Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-06-16

1NetO York Stare fTtS0H. ioiio"uho "S
~scription of the State Prison at Auburn, commu-
nicated for the New York American, will be
found worthy of attentive perusai:-
Auburn is situated l75 miles west from Alba
nv. and 8 miles south of the Erie Canal. 1t Isl
we'll built, fourishing village, with population
of about 8. 500. The village is intersected by the
Owasco River. which is the outlet of the Owasco
Lake, and in its passage through the town. al
fords a water power for various manufacturing
establishments. The Auburn State Prison Is
within the limits of the village, and has the
Owasco river flowing by one OF Its SIDES. Inc
water power of the river is used tor some OF the
prison work shops. The area enclosed by the
prison walls is five acres. The buildings occu,
Nv three sides of a square; they are three and
four stories in height and are constructed OF nam
mered limestone. When viewed from a dis
lance, the dark hue of the lofty walls and bat
tlemented buildings, remind the European ira
weller of the seats of BarOnial power and splen-
dor. The Prison contains ESQ ~conyicts, IS OF
whom are women. The convicts are never allow
ed to speak to each other, under any circum-
stances whatever. They sleep in separate cells,
of 7 feet in length by 81 feet wide, with the ex-
ception of about 100 men, who are placed Two
in each cell, the accommodations Ill the prison
not being sufficient for separating the whole
! When the ~convicts wish to communicate with
each other. which must sometimes occur IN the
manufacturing branches which they are engaged
in, they resort to signs, which, if not understood,
they then speak to a keeper, who himself makes
the verbal communication. When in work shops,
thew are watched by the keepers from dark gal
leries surrounding the work shops.
Their meals are taken Ia one room, in which
they all assemble. The heavy trampo of 625 men,
and the noise made IN seating themselves, Is
succeeded by deathlike stiffness, broken only
by the deep tones of the chaplain. imploring mer-
CIV upon these wretches,, who have violated the
laws of both God and man.
The %conyicts have meat served to them twice
a day, each one has a particular seat, in front OF
which, upon a narrow table, is a tea cup filled
with rye coffee, a knife and a fork. and a wood
en- plate. When a convict has more food than
he wants, he holds up his right hand, an attend
ant carries the surplus to some other, who Is
holding up his left hand. Their allowance of
food is so abundant. that no one leaves the table
unsatisfed. The quality of their provisions is
good. the beef and pork being of that quality call
ed s.prime," which is the middle kind of the
three descriptions used on ship-board, and tor
export. The convicts are all engaged IN some
of the manufacturing branches IN many OF which
they display a state of perfection which might be
presumed only attainable by life of attention to
that one pursuit. The labor is nearly all done
on contract much of it for the city of New York,
and is charged at 25-lO0 or $4,000 per day for
each convict employed. No daily tasks are as
signed, the object Of the prison discipline being
to have all employed in constant labor.
One of the Keepers pointed out a youth of Is,
as being interesting from his personal appearance,
amiable department, and talent for painting up
on fancy work. Such a face. manner and voice
could not belong to a william: his crime was
there, called trivial.
Apart from the rest sat one, who was INDUCED
with a few moments relaxation from hard labor.
he had not vet reached the meridian of life; his
personal appearance was of the highest order OF
manly beauty. There was an expression OF sut-
fering and melancholy in his countenance, which
subdued in part, but could not conceal the intel
lect, which beamed upon his brow and flashed
from his eye: it would belle human nature to as
sign to such a face, other than talents of the
highest order. Such talents were indeed his,
and improved by a liberal education: he was edu-
Gated for the bar. His crime was forgery.
There can be no mistake in saying, that the
deepest %villainy was stamped upon the face Of one
who was wieldinga bl%acksmith's sledge hammer:
Cain could not have been more strongly marked,
and his crime was Cams. having committed a de-
liberate murder upon a near relation. The dis.
ciple of Lavater. would be seldom mistaken here
lnhis inference of character from the countenance.
How far the craniologists would have been JUST
fed, in their deductions from the development
of certain organs, vulgarly called bumps, may be
questionable. The compilations of nearly all
%convicts, exhibit the effect of their close con-
%fnement, which is no doubt increased by mental
suferings; to use the words of one OF the keep
ers, upon being asked whether he thought there
was much mental distress exhibited by the con-
victs when alone in their cells,-"You should
hear the awful, heart-rending groans, uttered by
some during their midnight sleep"
This prison has been occupied about twelve
years, during which time but two convicts have
committed suicide-and even one of these it was
supposed, might have been under temporary in
sanity. There are but from six TO nine %convicts
to be found at one time in the hospital. The
c~onvicts battle once a week in large reservoirs of
water. Cleanliness is much attended to. and
every department of the prison exhibits the great
est %neatness, order and regularity. The keep
ers are deserving of much credit for the excellent