New-York tribune., 1867-08-08
An HOUR IN THE. TONES.

An HOUR IN THE TONES.
The Tombs has two entrances, one on Centre
St. beneath the shadow Of lofty Egyptian pillars, massive
as the supportsof Buddhist temple and through this
passage murderers, burners, thieves prostitutes, and
miserable unfortunate drunken wTetches OF both sexes
are pushed showed, dragged daily by stout able
bodied policemen who have been securing the .uas and
cutters for foolish victims, Ascending the granite steps.
and turning 10 the right, you will find yourseh in the
TOmbs Police Court The other entrance, Or rather exit,
Franknst Here the bystandcr may 80 az hours OF
the day find coming cut from duranCe vile tic v3omsan
fools whose fOudness for srOn drink
their ten days term of seTvtude having elapsed Occa
aonaly nay often may be emerging FROM under these
massive slabs of granite and concrete halda@ed woman
with bleary eyes, rough flushed face specified with PIN
PIES disspaed with cavernOus lines, and odorous win
body filth. This woman, perhaps, Ia her midnight dreams
has been haunted in her lonely cell whore she has peen
fastened like the inmates OF Dantes Inferno TOT S
bolts and bars with recolectous ol laI'on NCm ,rJ
shire hills where grass grew green anq streams P, P.s
with incessant music TO the pratue on 49, mines
anu te SOUNDS SI merry lyct ny o,i cdri.
with scaldng She looks at lcr soici ana ~
gled dress, and feels aCcLrsed ana dsc'ut' tL ~,
protection of that cold ana selfish Syoety ~ Ti,ot
belonged lOrettc OI the very iOWS"t ~ ~NsV' &
everyday occurrence, she Will soon forget her pun
shment in the galing sun and bustic OF no AuusV p
viii Eventually be found at Bellevue Hospital, her neck
and face swollen and dishgured with loahsome disease
fin or more probably she win night be fshed like
dog the foot of dock in the last River her lar
dak and eyes glazed and open la the nns Of dedih
1t is an old story, and has often been told.
Travelsing long passage, through murky corridors
stained and Tedoent with long years Of crime we at Last
come TO wicker gate painted gISe, at whose portals
white beard He is informed that We wantt pay VISIT
10 the interior Of the prison, and he writes on slip "
brown paper after scrunizug our appearance 10 see II
le can recognize any the pcpocet or counter
feiter the name of the individual whom we care u see
The gate Is swung back and the courtyard o me pIso'
paved with square blocks OF stone, is gained court
yard without any mercy in it, full OF haI1nfsS an.
A policeman is dragging, half carrying u drunken
woman, who sObs in Iuaudin fashion, To the lower ehd
OF the court sIe Struggling ui Iile Wilt anu o @ S Li
pleasantly II 10 everyday occurrence WIN h
To drag Intoxicated females TO prisons. Passing through
the lower tier, MuTdeICrs Row, where those poor
be found, Gagged like Wild beasts. THIS Part
OF the prison IS also devo'ed ,. 40 Yen zen
drInkcIuea ordsordcrly conduct. An Individual Nit4a
Wild staring face and linen duster neatly parted u0Nh o
middle of the hack the rent reaching from the meek To
Who hands bis nopcr ~ commitment fron Justice Dowlug
to the Assistant Warden Mr. Cunningham. The prisoner
is otousy inclined ana blesscs the eyes Of The suffering
What Is your name q inquiries the Warden.
Daddy B-ff says the prisoner, uIer-a SoOu deI VI
stsgSsring ana LcEEs ,c., s,, around % Inc desk
Well, W3s born in NGw-Iors, suppose. May be
that's rough on New-York but don't care "a d-n any
How old are you ?"
"Twenty y-thrc6-poor fellow
"What is yOur trade T.
81 oyster shells Tor the Lime ALA dAu SOME
times, but as general thing don't. -, w.. ,.,.
take him 10 No. lO3, officer, says the Warden having
registered the commitment Have you 9n{ MONEY!
gone Ough for the last copper when vas drunk
Why. say, Look at hs feet Why he ought 10 be car
The officer then takes the prisoner by the shoulder 10
put him IN the cell, and the latter gentleman asks the
Warden If he Is going fer allow highway robbery to
be committed upon his person T. ana receiving no
answer, he informs the officer That jest as sem a. ne
ever gets out he's Just gongto warm hm bad aud break
his horn, IL il costs him his l1st pair Of shoes
To quiet him, the prisoner Is craInuied INTO celI ana
the ron dOor locked upon him He protrudes his nugos
through the grating and clamOis violently ashihg,
"Where is that offspring Of female dog AS ,ed
himP whereupon eu0W-prlsohrI' oit III the cOriuvl
upOn good behavior, administers claw Gt tobacco To
rctires TO his bed Of whewashed brick, in calm and
peaceful mood. Now We are IN the MurderCrs ROW
murderer Colt, who killed Adams and number OF
Others passed their last hours upon earth We ask 10
ser Jerry OBren who killed MS mistress June 20, 1900
Jerry puts bis pale wasted hand through the prison bars
in answer To cali npOR hin-handg DiGnchcd TO Ue
ment He is hut youth IN age, tweDtycne or there.
abOuts. OF medium Size with plentiful growth Of ict
CLOSE FeitWade figure, and an appeafdpte that would
impress any one ~ his favor pale enacia'ed priest Of
the order Of st. Francis has just left jerry after confer
euce Of hours and he Is now quot and resigned but
ready TO TAX How the hours pass for him, with the
dreaded sentence hanging oyer him. He has but |
twenty-one years Of lie but those eyCntiu years seem
century he looks IN reyero al the
among the tObaccopitte ana thinks OF his early child
hood % his bOyhOOd running through the streets with the
companions OF his first lessons In vice his frt discre-
tiOuS ana his irst crime. The air seems thick dr0unA
him. and the bricks on the walls are breathing fCnicuCcs
10 him OF dread import The wiitcwash pains him. aud
he looks at the pictures of naryrcd saints ana the priut
OF the Virgin Mother OF Sorrows. His life is short;
there time 10 repent VI begin es2ip A. II he only Il
could begin il again, how changed it would be.
lie remembers his enlistment IN the Union Army boy
full Of patriotic ardOT, uHstaned with crime aud free
from al burdens Of conscience lie has joined his rc-
ment the First Mounted Rifles, al Fortress Monroe and
receives the uniform of a cavalry soldier Then tho 4
long nights IN camp playing cards and CarOusng with
raids intcrminable into the cuemyS lines. LOugsrcets
lines Of Confederate gray covering tho snous border OF
the BlackWaer and the Union infantry with N
he could only be with them again % sell bis I've
dearly. How well he IcCOUCCts That night II
when with companion no stole into the h
entmys Inc OF WcAets, and had nearly cap \
ured Gen. LOngtrect himself Tie pride Of me Rebel
infantfy-that dark, stern soldier polite Massfua and
stubborn as Mcdonald -Four years Of lOldrr-iifc-a
brave and gallant s0dicr-qud lru cou,eg tbo T,ui,n
raid OF that June when OEncn iOius the Fcuiais a.
volunteer ana gets commission, coming be does from
and services IL the field. few days since he received
from Ills old commander the following testimony Of his
service:
know your gallant and honorable record during your service IN the
late War Of tie Rebellion for four yelrs. Itfuel you Ners
Hsnf occasions Win important dispatches as couer you tunes
faction superior officers Both while in The gsr,ou d te
hej you proved yourself Trustworthy AMI excellent soldier Very res
P SPEAR late BrigadierGereral Commanding Cavalry
Then came that terrible 20th of juno. 1906 when mad
dencd ana crdZed Win Ddd liquor and filled with hell Ot
jealousy he entered the house where his mistress Kate
Smith, alias Lucy Mclaughlin, lived by the fruits OF her
shame She was beautiful and beloved by Jerry fbouch
a degraded cOurtezan and she had betrayed him for
coward nc thought. The Of the house gathered
around her and frightened him, and ho thinking that
laughing at him. plunged the knife in her back and
then sought to cut his throat This is the story OF
Jerry O'Bricn. HIS execution is appointed for next
Friday, and SO he has but one day more TO live.
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OBITU1RY