New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-08-20

merely looked II and reported ali MEET n hi, ea;sf
| Bot the next morning. when there cas- an un.isi,.A
rnodicum Of breakfast or rather of brad and v..r
he began 70 fancy hat someh'pz night b. wronx-vhich
he vsrs found out The cny VI eec hid us,a uS
liberal supply Of bsmmsrug fr the neg three
DAYS 'he ciapidated winaos where ths prisoner h>i
sde his exi, which aforesaid hanm-rinz saposa ths
prtsnsrs With headaches piecest the G0veransat
! pensei
Gert'erer oftha Jury 1aiias Oar Prbic this is my
hope sut ,isrtly c-sry sts,-d Ii you eai
Dict for my imprisoned clients shalt feel inst Tins has
been well rep id. There verdict ~sver. hope
VOC will not end and that Is 1--WE sboat y" ~s,A
only means We u tell you 10 ~ jack Bi I, ssy
TO Bob, SC &c" D. Dear Public help NE in this csss
fed. In the time. Gill only Nd
Good night, aud joy ss wi yea"
WV n pos
Ns,,- r,-s Nov 1881
Having perused the statements OF this narrative.
asked Mr. Three Years for bill Of fare such as noe
served up TO the prisoners but he eysied the request
by saving that the food good the allowed By
the county enabled the jslor TO give. We Understood
from others that il might be in the Of this per
be beings hvorite Of the keeper and enjoying van
little privileges One person told that the debt
ors had been treated better during this al niastraoa
than during the ast-because complaint by one of them
had reached superior officer The Sheriff hiss visited
the prison tsce only since his election sad he has not
been in Eldridgest. for the last FIVE months An in
mate wrote for the following account Of the present
treatment of the prisoners
The jatl rarely cean1d nqless ne prise sers cleo Il
fsfs,irC Which is done when there
ious snd clesny than the common runs Others tr
mains tlthy ia the rTenty thirty abclt the
average number of pri'ons though h Later numbar has
been exceeded. From niOe % ten = the aversSs of
cebt0fs the Others being MVshlis prison s-gsaargly
seamsn-aw.ing trial for ofenses snch rsvalL
nu,ny Ter ieny, stabbng and slaughter; brought Is,
general rule while intoxicated and irslusoty sred
with ships lice snd oth-r vernin
The dietary scale : g. f,oss; Dnuer-dondsy mr.h
AZ nolsses Tue day, sort OF rioe soup Waiaesd,y
billed beet and potatoes THURSDAY. roe aui ma,.sss,
Fnosy, salt dsh and potatoes SStarisy mush add m,
asses Sunday, rice and m lassss. Brekf.s-s loaf Of
bread SLd about pint # bean eo1es suDp-ra loaf Of
bread ouly IT Es'er, lnever iced) any quantity
The privileges and treatment Of Msr-hsls pgsones1s
in advsuoe of debtors the tor reviewing 81 par day
stser-shou cents per head The only chsncs OF max
ing money from the debtors system o espionage which
h. and his deputy never fail carrying out To ths utmost
Fer example from 20 three do ,rs charged Zoe
ryiIg out terthe oh being that leaves
the prison IS cent? TO e. according 10 favor tor plate
ofn,st - tor taking you outside 81 80 on ss,h COM
mifnent when discharged In short ev-ry a-,id ~ Is
ID pied TO extract money from those who have H. rnoss
who posses means board with the sior psyiag $40 per
week tor the privilege
The language and habits ofths M,rh.s pr soners s-s~s
agenera rule bad in the extreme may from
The oh of the oepses Tor which they stng trial
STesring wrar Cling fighting. drunkenness AS-spns-
times ending putting them in irons for the night. Add
all be easy 10 Imagine the feeling ct thsrs Debtors
under this state Of things and their npusory association
husbands brought there by misfortune poverty or unscu
puousness Of creditors being check whatever thar
h. csn In TACT compare this place to nothing short
of modern ste.
The minuteness of this description renders further
remarks from us on this part Of subject IN
necessary We shall endeayor, therefore, briefly to
state the obnoxious features of the existing law and the
in which it is perverted by the bssely rich to
crush the unfortunate unmonied debtor.
In this State there IL norinaly no imprisonment for
debt in the eye of the law" it is not debtor but
cUprit or a pauper who is confined in Eldridgest.
Prison la NewY York, in fact, there is imprisonment
for poverty.
For example A buys of b $500 worth Of goods On
credit b, Shylock We will suppose, shortly after
ward presents bill for 81 OO0 and demands immediate
payment declares that the bill ia false one-is for
double the amount due, aud that be is unable 70 pay
even the original debt d procures the arrest Of A,
ssears that his bill is accurate and that the defendant
procured the goods by false representation Of his cir
cumstsDces A takes q counter oath but tho Law, To-
stead of compelling the plaintiff prove his charge,
compes the defendant to prove It's fI.shoOd IL be-
eves the rord of the creditor but will believe only the
proof of the debtor. The Magistrate demands bail for
the DEBTORS appearance for trial at the next session
be is unable to give IL be is Eldfdge st. Prison.
where he remains until be prove his innocence or
1t be is too poor to do sountl the vengeance Of his
Shy Ock is satated Such suit il seldom concluded
within one year. and In order 70 escape imprisonment
for long period aud its natur. asncesoss
Of business and credit, and distress TO the young aad
old folks at bometbe poor debtor often commits con-
scous perjury by acknowledging the accuracy Of the
unjustly claimed. Prisoners, eren rhen acgsit-
ted, seldom get out Of prison under months.
These not imaginary cases harder ones may be
found in the records Of EIdridgest. Prison.
What may be said in favor Of the existing Law va
know not, DESTROYS of knowing but We do
know that il is made instrument by wealthy scoun-
drels for expressing poor radesmen, whom to use the
expressive ard satiricsl phrase of prisoner, they
wish to gee out Of harms way"-and we know also,
that it is in the power Of the People to modify the
law that its perverson may 10 future be prevented.
We subon two notifications Of the Statute suggested
% us by several Of its victims in Edrdge-st Prison
l. That the creditor should be compelled 20 prove
bis charge instead of the debtor being forced prove
a negative.
q That the creditor in this State-as is the case In
other Stses-shoud be compelled psy for the board
Of the prisoner previous his rial la New York, the
County (,hst is TO say the People,) pay IL This
amendment we doubt not would lessen the number Of
"hsrfcases7 Of late years so frequently 70 bs met
with at this jail.
Enough Of the law For the benefit Of its victims In
Eldrdge.s, Prison suggest the folio wing alterations
in the Jail and It's management:
l. That healthy prison should instantly be pro-