New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-25
THE PRISONS OF NEyv-YoRI<.

Previously to the year 1870 the criminals of this
State either confined in county prisons
ted No less than sixteen crimes were at that period
punishable with death. Phianthropists and wise
statesmen looked upon this state of things with in
creasing concern In 1896 Gov Jay in hisannusl Mes
sege called the attention of the Legislature to the sub
ject. He recommended not only an emelioratiOn Of
the criminal laws of the State but the establishment of
State Prison. Gen. schuy Ter and Ambrose Spencer
in tie Legislature, seconded the suggestions OF the
Governor. Thomas Eddy, Matthew Clarkson aud osher
citizens were also interested in the reform. Gen
Schuyler and Thomas EDDY visited Philadelphia to OBJ
tain information on the sule ct The result was the
erection of State Prison in this CITY the walls OF
which we believe stiIl standing AZ the same time
the severity of Iunishmens was sicnaly diminished.
Ofthe sixteen capital crimes fourteen were changed
to imprisonment for life by The Legislature that
authorised the construction Of the new prison This
has well been deDOminated prominent era in the
criminal annals of New York
For twenty years this new structure w.s the only
State Prison in the State Although calculated for not
roIe than four hundred prisoners it often contained
nearly twice that number With but ffty-four rooms
in the building it was the custom to place twelve or
fourteen ccnyiets in each Scarcely any degree
of discipline was employed, and as the Warden re-
marked, as well might yOu attempt to kind!e Ere
with spark the ocean in storm as to try to pre-
serve order effect reformation in this place" No
instruction or religious exercises were Afforded to the
prisoners and it is needless to say that they left the
prison ten fold more the children Of evil than they en-
tered it, The cost Of tbs prison from 1926 to 1896
including construction, was 81 27 ,3l3. The build.
ings and site were finally sold to the City in 1873 for
$4,000
In 1909 the necessity Of another prison was brought
to the attention the Legislature. In fact the idea Of
two State Prisons existed at the time Gov Jay recon-
mended the establishment of the first; and the Legs-
ature directed one to be built at Albany and the other
in New.York. For reasons deemed sufficient, the
whole appropriation was expended in New York, as
we have stated In 1916 it was determined 70 estab
lish the prison now existing in Auburn. One wing Of
this building was completed in 1918. Il contained
sixty-one double cells and several rooms each large
enough TO hold dozen conycts For obvious reasons
tls plan proved an entire failure and was abandoned
II va, found much worse to confne the prisoners in
pairs than in dozens or tes The other wing in 1919
was ordered to be built with cells fer one person only
BY law passed about this period the use Of the whip
or etvas first allowed in the prisons to preserve or.
der. In Isl the experiment was tIied at Auburn of
confnipg abcu. eighty corvicts in separate cells day
and night Il was decided to be failure and the plan
vas abandoned. What is cslled the Auburn system.
separate confinement at night and nonntercourse or
silcuee by dsywas established in 1924. During this
year scs was passed constituting Stephen Alien.
samuel Z Hopkins and George Tibbitts committee
to selec! asi,e for new pri'oa Tie village Of Sing.