The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-01-12
THE SING SING PRISON.


| In the cOrrse on two months, the ANIMAL Report
Of our State Prison Inspectors will be published
1t is large octave concern of some $50 pages,
emsnenty calculated 10 interest the staetcian and
bore the general public. With the view of enligh.-
enDg our citizen, on the management Of their con.
vict establishments, we aatcipate the red-tapists,
and present them with full description Of the
principal prison OF she Stare those OF Auburn and
Clinton being smilsr to ie, though on . smaller
| scale.
| The name Sing Sing ia corruption OF the Indian
"Ossnsin," signifying "a rocky place. When the
State bought the property 1t called Mount
| Pleasant, but the char ged doubtless, but
| the authorities should re accused OF playing on
| words. The State draws considerable profit from
the quarries on the estate Grace church IL speci
men of the geological prod,ce Of the vicinity, and
| the prison itself is constructed from It.
The prison of Sing Sing is composed of an irregu
lar Of buildings, erected from time to time, "a
occasion required. Visitors obtain the best view
of the establishment when descending the hills from
the village Or as the villagers pleased to term
it, the town; said locality boosting q number Of
frame houses, and four thousand inhabitants.
Strangers arrive at the Office of the prison before
being aware of it; wall or ditch surrounds the
place, and nothing to cut off the establish
ment from the outer world Means, however, are
taken to prevent the escape of convcts; armed men
posted about the rocks surrounding the prison.
and quite number Of barrels can be brought to
bear on fugitive from various points. Prisoners
aware of the arrangement, and there is necessa
ry strong objection to run the gauntlet.
The Office is situated in plain looking dwelling
house, the ground -four Of which is given up to the
principal officers of the establishment there also
two or three committee rooms for the use OF tho
State Prison Inspectors The Office proper consists
of two apartments, in the outer Of which two
three men and women may generally be seen wait
ing until permission is granted to see their prison
friends. The inner Office is devoted mainly
to clerks and housekeeping, and is the ord
nary iocum tnens Of Mr.. Daniel Stewart, the very
compaisant principal keeper, who has the auto
cratos government of the one thousand inmates OF
the prison.
The three Inspectors Messrs N. Bowen, VII
liam A. Russell and Wesley Baily--came down
from Albany on Wednesday, and met together IL
the evening: the only busiess transacted WAS in
relation to additional inlstsnds. Having unan-
mously concuued that tho State OF New York could
supply them with two more of those articles IL il
would they finally determined that IL should. aud
forthwith adjourned to his oiium cum dignifate
| by the fire, and the two others to segais.
KEEPERS HALL.
On descending a staircase from the Office the
| Keepers Hall In reached This room is the head.
| quarters Of the guards bulletin board contains
the orders given from time TO time I, the keepers By
Nr. Stewart and alongside il is arrangement for
telling what GUARDS in the building at the time
being. There is also safe containing the twenty
keys, which lock up nightly the twenty c,rrdors In
which situated the cells Of the convcts. one key
locking fifty At night time there four keepers
duty; two in the keepers room-the Others look.
ing after the prisoner, it'll whom they locked
Should any thing occur during the night, such
prisoner being taken i'll or becoming uDruy, thu
GUARDS communicate with their two mates by means
Of eole in the wall and the key they require u
handed 10 them. II the prisoners Of the corridor
IN question should revolt their cells being
opened. they nevertheless uoable to leave the
main building ard are as much prisoners as ever.
THE CELLS.
short passage leads from the Keepers h,1 10
the edflce containing the cells This building Is the
feature of Sing Sing. and IL 20 constructed AZ 10
render escape almost impossible The walls are i've
hundred feet in length and four feet thick, OF solid
stone. Five hundred cells, arranged In 1--we tiers.
fsce each wall, running the length IL the building,
so that one keeper has perfect view before him ot
what may occur requiring his attention. A passage
way divides the centre OF the buildings thus The two
officers on duty can communicate with each otber
without quitting their reconnaissance Of the cells on
In iron pipes for warming the ediice with steam; the
building being entirely Of stone and ut present
y wamed by few stoves, the cells are not 40 com
Portable they might he: but each convict has To-
blankets TO make amends for the absence " caoric.
Mr.. William Beardsley the Agent and Warden, has
superintendent the above Arrangement and hoped To
complete " the past week. Tue builjing u wen
lighted with gas outside the cells. that prisoners
can read when they retire for tho night; but the
light IL dimnsh,d about nine o'clock, leaving only
sufi sient for the keepers 10 see what Is Ding on
FaFf M N
vention Of a peculiar o,k which closes fifty cells
at once. An immense iron bar. $40 feet In length.
Is propelled by crank, which, whom driven home ~
secured by lock and key. IL would be an utter i'm
possibility 10 raise this bolt from the inside. The
cells just large enough for the purpose required
| and merely contain bed, which, during the day, ~
| fastened up against the wall and being let down at
night allows only sufficient room 70 pass Two feet
wide Of sleeping arrangement obviatcs the posi-
| bhiy Of much rolling and must be poor accommo-
dstion to those brpusht up N luxury. Ine entire
times weekly by the couyicts, and In all respects IL
well ventilated and healthy.
TIE HOSPITAL.
An Iron tunnel leads from the cells to the hospital
The devoted TO the sick l. capacous and lofty;
the roof IL arched and perforated to ensure
free currents Of air. snail chamber Is we'll
well stocked with drugs and chemicals, and the
opposite side IL the hosp td kitchen. The pharmacy
IL tended by two convicts, one Of whom-s young
German strgeon-was arrested the second week OF
his arrival in New York. for having counterfeit
notes In conversation with Of the State in
spectors, he stated be had been engaged In the
Prussisn and french naval services, and finally en-
gagged himself on board Liverpool emigrant ship,
bound to this port. lie accounted for the shin
plasters by stating that his landlord had given
them 10 him, and that be was sentenced there
upon to sing Sing. The other dispenser, a
well educated and apparently geutlcmanly
man, lately performed surgical operation
on a convict, IN very successful manner. The
prisoner in question had had his lett thumb dragged
of by machinery, in one OF the SHOPS; the bone was
torn away from the second issnt, aceratng the mus
ces and pulling ont the tendons half way up TO the
elbow. The young convict druggist ampu'ated the
bone below the joint, took up the arteries, and
brought the muscles together, and the patient was
progressing very favorably when saw him. Full
let's of instruments for perform ng every kind OF
surgical operation we're shown VS., and everything in
admirable order.