The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-09-28
LETTER FROM NEW YonK.
lrxo1 ovn SPECIAL connrsposDrsr.

sound Of Aloultries voice in conversation with
the prison-keepcr, with nosuess tread hc
walks along the gloomy passagG-ways, lined on
either side with still gloomicr cells, in which aro
confined delinquonts and criminals OF every grade
alonllrio has paid visi to the tombs, AMI would
post the readers or The News on what ho saw
therein. Tho subject ia grave one, and should
not be treated lightly nor facelousy; aud yet did
Moultrie noto even in the tombs itscr persons anu
| incidents better calculated to produce a smile
than tear. There ill., however, abundant food for
pathos, besides abundant material Fur valuable in
struction ami consequent reflection in what can
be acquired from visit to this wori-rc-
nowncd City Prison. In the maic depart.
mcnt thcrc are four lengthy halls. ons above
! tho Other, lined with cells similar to tlluse in the
Pcntentiary, nnd in these cells are tho criminals
confined drnnkartls, vagabonds, thicyes burglars,
murdercrs, and, in fuct. who have commit; 20 Il
| every felony ia tho catalogue of crimo-soIue Of
! thcm not yet tried, somo tried and convicted, but
not yet sentenced; some tried convicted, senteuc-
| cd, and destined in fnw short days to end dis
graceful life by terri oIe and degrading death
II Ia impossible to judge from the countenances OF
the criminals other tho nature anl grade of their
crime, or whether or not they have received their
death sentence. ofai tho prisoners lhero coufin-
| Cd, the dusky hero Of the Eleventh street wife
| his present position future fate Yot this maj,
is the parpetrator Of one of tho most cold-blooed
murders OH record. In tho wonlen's department
there are no felons none OF the poor uutortunaes
having been committed for any graver offence than
drunkenness, failing, alas! but too common 10
| such fallen angels.
majority, If not all, OF the greatest novelisis
who have ever lived have contended aud do con-
tend that there is something 10 degrading in
prison life and the contamination consequent upon
| the associations attendant thereupon that in nine
ty-nine cases in a hundred O man imprisoned fur
minor offence comes forth into the world 50 hard
ened aud demoralized al to ensure the commission
| OF greater crimes. They Furthermore claim that
there is but little, it aught, in the prison rogula
tions calculated to lead to thought repentance and
reform. This is not so; ut least, in Tic case OF The
New York Tombs Prison. The management of the
women's department Of tho prison is entrusted 10
the superintendence of a kind looking, kind
hearted, elderly woman OF pleasing countenance
and pleasant manner and conversation. This
good creature has hold tho position OF keeper for
the past twenty-five years, and TO my friends and
myself she kindly volunteered TO act as guide over
tho establishment. None Of the poor unfortuuatos
were locked up i'll the gloomy cells majority of
them being huddled together in the prison yard,
and others in the cells, but with tho doors left
open. Through one Of these doors that stood
MAR wo saw a sight that would have moved a
heart OF stone to drop tears as fast as the
Arabian trees their medicinal gum" There, upon
rude couch, in the cheerless CELL lay young
girl apparently but eighteen years of age, albeit
her eyes wero red from weeping, and her check,
God help her, flushed with that which was not tho
bloom of health and youth-aa perfect Il mode, OF
female beauty as my eyes have over bsLeld--aud
yet not perfect either, for that was wanting
without which tho most perfect combination
OF form aud feature still lacks real loyclincas,
as the cunningly constructed, but spurious irnita-
tion, lacks the lustre Of the pure and genuine
stono. The lustrc wanting in the face OF this poor
young girl ia the light OF innocence. She il n
mother, but no wedding ring has ever encrcled
ner nnger. Her babe, I,v,, littIo oroaSur. will
never know fathers name or caro-, and as one OF
the prison attendants dandles the child in ono OF
the more airy portions OF the JAIL it smiles aud
coos like other infants, and is just as happy too
though it's mother lay upnn the rude prison couch,
in her shame covering her eyes with her hands,
and battling vainly against the demon Of iutoxica-
tiou.
Our guide next conducted lis To The pria III church.
few rough benches ruduly fashioned, Lui COM
Portable and neatly arranged, the crucaz elevated
upon platform similar to m altar, we'll executed
statue OF the Virgin, appropriate quotations from
the Book OF Books inscribed upon the walls, and
here, day after day, is moral instruction i'm
parted, and the balm Of religion poured into many
sorrowstricken and wounded heart.
In tho boys department, was ploasad to note
that there were but few prisoners, aud these sa
IN the school cell, where, as my friends and my
solf approached, We heard them repeating the ton
commandments to a good lady who Visits the
Toombs daily for the purpose Of giving gratuitous
instruction Of such kind. "MouItrie," being no
orator as BRuTUs WAS, did not address the boys
who however wore, many Of thom. moved to toars
by few welltimed remarks and moral adm oni-
tions OF a wiser and more eloquent friend, who
had como in per virtue Of ''Moultre'a" compre-
hensiye complimentary ticket OF admission. Alter
this the boys sang hymn; but I AM sorry to odd
ono of them seemed to labor under the impression
that it WAS capital comic song. and thus gave
wrong expression thoreto.
change has come over the spirit of the clerk
Of tho woathcr's droam Tho Fall weather has ret
in in good earnest It is Gool-winter garments
have appeared, overcoats nre in fashon-tho
winter Of our discomfort ia coming. Thore will be
music again to-day on tho lake at Central Park but
tho music will soon cause.-the lake will soon be
abandoned, and anon frozen over when old Decem-
Der comes to tell us of the approach Of Christmas
and the coming Of good old Santa Claus. The
Summer has gone, bu The Charlestonians have
not; the names OF those who have been here this
Summer is legion, md day after day dces Moultrie
have an opportunity Of performing a pumping
operation upon the arm and shoulders Of some
we'll remembered friend, come, perohance, to
enquire what places Of amusement are best worth
seeing, and what ia tho best way to get value
received out OF a limited supply Of greenbacks.
An insane gentleman named SoLLRrTE, a mes.
ssnger Of the Merchants Union Express Com
pany abstracted twonty thousand dollars from tho
safe, came to his senses and returned the dollars,
then lost hia senses again, and will probably be
sent over to Blackwoll's Island to keep company
with the Cholera man and other OF the inmates Of
the Asylum.
The police force don their winter costume to-
day, and dead man, mime unknown, is anuounc-
ed to be lying in state at the Morgue in no cos
| tune at all. The dead man in no costrms will
| not feel the cold in the approaching winter as
| keenly as the live policemen-thus It is that, in
flying 10 others that we know not OF, We obviate
tho necessity Of bearing the ills we have.
MAX MARETzEK's italian Opera Troupe, at the
Academy, is, with tho exception Of PAREPA Rosa,
rather second rate. They held forth tonight in
the opera Of Othello
The French Opera Bouffe, at the Theatre Fran
cars, Is quito SUCCESS and is we'll patronized by
tho creme de Ia creme.
| RISToGI 0-nioht as Nh q V,roin N,aan. Eopurar