period 1874-1877 provides reasons why the Pardon Board made its recommendations while for the period 1882-1930 records of commutation actions are included. The last volume covering the period 1931-1934 contains mostly commutation records with only a few pardon actions. The proclamation volumes provide the Board's recommendations and reasons for its judgments. less

Records of paroles and respites granted by the Governor under the provisions of the Act of 1909 and subsequent acts and of paroles revoked. Information provided more is name of warden, name of penitentiary, name of inmate paroled or respited, crime for which sentenced, penalty imposed, date parole or respite was issued, period of respite in capital cases, and reason for a revocation of parole. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. Indexed internally, alphabetically by name of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Date of discharge book for paroled inmates at the Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is age, race, gender, county, crime for which convicted, minimum and maximum more sentence, number of convictions, fine, date received, date discharged, date sentenced, date minimum sentence expired, date maximum sentence expired, any dates returned from parole and comments. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Statistical record book of inmates paroled from Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is parole number, register number, race, violations, recommitments, deaths, other prisons in which incarcerated, more whether discharged, whether pardoned, and whether in the army or other institutions.  Also given is a breakdown of the inmate population by native or foreign born. Images are arranged numerically by parole number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Index of prisoners confined at the Western State Penitentiary.Information provided is name of inmate and the sequentially assigned inmate number. Images are grouped chronologically by volume more and arranged thereunder alphabetically by surname of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of inmates paroled and discharged from the Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, date sentenced, calculated times for minimum more and maximum sentence, dates for expiration of the calculated minimum and maximum sentences, date released, date returned for any parole violation, maximum sentence imposed for any parole violation, date of final discharge. Images are arranged numerically by inmate number. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Descriptive books for prisoners received at Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is inmate number, name of inmate, date received, age, race, gender, county, crime for which more convicted, minimum and maximum sentence, number of convictions, fine, date received, date sentenced, date minimum sentence expired, and date maximum sentence expired. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Record book of the Board of Pardons for capital cases. Information provided is name of inmate, inmate number, county, date warrant issued, date of execution, date more certificate of execution filed and remarks that general provide dates of applications to Pardon Board, issuance of new warrants, and commutations. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. Indexed internally, alphabetically by name of inmate. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which provides legal representation and advice for the Commonwealth. less

Visitor registers for the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is date of visit, name of visitor and their place of residence. Images are arranged chronologically by more date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, notices, photographs, and related materials concerning the Eastern State Penitentiary. Images are arranged chronologically by date of item. This collection is part more of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

This collection contains records of persons employed as State troopers by the Commonwealth. Entries list the person's name, identification number, age, birthplace, race, height, hair and more eye colors, and occupation previous to enlistment. less

The collection, arranged chronologically by start of strike date, includes records contained in individual reports include police endorsements of special duties assigned to troops to investigate more labor unrest, patrol reports from picket areas, telegrams from the superintendent to local sheriffs, and various radiograms. Strike reports were filed for the following labor occupations: coal, milk, clothes, silk, clay products, teachers, textiles, glass, sewer pipes, lumber, hosiery, steel, refractories, chocolate, ship building, leather, rubber, electric products, trucks, turnpike employees, iron, aircraft manufacture, shoes, wallpaper, buses, and highway construction workers. Individual details of those troopers involved in the surveillance of industrial disturbances are given, as well as passes issued to companies in order that some workers might work despite a strike or disturbance. There are also general orders issued by the superintendent pointing out that before the state police could be sent to an area of unrest, the governor must be notified that it is beyond the local sheriff's control. Labor disturbance reports from substations in the strike region form a large part of the reports. Disclaimer: Not all records in this collection are digitized. Please visit the PA State Archives to see the rest of the collection. less

This collection, grouped by troop and arranged thereafter chronologically, contains semiannual reports for Troops A, B, C, and D as issued to the superintendent of the more PA State Police residing in Harrisburg by troop commanders. Topics included in the reports are: arms and equipment status, arrests (by county and amount of fines imposed), barrack and stable conditions, details furnished for special public occasions, disposition of cases previously reported as pending, fines collected by other state departments, horses (condition of, number lost/gained, recapitulations, those reported sick), motor transportation, patrols and mileage, recommendations, record of important events, requests for assistance, schools, stolen property, substations, and overall troop conditions (number reported sick, summary court martials, number resigned, and number of men gained/lost. less

Time books for sentences of inmates at Eastern State Penitentiary.  Information provided is, inmate number, crime for which convicted, sentence imposed, date sentenced, number of years more and months served, and number of convictions. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Register of visitors to Western State Penitentiary. Information provided is date of visit, name of visitor, from whence visitor arrived, and destination of the visitor. Images more are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily journals kept by the wardens of the Eastern State Penitentiary. Information provided is daily account of activities in the facility including reception and discharge of more prisoners. Images are arranged chronologically by date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less

Daily journals kept by the warden of the Western State Penitentiary containing descriptions of all activities and transactions in the prison. Images are arranged chronologically by more date of entry. This collection is part of the Department of Justice which administers the state correctional institutions for the Commonwealth. less