New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-08-13

L! twenty-five OF tnem received the nfietOn when
Of those yet untouched innocent Of the offence with
generous devotion that would have immortalized him
90 the Rio GrAnde confessed himself 10 be the offender
10 order To arest tho progress Of cruelty received bis
snare OF the punishment and terminated this revolving
scene
-" In another instance prisoner complained Of want
OF tood. lie wss industrious faithful fellow and bis
immediate ovefseer convinced tina; from weakness he
could not do days work. after several efforts
procure food for him. made a representation %
the principal keeper That officer spoke 10 tho prisoner
while be AZ work with hammer IN bic hand As
usual the convict raised his hand with pectful
salute 10 his officer. The keeper chose. however 10
cOustrue into al assault upon him and be struck the
convict with bis st In the face and with his foot In the
groin He then beat him over the head with twooot
iron rule I'LL be broke L. He then struck him with the
hard wood handle offs stone hammer ill., 10 bis passion,
Il few on, Of his hand. He next assaulted him with
heavy stone-sx which, however wrested from bis
hand by the unoerofcer He then caused the poor el
low to be stripped and receive thirty six sshes
his bare back that day and the same number the next
day and tor weeks after the wretched man was con
fined 20 bis bed in the hospital.
The following Instance Is related TO US BY az eye"it
nes whose character end standing in society leave no
doubt as 70 its accuracy
AT a late hour evening had occasion 10 psss
through the prison kitchen, which has stone pave.
ment always cold and wet IN the evening, being washed
of Just before closing the prison. This was In the all
or early part Of Winter. There boheld peked,
cised lunatc, resembling very much anatomical pre-
psrAiiou standing Ia the midst this cold ay7ment
near large reservoir Of cold spring water. The
principal keeper his and assistant keeper were
making last desperate effort upon the nervous stamina
Of this poor wretch 10 satisfy themselves and others
whether Lot he had been for several months fgniDg
insanity 10 get rid Of work and during which time he
had alnOst daily encountered of these suspicious
iormentors with their whips cold water strait jackets
etc. etc Al 20 no purpose He had never shown the
least evidence Of returning reason.
"Ths assistant keeper stood before him, holding
bucket of cold water inclined and resting his knee
With the other hand hs was throwing water with pint
cup into the conyics face with oil the force and dex
terty In bis power The poor wretch was gasping and
struggling violently for breath and turning his face from
side TO side 20 gain II possible brief space TO inhsle
breath In this however he WAS often tawared by the
dexerous aide throws Of this hend Of hell lie was so
nearly fUfCcaed that bis face and neck became purple
or kind of lead color and his eyebslls were forced
from their sockets 10 'rightul exisnt From the other
Of this trio b. occasionally received foil bucket OF
this cold water dashed his whole body. his whole
frame shaking violently from the chill but the poor
creature could utter complaint; II was not IN his
power SeDd forth shrek much lees 10 speak.
ib,erceded and after few minutes they desisted put
on him his tateIed shirt and stOed him away under
the stairs developed in three half wet old blsn
kets 10 enjoy the reaction II indeed there WAS enough
Of vital beat left In bis mortal BODY To produce be-
eve the poor fellow received no farther punishment
for the crime Of teng deprived Of his reason, but be
was soon after taken 10 the hospital in incursbe
stage Of the oOnsump iOp where he fingered lev
months and died an idiot. he was the only son OF a
widowed mother youth Of about 81 yesrs Of age"
The Committee will not attempt 20 disguise the eX'
quiste puin il infcts upon them 10 be obliged IN the
discharge of their duty % dwell even for moment on
such inciden,s and willingly would they orego the task
of recording them But they have occurred IN our own
State distant period snd but single Instances
out Of many Of similar character which already have
happened and may happen again. PIP Sc, - and IS.
Some Of the victims Of our State Prison cruslties
may have been innocent Of any crime-many per
sons convicted are aterward shown TO be so. was
not such treatment as the above calculated 20 make
some men of strong feelings seek common and
general revenge7 May not some Of the most cruel
murders-some of the most wide spread devasta-
tons from fre-and other terrible crimes, have had
their origin in the dreadful system which Governor
Seward was among the earliest to denounce as
unchristianl In his Annual Message OF January,
1870 speaking OF our County Iais, he tells the Le
gislature that the baleful influence Of vicious os
sociaiion is too often promoted by the defects in
their nonstruo,io. and that The a~nArianca they
furnish is calculated to destroy whateveri is formed
OF generous spirit or virtuous motives" In the
same document, he remarks, that
The high reputation which this State had acquired
from the improvement of its criminal code and from M
system OF penitcnhary discipline has recently become
impaired by very general complaints OF inhumany In
the management OF prisons While the punishment
Of offenders should always be enforced With hrmness
fhe spirit of the age msnilesily requires that discipline
should be tempered with kindness, AND that moral m
f1tces rather dH corporal punishment shOhta De
employed fhe submission and promote The rord
Ton Of The oonpc trust that you will beslOw early at
eution upon the defects OF the present system sud
respectfully suggest that provision be made by law for
the instruction Of cOnvicts. and for supplying u'p
piA such BOOKS as shall c0Hdacc 10 tAcp rforndii0R
twas crueties like those which are noticed by
the Committee that caused the destruction of the
French Bastile, and occssioned a mob to put the
torch to the prisons OF Venice some forty years
since Plumb, the lunatic convict who was
whipped so that he died, and Lyndss treatment OF
the ply stefan Won Eek, in 1889, are cases yet
fresh in men memories and we anticipate one
good result, among others, from the change made
by the New Constitution, which brings the cleo
tions of our Senators and Assemblymen nearer to
the peope-they will surely have more sympathy
for human suffering than some Of their predeces-
sors had.
inmates of no City Prison, Ne,c York.
Here are to be found say the Committee. va
grants, and persons committed for the worst OF
| crimes-murderers under sentence-men and wo-
men committed for examination and also for trial
diseased prostitutes, and male and female witnesses
who, being poor, cannot find bsil-emigrants who
are destitute and irendless-paupers and lunatics-
refractory apprentices-petty thieves and pick
pockets.
If such prison this is not iirs trate school
/ for crime, then the sacred maxim, that d" evil com
munications corrupt good manners mist be taken
to be erroneous.
| Why is the poor immigrant sent here at all and
compelled to herd with SIS in its most horrd shape
The Socetys Committee acknowledge that the
City usage is without apology
There eau be apology Justification for this n-
discriminate gathering together OF such Heterogeneous
materials Misfortune may claim tear but II does not
deserve frown. II poverty appeals to US for I'D DO
law of God or element Of own being warrants US
in answering II With chsas SO It will be seen at
glance tha, is the verei oppression towsrd some OF
the classes specified thus 10 associate them with others
suspected and others again convicted OF gross vice
and crimes
There is a great deal Of waste nom about the
yards and building. say the Committee The last
Common Council proved deaf to every entrea'y
that it would use its power to amend Its saeces'
sors in office have chosen MIR. Edmonds, an enthu-
sisstic friend OF temperance RS Keeper OF the Pms
on, and they are to apply two other rooms to the