Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-08-27

IN. shower bath p.ni.hn.n. !

The Philadelphia Inquirer thus describes two
incorrigible convicts at present confined In. the
penitentiary at that city, and the system of
punishment which prevails in that institution:
The famous criminal bath was then exhibit
ed. In q cell at the eastern end of the corridor
appropriated for females stood something lik Q
a wooden chimney vertically against the wall.
Closer inspection revealed door in its front.
with staple and paddock. This being thrown
open, an apartment, just large enough to con-
tain q human body, was reveaied, with one of
the round perforated bath cisterns in the top
The door and sides are hollow, and stuffed with
wOolen to prevent screams from being heard
When any prisoner becomes ungovernable,
he is escorted to this CELL The physician, the
nurse and the superintendent stand by The
malefsctor is forced into the apartment the
door closed upon him and the staple secured
with a heavy paddock. Then, in the darkness
and sitting air, the unhappy criminal feels the
torrent upon his uncovered head, and seems to
be beating upon his brain. In vain does he
seek to avoid the draught. He cannot bend in
the narrow aperture. He cannot turn. His
breath grows short. Every nerve is unstrung
His heart beats agonizingly. He screams, but
the walls are deaf and there is no reply. He
is sufocating-dying. And when sense is
swimming and life fickering, the door is
opened. the unhappy man removed and the
dying pulses taught to beat again.
Sometimes the criminals when removed are
black in the face, the blood flooding the head
man in Sing Sing prison lately expired under
this punishment. The shower bath at Moya-
neusing has been used three times in seven
years. It's effects are to yhock the nervous sys-
tenn and weaken the entire body One women
was lately put to the bath test. She is known
as Jenny Lind, and is designated by one of the
wardens as the most abandoned woman in the
world. She has been in the prison more than
a hundred times. chiefly for vagrancy, and
is beyond all reformation. She seems at times
to be possessed with a demon.
On Wednesday last she leaped upon Mr. Sar-
gent, the warden Of the female department,
and tore his mouth in most savage manner.
The assault was entirely unprovoked. She is
said to be very deceptive. She was placed in
the shower bath for an exhibition of heinous
wickedness, and at the end Of ten minutes
punishment, asked if she would behave She
said, with an oath, that she would not, and de-
manded to be punished again.
The bath was again applied-but she was
still incorrigible. When brought forth again
che was almost lifeless, and but for the appl
cation Of prompt restoratives would have been
no longer trouble to the authorities. We
were shown some specimens of her handicraft,
In mass of broken stools, crockery, &c. She
is undoubtedly a dangerous character. Two
other women of exceeding bad repute were ex-
hibited. One of them, known as Mag Warner,
is the victim of intoxca alton.
During the great visitation of the cholera she
was like ministering spirit to the miserable
conyicts who were diseased. She watched fear
lessly and continuously by the couches of the
dying, and when worn out with labor would
wrap blanket about her and sleep for long
hours by the corpses of the dead. She ex-
hibits traces of former beauty, and has not a
wicked expression; her curse has been rum
When our conductor, in q gentle tone, men
toned some of her shortcomings she burst into
tears. "Iye never been good woman, sir,
since my husband died. Thank God never
stole anything"