Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-07-27

dedih pursue It's career OF good fellowship. 1t
was often emptied, and when we last saw n. N
was still "goiDg the rounds.n Long NAV IA
wave. y -
The German glee clubs of uncouth n,mes
the Turner'S Often upon the evening air .veIIed
their melodious haImonies and wherever thew
sung, crowds would gather and never move until
the last note Of the song died away.
so passed the afternoon the crowd Increasing
as the shadows heightened until. II is estimated,
four thousand persons We're present participating
In sports that winged the hours.
sunset closed the festival. day of peaceful
enjoyment had honored the memory Of Steuben,
ana a iougued yet happy throng turned their
faces homsward. The boats were thronged num-
6ers took, on the tow path, "the independent
linen to Georgetown. The omnibuses were
crowded. The - independent line' was extended
into Washington. Without accident or nm
pleasant incident, the vast crowd that had during
the day poured forth from the city, rested at
ghtfall beneath the roof-trees Of their own
homes.
More than two thousand tickets were sold. and
nearly one thousand dollars have been raised for
the object OF the festival monument to Steuben
The PENIrRNTIARY Having business in the
vicinity OF this institution yesterday, and being
tired with the long ramble we had taken, we
stopped at the office door and had short but
pleasant conversation with the estimable War
den, Thornley,, Esq, and his polite assistant,
Mr.. Mitchell. The subject of conversation was
the prison and prisoners; and after giving us an
outline OF matters they stand we were politely
escorted through the Institution, and allowed to
Decomr an eye witness Of its order and cleanli-
ness, and the mode of employing the prison.
ers. The conyicts, all In the prison Uniform
were employed in the different departments
the white and colOred separate, as far as
Some were engaged in shoemakng, some in
broom making, and others in the manufacture Of
window frames. Among those in the yarions
shops we recognized many faces the details of
n W
has been our duty To record within the past six
years; and OF these the majority might have been
useful members Of society, but for rum.
In passing the cells in which the conyicts sleeD
our attention was directed TO one in which laid
an invalid. He was called to the grating and
we Instantly recognized Richard alias Ranggy
Jones. lie is evidently very unwell and feeble,
and his appearance is that of person in con,
sumption. He Is totally unfit for service in the
workshops at present.
few cells distant, sitting in chair at his cell.
door, was a little Mexican, Vandora Otssse who
is now serving second term in this prison for
assault and battery with intent to kill This
prisoner claims to have been employed as a spy
during the Mexican campaign and his Il olics and
sprees after he arrived in this city. subsequent to
the peace. are well known To the police then in
service. Ii is highly probable that his career Is
ended. His feet are dreadfnliy swollen, and he
appears now just ready to drop TO pieces In fact
his death at any day would not surprise the
warden or the attendants
Leaving the celI-range we entered the shoe
merly used for hospital purposes, but Is now
used as a shop to separate the white and colored
prisoners, and make room. From this we We're
conducted to the bakery, which is under the su-
perintendence of John Day, who Was sent to this
prison for manslaughter. Here We saw speci-
mems of the prison bread baked by Day IL is
composed OF tine Hour mixed with little corn
meal. lt was neat and cleanly in its appearance
and the baker seemed to have taken great pains
in having all the utensils in his charge as clean
and bright as if never in use. Day was a brick
llxr htrt d.. l,,.t Al.
now " Jack-Of ll-trades," and useful and relia-
BILE wherever employed in the prison.
Passing into the shops for the manufacture Of
brooms, shoes, window frames, &c recog-
nlzed several persons who, previous to their en-
try here had caused considerable excitement in
the city by their outrageous acts
We could not help but notice that the prison.
eTs generally Were very healthy I'm appearance
This We attributed to the regularity with which
they get wholesome diet, plenty of pure air. good
wafer, active exercise in the shops, plenty of
rest, and temperate habits generally. In the last
mentioned shops we noticed Croggin, Bailey,
and Dema.ne, all in excellent condition, the at
mosPhere, diet. and employment in the prison
evidently agreeing with their constitutions.
Some OF the cOnvicts seem to be reconciied to
their condition, and their behavior is greatly TO
their advantage; while others are DISCONTINUED
and appear TO be always designing misc hef and
endeavoring to excite the holder and more able
bodied to carry out their plans. These require
strict Yhtching, and their treacherous DISPOSE
tons renhrr IL necessary for their guards and
overseers to be constantly on the alert. Since
the present Warden began his term Of service an
outbreak of turbulence on the part of prisoners
occurred, in which the w arden received severe
blow when his back was turned from one Of the
prisoners. He soon recovered himself and sue
ceeded, with tho assistance OF his guards and
associates, in restoring order He could not
say who it was that dealt the blow, but the posi-
ton of Croggin at the time aud the indications
of guilt in his cOunt-uance, would Justify a sus-
piclOn that he WIS the assailant. The Warden
related an incident that illustrates the ups and
downs OF life
convict was sent to the prison and the War
den, upon receiving him, began to inquire into
his birth, &c. "WheIe were YOU born - In
Ireland was the reply wv hat part - The
convict mentioned the town from which the w ar
den came when child. The Wa den began 10
question him as to the people, and discovered
that be was telling the truth He then asked him
II be Tecollfcted little boy named Thornley,,
'Dh yes, > said the prisoner, she came to Amer
lea forty years ago. played with him many
times "Wonld you know him if you saw him
again!' "Hardly, it has been 50 long ssWell,"
said the warden, 81 am the boy. forty years ago
ago We Were playing together In childish limo
cence; now you are here prisoner, and you
keeper "
Among the broOmmakers, apparently as much
Interested as any workman in the room in the
correct adjustment OF the brush to the handle
was James +. Devlin-better known recently as
tthe younger Devlin." Soon after his arrival at
the prison, he passed the usual ordeal Of the
prison inspection, and was rugged in the prison
suit and put 10 work The novelty of the pro
fession does not seem to affect him at all and he
proceeds with his work as if he intended TO de-
rive pleasure from the employment He speaks
but seldom, and pays but little attention to any
but his instructor. As might be expected NV
new beginner at broom making, who has never
been used to hard work, his haI DIS are somewhat
torn by the sharp straw-his fingers are sore
and for while his labor will be a punishment.
but. by sticking close to the business he will
become accustomed to using the material, and
he, when his term is finished, may lind himself
an expert workman
There are at present In the prison los convicts;
males, C2 white, and 81 colored; females white,
and colOred. During the last month I3 were
discharged. We cannot bear to saw that the
warden and his assistants deserve credit for the
condition In which the prison is at present. Good
order appears to be maintained among the pris-
oners, and they are kept strictly up to the prison
equations The most particular attention is
paid to the cleanliness OF the institution tbrouo h.
out, as upon this the health OF the prisoners de-
ponds In great measure and az reformation il
an OBJECT OF their incarceraton great attention is
given to their moral instruction by the Rev. MIR.
SIPes, tie prison chaplain.
FOURTH DISTRICT POLICE OFFICK-Several
persons have been fined for infractions of the city
Ia fin.r 4 I,at,l