Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1843-11-17
LIFE IN A PENlTENrlARY.

10 the Knicksrbocksr Magazine, for
October, tho editor gives tho following
graphic sketch OF q visit he recently
made to Sing Sing-ons Of the New
York State Prison s:
"lt the unhappy young man who has
recently tied the journals oil the mo
Vropolls with the degals Of his Jolly and
crime could, before yielding 10 the temp
Isuun, have looked 10 upon the Sale
prisoners al SIOg Sing as we did The
other day, surely he wOud nave shrunk
back IRON tho vortex beIors him Poor
wretches, IN their best estate! How
narrow their cells; how ctaseIess their
toll; what negatlOa OF comfort Is Ibelr
whole condiuon! /! was swsiterlng
August uaI breaIhtess and oppressive;
but there was no rest tor Inc eighteen
hundred unhappy cOnvcis who piled
their never ending tasks within those
walls. S,eathy g,ahees iron hall rails
ed eyes; paie cUuaIenances, stamped
with meek submission, or cleaning with
pOWeress hate or ImpoIeHI msllgnl'y
and hard labor in The fullest ssUBs, acre
The main features Of The slIli lie scene
ss we passed through The workshops.
BuI what u picture was presented as thelI
occupants came swarmng into the Opsf
court yard al the sound OI the bell, Il
proceed TO their cells with their dinner
From the thick atmosphere Of the carpe
and drug shops; leaving The clack o
shulties the dull lhump oil The weaver
beam, and the long, confused perspec
tive of cords and pulIles, and patterns
, and muItlludlnous harness, they pOure
ed forth; from musky sml1hys, sIreame
The Imps oil Vulcan, grim as The dar
! rccesses from which they emerged
] from doors which opened upon lnterm
r nabIe rows OF close sci benches, bur'
= forth the knights Of The awl and hamme
d the rub,R dud ol the cooper's mallet, tn
creak Of his shaving knife were still
the stons hammer was silent; and tn
II court yard was full oI the striped crew
J, God oil compassion! what sight II We
d to see that motlelY multitude lake u
/, IN gangs, their humlIlatlng march .
y Huge negroes, Swelterlng In tho hea
J. we're inIerspersed among the ines
t. hands crimson with murder rested upo
d the ShoU ders ol beings young alike
= years and crime; the victim OF beStslIt
pressed against The heart broken tool {
oI the scalhlcss villain; and all were bIen
e ded in one revolving mass Of trained so
diers OF guIlI; Ihelr thousand legs NOV
b ing as the leg OF one man, all in sisnc'
Ir save the peculiar sound OF the slIdln
at tread, grating not less upon The ear Iha
o, the ground. One by one. they too
a their wooden pals Of d'ngy aud amphI
e ious looking grub, aud passed on, win
ID ing up the stars OF the different slorie
IS and streaming along The narrow cCr.
J: dorsto their solitary coils. 1t ives Il
@, much for the lenGsr heart Of poor /
ID this long procession oI the gangs.
they passed on 10 slow succession, hu
lips begaG 10 qulver; and one alter 81
other drops ol pity rolled down h
check. "AlI these SAID she TO the ke'
m or, "had a mother, who looked up,
- their childhood, and blessed their innt
ceDce! An! how many Ieet, softer thu
=, velvet 10 The touch, have been press
- 10 maternal lips. that now shuili' aloT
nd these prison ases!" There spoke u
N molher;' aud with ber gentle words
ho pity We take our leave OF ths Stalt
N, Prison aud It's unhappy inmates"