Within Adobe Walls

Within Adobe Walls chronicles the development of the Arizona Territorial Prison at Yuma, Arizona from 1875 to 1909, and what life was like for the 3000 criminals who spent "hard time" inside those walls. When first constructed, as permanent housing for Arizona's most dangerous long-term felons, the inmates were confined in a iron cage inside a cave hollowed out of the granite hill. With temperatures exceeding 110 degrees in the summer, it was dreaded by lawbreakers and soon referred to as the Hell Hole. Each successive administrator strived to improve the living conditions for the inmates in his care, and over thirty-three years, they added amenities that were unheard of in a prison of that era. Even so, prisoners still tried everything they could-legal and otherwise-to escape. There were 138 escape attempts, four riots, eight men shot and killed, and 111 deaths recorded there. Whether you are a Yuma area resident, a lover of history, or fascinated by tales of daring prison escapes, this well-researched book will not disappoint.