New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-06
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Z "'dHe'ddy-Sak meat, POTATOES and bread. c
eassppally tarnfps are substituted for po&stoe.
i Ihsr'dS,-eak meat potatoes 49, bread wi
oeeos occss'onaiy instead OF potstoes
ff'day-Fsh, potatoe. and bread.
cofsrdoy-Fesh meat, bread and soun
Ssnd0y-Aesi, po,stoes, breed, and no. A.. ..
Asses' Sometimes soup Is given instead Of NJ. :,
moaasses. The couvi0s are supplied r,,be, -
VIA dnSer 90 Sunday, and no supper-,h, .-Iov.,,
TOT oinner being intended a. ample fostte repn.,5.,
the day. WI"
| Stcrr.
Tbs meal is always mush and mo,s..e. and
! served in the cell. ''1
NIGHTS AND sUEDAIs
| During nights ana Sundays the prscnef5 are coz
fined in their cell, except during he hour Of chapel
| service on Sunday morning. Two keepers and two
guarcs are alwsy in the prison When the prisoners
locked up Cne Of the keepers and one of the guards
are asleep-the others are OF active duty. These
men walk roselesslJ and in the most unsystenstc
manner along the conidols AID ksep sharp lookout.
BY this means the prison is kept quiet. They may
pass cOnvic- dOor tIree times in a minute or they
may not pass 10 three hcurs But they may al.
ways be expected, and L feer that they close
land prevents conversatQn, and keeps perfect silence.
On Sundays the prisoners who eau read are usually
engaged with ther books. On Fourhs o. july the
prisoners are kept in their cells, and allowed the priv
ege Of singing and otherwise indulging tter patriotic
feelings, but are closely watched.
PUNISHMENT.
There various modes of Furnishing disobedient and
refractory convcts The first oepse, if net toe Sc
rovs, is forgiven upon premises of good behavior
For slght oH. onnvint- ior-i, u or tooscco
Of dinner Of little privilege usually granted
them. For more serious ofTenses they locked up
in a dungeon foI night day two, aud perhaps
fed on bread and water. The usual severe punish
melt is the shower-ba,h. While saticg in the Chap
lains Office, which lie divided from the wash-room by
pation the ears Of tie writer were saluted with
cIie5 Of agony, moana, ertreses and promises earn
estly made, Il will rot do it again Then the
cries and promises would be renewed. Learn-
ing upon inquiry that they proceeded from a
Wit who was undergoing the punishment Of
the shower bath, curiosity aroused to scruti-
nize the instrument Of torture Going into the wash
room with Of the officers, there found as the
presiding spirits Of the apartment three or four negroes
who do the washing Of the prison. The foreman Of
them is a stawart negro who Oficiates 10 the admins
tration of the bath. In convict objects to ex
posing himself to the process tie negro uncerenOni-
ousy thrusts him into the necessary attitude and fast
ems him there. The bath apparatus was dripping
wet when looked at it, 1t is situated in one corner
Of the wash-room and open in font 1t consists OF
scat with tole in it, upon which the rebelous con-
vct divesed of all of his clothing except his Shirt is
C upeled TO sit. He Is there fastened. His ankle
are made fast through holes in plank. in the foor Tue
wrists are fastened on either side in the man
ner. A sort of wooden collar fits the neck
in the same style. A wooden trough is then placed
around the neck which catches the water that soattefs
TO the distance Of Elk inches about the cOnyicts head
ard runs down Lis neck and body The water is then
let on TO his head with fall Of about four feet il rather
copious showers to the great distress Of the convict
1t never fails of cooling their temper and reducing
them TO submission--fcr while at leset-althoush the
mot earnest promises made Of perpetual good con-
duct in order to get relieved from the operation.
About one convict per day on an average, receives
this punishment.
The woke an iron instrument, weighing twenty -fye
pounds is somt times fastened across the shoulders,
and the wrists are fastened, with the extended, to
the ends of the yoke. This is very painful punish
mort. Another punishment is that of "The Crown
1t is formed of iron bands, shaped something like
bishops cap. 1t is won day and night by prisoners
who are punished with IT, and they obliged to eat
and sleep with their heaas thus encased.
PRISON CORRESPONDENCE.
The prisoners are allowed to receive lette:s from
their friends which correspondence must pass through
the hands of the Rev. Mr.. Luckey the Chap
lain. The rules of the prison require him to scru
tnze the letters sent to them and if nothing OBJ
jectionabe s found in them, tc prisoners are called
into his Office TO read the letters or have them read to
Il en- They are alo we'd TO write foureiters year-one
three month s-to their families and not oltener
except by special permission of the Warden They
ave prohibited entirely from writing to other than rci
b,,p ~ fhp InspCctOr charge
fthe rri.op Writing upon the subject Of pardons is
prohibited. except by permission of the Inspector.
They can receive letters whenever they come, and
visits from friends every three months. The gu
pervision of this correspondence gives Mr.. Luckey
much labor to perform; but he cheerfGIy per-
forms il, for the sake of improving the opportu'
lily thus afforded him for exercising an inhu-
ence upon the welfare Of the convicts II happened
when we entered the Office Of the Chaplain yesterday
morning that a convict was present. who not being
able TO n al the Chaplain was about to read to him.
He was man forty years of age, OF stout frame
ard good appearance. He had been in prison about
year. and has another year to serve. His oifense VAS
theN committed while intoxicated, and he insists that
he was uncons cous of his acts while committing the
crime We caught Of the extracts of the letter
az they were read. lie shook with agitation, tears
clistened under his eyelasbes and then rolled down
his checks, and his chin quivered and there was
neIysus twitcbing about his mouth lie took great
interest in the letter, and seemed much encouraged at
lis tone The following extracts from II, emitting
the Introduction and other portions:
any DEAR HUSBAND: Irecciyd yOur Litter and "" very
much plts-ed hear from you Ihee 10 not day nor
wfkcful kCur but what think Of you- have sp'nt
or,ovtpl war and an sad learn that you reconcled
10 ,our tuAon and hope tie time viii come mat We saA
meet eeAu, live and die togc;hcr heep up -ood
r. J. are well. and sll Of the family A and f.
n. scol boys they have been 10 woIk al sumner ana
=. Ill., hi fhnY HaIf