New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-24

the wounded man.
HOUSE, OF DETESTIos.-ODe year ago lat feoru-
ar, house for the detention Of witnesses esab-
Hsbed at Nos. s6 and IS White street. Previous TO
this. all Witnesses whose appearance at Court was
necessary and who were unable to give bail, were
cent TO the City Prison, where they experienced the
sane treatment as the criminals themselves This was
deemed hardship, and hence the establishment ofthe
House Of Detention The buildings used for ms
ruoe were originally built for distinct private
dwellings but were subsequently thrown into one ana
used az large clearinghouse. According TO tue
present arrangement, No. Sc is used exclusively for
The accommodation Of the female inmates and the iani
" of 81, M.serole, the Keeper. The male witnesses
occupy No. IS. and are allowed no communication
whatever with the females. The persons sent here
aside from being prevented from going ont of doors
ex1erepce very little hardship while detained. They
have tie full run Of the house large yard to exercise
in. good. wholesome food and clean and comfortable
beds to sleep in.
Az general thing the class Of Witnesses whom 1t IL
TO desn are of the lower order and to them
plenty TO eat and clean clothes to wear are new and
pleasing sensations, which they not particularly
spxious TO give up TIER friends allowed to visit
them and to hold any conversation they please IN the
presence Of the keeper and present to tue prisoners
any articles Of comfort that may be seut TO them.
A majority Of the male witnesses detained during
the last year were mariners by occupation. These
ntIsons were mostly the victims Of swiaders OF one
kind and another and had they not been detained they
would have filled to appear against their victimzers.
Reug detained their evidence has 10 many instancee
secured the punishment of notorious scoundrels'
Those who when at liberty work at any trade or &C.
cupation are allowed nearly quite much pay for
tie time thew are detained as they could have earned,
! d,duo;inQ reasonable amount for their board.
Thieves gamblers prostitutes etc. who have no WISH
| bic means Of support, Are Dot paid for their time
| TIE homework and cooking for the establishment
! are done by females who detained az witnesses,
| and who receive full wages for their labor. AZ the
| present time two women do the cooking and murder
| kitchen work, Whose evidence is required IN
case which occurred at the Five Points. These wo-
| men received for their work 81 per month. The
| two women who witnessed the killing Of Virginia
Stewart by Mcdonald in July last, have been eonhn-
| ed here ever since that occurrauce, and Will DC held
till the trial of Mcdonald comes off, in January next
They lave a large comfortable room to themselves,
which thew keep neat and tidy, and have procured
sewing machine with which they make all their own
garments and have also done work for the shops out
side The male prisoners of that class who show
little inclination to work, and prefer lounging IN the
yard OF stng room, telling yarns and smoking theT
| pires or chewing tobacco.
The whole establishment is kept scmpulously clean,
the floors being scrubbed and secured almost daily
Tie bedrooms supplied with single iron bedseads
! with comfortable beds, wasbstand Sc, When first
| occupied, the bedrooms more thoroughly fur
nsled than present; but the prisoners manifested
strong desire for yarking in their rooms, which re-
suited in the demolition of the furniture After few
trias il was deemed best to furnish them with no more
than was absolutely necessary. few instances nave
doubtless occurred where the detention OF witnesses
was great hardship those detained but these cases
are very rare. The majority of those detained receive
better ieatme 1t in their confinement than they are IN
The habit of getting when at liberty. During the first
two months up to Nov. 1853, the number OF prison.
ers committed to this establishment was 29 The fol-
lowing lie the substance of the yearly report, made Now
/ 1859 by Mr.. Meserole, the Keeper Of the House OF
| Detention, to the Police Commissioners:
! "The number of witnesses received from Nov. /,
| 1853, TO Nov. l. 1859, WAS 4l9. OF these, 400 were
from the County of New-York, and 10 from Kings
County"
The following is the nature of the ofensss for which
/ L.. her, da.a ;pad ,o oive avidence.