The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-07-30


We venture to say there are but few prisons
Ne regulations Of which, are so extensive
~ Known as the New York Tombs. In Great
britain. this prison is looked upon as the most
hltby and horrible den that could be sele ,tsd
for the punishmentof erring man and in British
America, it has not q more honorable reputation.
In England, when any extraordinary outrage is
Committed or tragedy enacted, it is no. an uneom-
mon expression to say of the perpetrasor, the
New York Tombs is good enough for him" The
very appellatsn by which this prison ID known, in
parts to all who have ever heard tell Of it, an idea
Of something superlatively dreadful; and most per-
sons at distance, who have never seen the Tombs,
imagine that those who have the misfortune OF be-
coming inmates there, are treated in the most cru
81 manner, and never see the light OF day during
the whole term of their Incarceration, whether that
be for few weeks, or for years. But although the
Tombs is quite an applicable name for this eele-
bratsd prison house, and although the very ex-
terror Of the gloomy looking fabric presents repul
Sive appearance, oven to the passing observer yet
in many respects it is not horrible o place as il
10 reported to be, particularly as regards sleanli
ness, treatment Of prisoners, and the general order
in which the cells, Sc, are kept. Still, taking it
sssmn~n' totwa, il is truly dismal place; and OBJ
aurats indeed must be the offender whose heart
does not recoil at the remotest thought Of ever
I'm ding himself immured second time in one of
those coffin like cells.
We paid visit to both the male and fe male de-
partments of the prison few days ago. In the de-
partment allotted to the punishment of male o
fenders we found about one hundred and eighty in
mates, whose offences are Of various grades. In
this building, which constitutes the main prison,
there one hundred and forty eight cells, there
being four floors, on each sfwhich there are thirty
cells The cells the second, third, and fourth
floors are Of uniform sze--that is, about % fss5
by l2a feet; but half the number on the first floor
those being appropriated for the reception Of slight
offenders, or what is termed five day prisoners-ate
nearly double that size. The cells throughout the
whole prison ere dismal and repusive looking
apartments, without the smallest aperture through
which the rays Of light may pass to cheer the
wretched occupant. The cells on the fourth floor
exclusively appropriated to the confinement OF
persons convicted of assault and batery those on the
third for persons guilty OF petty larceny and those
on the second floor for grand larceny and burglary.
NO more than two persons are conhned in one Cell
At the same time, and then there is scarcely room
TO turn, or keep the body in motion. The prison
rs ventilated by skylight at the top of the build
ing, and there is a shower bath and bathing room
on the FIRST floor All the prisoners are let out once
day, to walk round the rallied balcony 10 front OF
each range of cells, but except the first five pris
opsrs are permitted 10 move beyond those straight
ened limits. The average number per week sem
but large proportion Of these are generally per-
sops convicted Of small offences, and consequently
detained but few days. The number dis
charged per day is from 40 to 30.
On looking over the registry books of the male
department, it will be found that fully more than
0pehalf Of the whole number received into the pri
son entirely destitute of the first rudments Of
education; and the columns marked "weil edu-
Gated" and 'classically educated" are nearly
blank.
In the female department there are twenty-four
cells, which are contained the two first floors,
and they Of the same size and description as
those in the main prison. The female offenders
now in the Tombs number about eighty; and
about three-fourths of those confined for habi-
tual drunkenness. The majority Of them mo-
theirs of families, and several Of them have their
younger children with them. Never before, at one
time, did we look upon so many depraved and sunken
specimens of human wretchedness as met our eye
in this prison It seems that most of them are r-
reclaimabe drunkards, and that no sooner are they
set At liberty than they are again candidates for
re- admission into these ioathsone abodes To rs
itaBpears that one week in the Tombs ought to be
sufficient to deter any person, who was not entirely
abandoned, from ever putting himself in position
to merit a second imprisonment.
On examining the books of this department. we
found that scarcely one out Of twelve Of the female
prisoners can read or write.