, 1843-11-04
The fnlloMinc is a sketch Of the in.

The following is a sketch Of the in
mates of the Sing-Sing prison, by the
editor of the Kuickerbocker:
If the unhappy young man who
has so recently filled the journals Of
the metropolis with the details OF his
folIv and crime could, before yielding
to temptation, have looked in upon
the State prisoners at Sing-SIng, as
we did the other day. surely he would
have shrunk back from the vortex he-
Tore him. Poor wretches, IN their
best estate! How narrow their cells;
how ~ccaseIes their toll; what a mega
ton of comforts their whole coNdi-
ton! It was a swelte:lng August
dav, breathIess and oppressive; but
there was no rest for the eighteen
hundred unhappy ~convicts who piled
their never-rDdlng tasks within these
walls. Steadily glance from haIf-rals-
ed eyes; pale c"untenances. stamped
with meek Submission. or cleaning
with powerIess hate in inpoient ma
Ilgnitv; and hard labor in The fullest
sense. were the main fea;urCs of the
SIIli life scene. rs we PASSED through
tie several workshops. Bot what a
picture was presented as their occu-
pants came swalming into the open
courtyard at the sound of the bell.
To proceed to their cells with their
dinner! From the thick atmosphere
of the carFet end ruC-sllGps. leaving
the clack of the shuttIes. the dull
hump of the 'uraver'S beam and
the long confused perspective 'f:ords
and pulieys. and patterns. and multi
iudInous harness. they poured forth:
from murkv Smithys, strcamed the
impS of Vulcan. grim rs the dark re-
.ce>ses from which they emerged;
t5om doors which opened upon inter
m.nah'r rows of close set benches
burs, forth tie knights 81 the awi md
haumo~: the Tuh-a-duh ~ the coopcr'S
ma.ier. the ere. X ofEI> shaving knife.
were still: he store hammer was 81
lent. and the court yard was foil Of
fh7r striped crew!
God oi cumpasSiOni what a sight
II was. To zee that morley multitude
take Up in gangs their Illuminating
march! Huge negroes. swelfcring IN
their heat. were Int~crSpersed among
the lines. hands crims"ned with mur-
der rested on the shoulders Of beings
Young alike in years and crime. the
victim Of beaStlality pressed against,
the heart broken tool Of the ScashlesS
villdin;-and all were blended in one
revolving mass of trained soldiers al
guilt; their thousand legs moving a>
the leg Of enc man; all in silence.
save TIE peculiar sound of the sliding
tread. grating no less upon the car
Than the ground. One by enc they
tork their "oodcn pads of GInry and
anI Lihiaus lonking grub and passed
IN vIhdinc up TIE stairs Of tie differ
crt slor.ts md streaming along the
corwdrrs 10 their Solitary
cells. It VAS zoo much Err the ten
der heart # poor l.. dis long prrres-
son cI the gangs. Us they passed
on III Sow s]uCce>sinr. her lips he-an
to culver; aud one after another drops
OF pity rolled down her cheek. Al
Il ese: said She To the keeper. bid q
m"ther, wh" locked UPON .h.ii c.tI-I
and blessed their iruoccnc! (. :.
how many infant feet softer than vel
vet to the touch. have been pressed
TO maternal lips, that row shuttle a.
long these pri.oa a%i>icsr There spoke
the 'molher.' and viii her Gentle
words Of pity. We take oar leave 90.
tie States prison and is TN 'appy in
mates.