New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-08-27

two hundred and iftyone Inc resident PHYSICIAN IN
hs last annual report states that
AVN 10 the female department Is strongly called for
Frequently there have been many fifty patients IN
the house than we have had acc 'nmois'i ms Tor
This condition Of things sill continues aud Is each month
becoming more aggravated
In the First Ward, there twenty nine patients in
eighteen beds.
The Pententiary is under the charge Of Warden
(Mr Keen) assisted by twenty nine subordinate officers
II s controlled by the Ten Governors. /, is divided
into two wings The north wing is devoted 10 the male
the south 10 the female prisoners.
The north wing contains 256 cells 10 four corridors
There ought 10 be at least 500 The cells are feet
10 inches long feet u inches vide, and 6 feet ~
inches in hight small for person Yet, during
three months Of lat winter $50 prisoners we're con
fined in - Of these cells; each OF which contains an
iron frame TWO feet and half wide with canvas bot
tom "a a bed The Warden states that when this has
"to serve for occupants they compelled 20 lie
with heads at the opposite ends OF The ifane, tnus
bringing the feet Of directly in the face OF the
"other VIII any accustomed ~ the Ordinary con
"yeniences and deceDces OF life, wonder that sometimes
might made hideOus by the yels and ghngs OF men
"tbus situated For it must not be overlooked mat be-
"sides the natural responsiveness such CONDITION,
"eyeD with the choice Of bed fellow, here II Is I'M
possible to make selections The mos o1'hsome may
be placed perchaDce by the side Of the most brutal
"sttlqple ensues and sometimes blood flows The War
"deo may BE- attracted to the scene contest as nave
Frequently been, but how is he 10 discriminate between
"the guilty and the Innocent The cells are cleaned
which carry off the night soil, poison the atmosphere
ana enable prisoners 20 talk with each other n the Prs
Ons Of this City.
The south wing has 240 cells OF which 80 are at pres
et occupied by men, whose corrupt cOnve fsatOns, cen
tous songs and blasphemous language the females
compelled to listen TO every evening. The north wing
ia 90 crowded and the female department IS so made
ouate 70 the demands upon it, that the Warden often
compelled 70 ncarcerate thirty or 0ry curing tbe hght
in the Of his own house
The vast majority of the women are charged with
drunkenness and prostitution. They wear blue cotton
garments Criminals dressed in striped cotton
gowns ,
noon and at "a T. NJ They rise at O'Clock, have
hours rest noon and after supper are marched round
the island or otherwise permitted to aInuse themselves
in the open air until dark when they are shut up Tor the
night IN their cells.
There il divine service thrice each Sunday and twice
week By Presby ran, Episcopal aud Roman Catholic
clereymen, who very frequently visit the prisoners.
OF the male prisoners are employed blacksmiths,
Gas carpenters shoemakers as nasons and tiors,
6 The remainder are quarrying stone, making roads,
and building a sea wall around the island AL work III
the open air.
Some of these men have been there often as thirty
different times, The law allows the magistrate TO m
prison thief VINO has been twice convicted Tor from
five weeks 90 years. Iethese lDc0rgbe scOundres
are seldom sentenced Tor longer than couple oil months
The prisoners Of all ages. There are beardless
boys and bOsry headed men here Although we reinan-
ed for several hours the Leland able TO
verse with very few of the prisoners But the niJrma
ton which we extracted from Mulberry st. boy is
too import ant TO be- omitted He was an orphan sixteen
years Of age and had lost both of his parents before at
tanning his tenth year. Oi course, he mad learned no
trade. We asked him.
What do the Mulberry st boys do after they get
their sspper9"
ooh, run about and steal
do the MuberIyst boys of your age ever drink =
ayes sur!
"Where do they buy it =
"Oh. az the Dutcbmen's stores Corner groceries
and sfceeeres)
do YOU drink whenever you have money!
"No only when feel like drinking
Do YOU ever read r
"Yes, sometimes
what kind Of books do you like best l'
Sea stories should like to be a sailor
WHAT kind Of books do the Mulberry'st boys gen
orally like to read
koreis a6om there's aud hghuayues'
go TO the Iheater'
Eyes"
"Wbat play do the Mulberry.st. boys ike best p
"Jack Sheppard
"Would they like to be men ike Jack Sheppard ?"
"Yes, sur! guess they would
Would you LIKE 10 have been h Jack
81 uomid, b,tore l came here.
We then asked him if large gymoastic school, 10
which reading rooms were attached, was bait IN Mu-
berry st. whether the boys would attend il lie said
great many wouldn't about reading, but would go 20
acquire physical dexterity.
Bv another persona man of 25-we we're informed
thsthere we're very great numbers Of Sheppard worship
pers in the Bosery and adjoining regen. ihe novel ls
smueeed into the PeniteDtary, and Is read ia spite Of
ell the vigilance Of the Warden. During the last wiz
ter, the despcable drama, OF which Jack is the hero
was produced several times at each of our Oebeiin
thsaters On every evening the pr we'll filled. II
play OF little literary merit that 1t would never
be repeated u the character Of Jack not atoays per-
semattd By a roman That insures lie success foo ii
pleases the young bhoys TO their avorite actress
sustaining the part of their avorlte highway man. and to
look at a woman in male attire chuckng another be-
meath the chin. In Manchester. aud. believe, i'll
other English cities the authorities found that this play
produced many pickPcck-s that they prohibited its
production the stage Ii the reader doubts that il is
equally demoraliZng here let him the pi OF any
Of our plrbean thesters its pr ,ducon aud loOh
at the and listen to the remarks Of he youths and
he will speedily be convinced OF the faacy of his sup
position The cage with which the boys congregaed
about the building ask for checks is another proof Of
this plays popularity, and of the careessness of the
wealthy 10 provide the poor not with primary education,
but with the means Of gratifying taste Tor reading
when formed aud to furnish those rho prefer ply steal
~ mental exertion with proper place OF amusement.
In another article shall coutinue description
efthe Penltentiary give account OF the Female De
partmsnt; impsrt very important information which
gained from prisoners of both and the
reforms which required H. render IL blessing aud
not las Il is at presently curse to the community.
When we inform the reader that in the opinion Of the
Warden $4,000 are absolutely necessary to render the
PeBitentiary alone proper place Of Imprisonment he
xll suInse that the reforms needed are neither lev
ubimportant
We think We cannot find better peroraton for this
article than the following extract from Mr keens last
report 10 the Ten Governors He iniOrmei us that
tr The evils complained Of remedy has yet been pro
yided:
The description of sn ordipsry nigh, s,sne il n.