The Trailblazer Times

Issue date: 9/10/08 Section: Outside In

Media Credit: submitted photo

Leavenworth, Kan. is welcoming some notorious visitors from the past during the months of September and October.

"MUGGED! A Rogue's Gallery of Leavenworth Penitentiary Mug Shots" is an exhibit that showcases mug shots of 19th and 20th century inmates of the Leavenworth United States Federal Penitentiary, the first prison of its kind.

"Mugged!" features prisoners from various walks of life, including murders, thieves, conmen and bootleggers, to name a few. One inmate, Rev. G.W. Stubblefield, was sentenced to one year and one day in prison for committing adultery with a member of his congregation. Another, Robert Stroud, served the longest solitary confinement in federal prison history from 1916-1959. Stroud was even given an additional cell at Leavenworth to house birds that he owned.

Some recognizable faces are featured, such as radical labor union leader William "Big Bill" Haywood and African American heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson, while others were selected not because of their fame but because their mug shots or life stories stood out from the rest.

The exhibit will be at the First City Museum through Oct. 28, open Monday thru Saturday 8-11 a.m. and Thursdays 1-4 p.m. The museum is located at 743 Delaware St. in Leavenworth. Students can see the presentation for $2 with a student ID.

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