The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-07-21
THE MUTINY AT SING SING PRISON.
A DiaboiicaI Plot Frustrated.

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After nearly week OF close confinement, with
barely as much bread and water daily as would sus-
tain life large majority of the rebelOus convicts
In Sing Sing Prison have been, to all appearances,
subdued, and now eagerly endeavor to assure those
who are placed over them not only OF their regret
for what has passed, but also OF their willingness to
work and conform in every respect to the
rules Of the prison. To such an extent have
these promises Of good behavior in the
future been regarded by the prison authorities
that more than 800 Of those who participated the
recent mutny have been released from confne-
ment while about the same number, including the
leaders of the revolt, are still secured by bars and
bolts Even those latter it observed are less tur-
bulent and defiant with the exception of perhaps
fifty of the most notorious, on when the punish.
ment OF confinement does not appear to have had
the slightest effect. This gang of desperadoes who
planned and inaugurated what they intended should
be universal revolt having for Its object general
clearing out OF the prison, az no matter
what sacrilce OF life, Is composed OF
some OF the worst and most dangerous
TRANSFERRED abored In a subtle manner to mould the
minds OF the more timld ones to their iendish
scheme by holding out to them promise OF certain
liberty.
In regard to the complaints about food 1t is now
known that this was but pretence, as out OF up
wards OF half the mutln0uS men visited in their con-
finement Dy the chaplain every convict one or
two expressed himself in favor OF the prison diet,
the exceptions only finding fault with the manner In
which 1t was cooked.
Measures which must prove successful were
Sr their e o@ OF tne
who melted the revolt; and these 1t is understood,
will be vigorously dealt with 1t. In order to arrive
the guilty parties each keeper In the various de-
partments has been examined under oath as to his
observations regarding those who appeared to lead
or incte the mutiny on the morning Of the 10Th
inst; and this investigation win, it is said,
brand about fifty convicts as being the
most dia6onca scoundrels yet unclaimed
Is at present tolerated, these men will be chained In
cells for perhaps an indefinite period. Each one
will also forfeit his communication OF sentence. This
may be more readily comprehended when 1t is stated
that according to law, If state prisoners conduct
has been uniformly good while In confinement there
Is month deducted from one years. service, and
this deduction increases in a proportonate ratio
with the extent OF the term of sentence, until In
term OF twenty years there Is Communication OF five
years and five months allowed, If the convlct's char
acter has been satisfactory.
The CHIEF cause assigned by the prison authorities
for the frequent acts OF INSTRUMENTATION which have
for some time past been witnessed among the con-
their amelioration from corporal punishment, was
passed by both houses OF the last Legislature This
gave all State prisoners an increased communication
OF sentence, being deduction Of about year In
q term of i've, and had 1t become law would have
then liberated some two hundred and fifty convicts In
Sing Sing Prison. While the act was awaiting the
Gubernatorial signature the news was imprudenty
telegraphed from Albany TO the prison that the
sure had been completed ana was already a law.
OF course this intelligence OF such importance to
the convtcs could not be suppressed and the cheer
ing news was borne from lip to lip until every in
mate grew 1uDlanJ al Ine tnOugnt tDaU MS term or
service had been materially shortened, while many
commenced TO make preparations for their departure
Thus matters remained, and while the clerks were
busy computing the time Of those whose terms of
sentence under the new law were supposed to have
expired word came from Albany that the Governor
had vetoed the bill. This had most disheartenng
eject upon the convics, OF whom lost his reason
in consequence, and had to be transferred TO the
State Asylum IL was also noticed at this time that
a spirit of INSTRUMENTATION took possession OF the
men, and has since been increasing up TO
the present hour To this, as well as to the action
nst I'm
punishment the prison officials say are mainly due
the present mutnous conduct and turbulence OF the
conyicts. Although matters appear to be settling
toward comparative order In the prison at present,
the temporary quletude is regarded by many In the
neighborhood as a prem0nlt0ry symptom OF another
storm.