Joliet Correctional Center

Operating from 1858 through 2002, the prison there was known by several names over the years.

Officially the Illinois State Penitentiary and later the Joliet Correctional Center.

Locals, however, often called it the Collins Street Prison or the Old Joliet Prison.

And that is what it's known as today when it functions as a tourist attraction.

Before we begin, I want to clarify that this is not Stateville, which is a different state prison located in Joliet.

Several years later, the state largely abandoned the site, but now it's being reclaimed as a tourist destination.

On a recent Friday morning, I met one of the leaders of that project.

My name is Greg Pierbolt, and I'm the chief executive officer of the Joliet Area Historical Museum, which also operates the old Joliet Prison Historic District, which we are standing in right now.

Only one of the jurors thought that Lutgert might be innocent.

A second trial was held, and on February 9, 1898, Lutgert was convicted and sentenced to a life term at Joliet Prison.

He was taken away, still maintaining his innocence and claiming that he would receive another trial.

He was placed in charge of meats in the prison's cold storage warehouse, and officials described him as a model inmate.

So, uh, people always think it's weird that I will go and tour these historic prisons, but I, they're kind of, they're pretty interesting.

They're, and, uh, it's the old Joliet Prison, and it's, it's probably the biggest tou- tourist attraction that they have i- in the area.

It's this, it's actually, in a weird way it's, it's a kind of a beautiful building.

Like, it's, uh-

somethingYeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

So, but, but the old Joliet Prison, it, it is really interesting.

Um, and it's, you know, and it's very historical, and they talk about, um, you know, what life was like there.

Walton read.

sodaville mich january twenty fourth can you mail me at once portrait of chesterfield marsh escaped joliet and committed suicide about eighteen eighty four richardson by jove said the superintendent that's curious i wonder what he's struck now well i guess i'll hang on to chesterfield for a few days anyway then he telephoned to brixton who was now working night and day on the counterfeit money case which divided public attention with the marchburn mystery to the police these cases had proved two of the most remarkable criminal problems they had ever been called upon to solve congress had added to the excitement by adopting the recommendation of the secretary of the treasury and offering a reward of fifty thousand dollars for the arrest and conviction of the counterfeiters brixton came in dejectedly to answer to the summons to walton who was an old friend he admitted that he was beaten brace up old man said walton i've got something good for you and he at once told him of the arrest of marsh and richardson's telegram a gleam of excitement blazed from the secret service man's eyes he jumped from his chair and paced the room a couple of times before he could control himself then leaning over his friend's desk he talked rapidly by joe walton you've got our man there's only one man in the country who could have done the job and that's marsh i have thought about him a dozen times since i've been at work on the case but always supposed him to be dead what a confounded idiot i am not to have investigated that suicide story yet i never had reason to doubt it both men felt certain that they were at last hot on the trail and that marsh was still engaged in his old business of counterfeiting while discussing the next move to be made brixton suddenly said what does richardson's telegram mean the words produced a peculiar effect upon walton which was reflected in brixton's face both men scrutinized each other for a brief space of time without speaking it was as if they were grappling with the same thought and yet both were afraid to frame in words what was passing through their minds it was walton who at last broke the silence and in a nervous sort of way said that is absurd what is what you are thinking about he was curious that neither man had openly expressed his thoughts and yet each knew what was in the other's mind just as well as if the words had been uttered i don't know about that of course it looks ridiculous to commence with but not any more so than that west virginia case i don't remember that said walton it was one of my most interesting jobs for months we had been trying to break up a gang of counterfeiters working in west virginia and had failed just as in the present instance the thing looked pretty bad and the merchants of the state were so worked up about the queer that a bill was introduced in the legislature authorizing the governor to employ private detectives as the government secret service men had shown their incompetence before the bill was acted upon we arrested some of the gang and on the day when the bill came up for action we obtained conclusive evidence that the member of the legislature who introduced the bill was the brains of the gang i went to the capitol and listened to this man's speech in support of his measure and after the bill had passed i arrested him and found in his pockets some of the money made by his gang i sent him over the road you think then said walton that marchburne had some connection with the counterfeiting gang i do did marsh murder marchburne i don't know about that i rather think not because chesterfield from what we know about him is a coward and not the man to kill but he probably knows who did There's a connection between the murder and the counterfeiting, and when we pull the right string, both knots will come untied.

Walton told his associate of his theory as to the murderer being a woman.

Brixton doubted it.

It's God's truth.

I can tell you who committed the murder, he repeated.

very well who did it but marsh was too old a bird to be caught with chaff what do i get if i tell he asked i think they would like to have you back in joliet the chief answered and that means five years to commence with if you give me the name of the man and it is proven that you had nothing to do with the murder i will see that you are not troubled Marsh appeared to be thinking deeply.

Shall I have to appear as a witness? he asked.

Her name was Thelma Weaver.

She did a couple of years at Joliet.

Where'd you get that?

Things like that don't stay hidden.

His wife? I didn't even know he was married.

Her name was Thelma Weaver before Mickey married her.

She did some time in Joliet.

Why do you bother me with this? I got work to do.