The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-10

4
TERRIBLE ToRruRR~las Sao,usr sa,h y-.,.,t,.
prisons OF Naples, "A far as exquisite tor :
tofe u concerned, do not ex eeed in horror the
New York State prison al Sing Sing. ANew
fork paper gives aa account OF the apniica-
tion OF the shower bath TO Tom Kelly, a des-
pefa'e villain, who recently leti an attempt 70
escape from the institution. 1t says
Ills was no ordinary case Ilalf n dozen
AfepeEs surrounded his cell when he came on Z
ot II, aud followed him TO the shower bat, -
Hall dozen men armed to the teeth. couei ct
ed MIN to the scene of his sc fferiuss, where
were waiting half a dczen more TO conc usr
nam, should ne make the slightest demonstra-
tion OF resistance. - . s7E@-ggT :
Kelly came into the room, pale and Hyid. -
fne hps Were compressed, the eyes sunkoa
ana halt closed, and the cheek bones proiec ted
more prominently than in ordinary cases from
the compression Of his laws
Il axe on your clothes, sir - said the keeper
The mandate was obeyed without a repIy !:
ana be stripped himself Laked, aud entered the
BATH a Convict who stood by fixed his feet iu
tne stocks, nis hands in the armlets, and his
head under the bath. As soon as he vas placed
under 1t, he shook his head as much as 10 say
I've got TO suffer" The water was allowed
to tricSle down his face and warm his bod Y
LOT lew minutes before the bath fell upon his
head. AT length 1t fell. Tom bore IL we'll no {
q saiver OF the legs, not \ muscular moye-
ment OF the hands or fingers, not single cry
OF distress, although he was actually being
| oiOWhto huOut Hve minutes.
You bear IL well, Tom" said one of the
keepers, after the first five minutes had
elapsed, and time had been given him TO re-
cuperate. .asal-1
its awful" was Toms reply "but can't
ask for mercy" "a l-F = y
Down came the water again. and for five
minutes longer the gursling sounds of stran-
guiateo mau were audible, and, when he was
exhausted, the cord was let up aud the water
| stopped. A few minutes of release was grant.
ed, and down came The water again and The
scene was more terrible than the worst exc.
cution We had ever witnessed. AT length.
congestion OF the brain was threatened, and n
hiss from the physician brought the third
scene 10 close. Several minutes were al
lowed the unfortunate man to recover, bu I
the punishment was TOO terrible TO witness
10 the end, and we left. He had been fifteen
minutes under the shower; but had twenty.
nye minute OF the same TO endure when we
left; and Tor the next forty days the same sort
Of punishment will be meted out 10 him, un :
less he dies under the hands Of the keeper
ii was an awful spectacle TO witness This
man under the bath. Every muscle contract
ed and became corded sometimes the hands
would become convuIsed, and every nerve
strained, when there would follow a rela1a-
uon. Then the water would cease TO pour
and then would appear the sufferings OF the
culprit; the retching, and vomiting or water,
which had swelied the body up like 4 dropsi-
cal Invalid. Hanging is nothing to the torture
OF the shower bath. The man subjected to the
bath for half an hour suffers teu times the
amount of pain caused by stral gulation, for
the simple reason that just as con .cious ness is
about leaving and when he would be happy TO
die, he Is brought back TO a full reaiizatioA of
his sunerings and unhappy position.
After Kelly had been showered, and taken to
his cell, the keeper turned round, and with q
malignant smile exclaimed, "Weu subdue
him." Outsiders, from that single expressive
sentence, may guess At tue rule In Sing Sing.