New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-24
PRISON MANAGEMENT AT SING SING.

PRISON MANAGEMENT At SING SING.
DIVERSE VIEWS OF THE CAUSE OF THE LATE
| TRoUBLEs-A BAD STATE OF AFFAIRS.
SING SING, July 93.-FOr some time until quito
recently the citizens OF Sing Sing have been in constant
dread OF an outbreak among the eonyicts in the Pen
Tertiary and whatever the friends OF the officers may
say to the contrary this fact cannot be denied Never
since the Penitentiary opened has there been
much talk about the inefleenoy of tho prison OH
GERS. The excitement attending the recent troubles
| has subsidized, and most Of the prisoners have
| resumed work How long order Will be preserved
| no can tell Similar scenes NAV occur
at any moment, notwithstanding tho officers have been
assured by the that heneeforth they will keep
peace rs TO the real cause OF the late rebellion few per
cons TO agree, though nearly every one declares
that there several large loose somewhere
Yesterday called 20 see the agent OF the prison Mr.
Henry Nelson. but he was not in. Mr. G. c. Child.
Chief Clerk said IL abont time for TIE TRBUEE to
stop publishing false reports and 10 give its readers the
truth concerning the management OF the State Peniten-
tiary. The following Ia the substance Of statement
which he gave touching the recent disturbances.
On Thursday afternoon Of last week. word received
at the Office that about % the men employed in tho
stone quarry had stopped work The agent, Mr. Henry
G. Nelson immediately went to learn the cause OF the
difficulty It seems that the spring OF water at the
quarry Is strongly mpregDaed with lime and as num-
her OF the convicts were attacked with dysenterY he
forbade further of the water At this the de-
manded cewatcr, which Of course was refused the
laws OF the prison prohibit It, Still they would not 20 TO
work. and so they were put in cens and locked mp until
Friday morning when al excepting two wero let out as
usual, and marched to breakfast, md thence to the
TOrkslOps Here there was more dissatisfaction some
complaining that food bad. and Others fearing
to work with the rest lest they should be murdered They
were Informed that they must obey tho rules OF the
Prison else go back to their cells. Continuing rebel
ious the lpsnrgents were locked up y order OF MI Mel
The peaceable portion OF the men went on
Prison was Scied up When the cells were GaScEed on
Saturday morning all OF those who were Wiling TO work
were taken TO breakfast thence tho shops Some Of
those who remained found 10 be held back by the
rngeaders, but being released they went TO work IL
IN ngular that of the notorious state Prison
characters TO be found among them The leaders
OF the mnlny were men VINO sa Deeh sent Up Tor com
men employed in the foundety, named Henry Palmer
sentenced for Ave years the charge Of passing counter
felt money. being asked TO join the rebels said that he
was IN favor OF putting down such movements, where
Mr. Child seemed 90 be much hurt because OF tile ports
which have ,peared IN The TRIBUNE concerning the
pbo s1 a M Ia truth ' TO be tsd s dard t5s
statements that had been made about bad beef being
purchased In NewIork by the agent "a he false lie said
that the citizens OF Sing sing laughed at such stoe the
prisoners themselves found no ianli WIN lher DeeL
have taken particular pains 10 get at the truth on this
matter. 10 must be admitted that party feeling has
something To do Win the reports when nave Deen eur.
culated here ard abroad have eOnyerscd with Repub
Leans and with Democrats and the result OF my nycst
CATIONS Is ms Inc dlsspihe durng tne iast sX
Of the Republican administration, was not what should
escaped during those months than at any correspond
ing time before since. STILL tho management for the
aud the escapes that occurred duo the careless
ness Of few mderoncers. The prisoners made little
sEeepsfa on the lat of January toe new admins
tration began with but few exceptions the officers
penses to be reduced aud the discipline more rig
instead Of allowing tho the usual 10 barrels of -four
er day" only egnt were Vsm tIdPs soCh
fI0
enough OF IT. BY degrees the discipline was relaxed.
enforced From what can learn certain punishments
abaed through fear OF the prisoners rather than
from any SENSE Of Kindness toward them Tins may not
be true however. Things wont Oh from bad 10 worse
until Of the refused 10 obey the foremen and
the superior officers, from some reason oiten neglected
TO see that tho rules applying on such occasions were en-
forced NOR tnsh one 5e The eopyist even
TO tear open tho cases OF shoes which they
knives Tho instance where two OF the keepers were
gagged In the cookFoom plainly showed that things
we're not ahey should bc.sIn the chnin shOphE Miller,
one OF the Keepers Iwho acting as foreman at the
time. was attacked by Agaug OF prisoners ana terribly
the buckle shop In the South Foundery they refused TO
work because the keepers lo ey saIui aGt as tohg
they who had been there much LONGER tne Inc con-
vets portion OF them, soon learned that the Officers
were not the men 20 keep n PenitentaTy. Matters
RAPIDLY grew worse. uutl t became evident that "a
house divided against itself cannot stand rev orders
given the subordinate oaoers SO that II was d
cult for the keepers TO know really what course TO
went into the shops. and gave f9w dlrec-
tous directly the men, without issuing them
20 tue subordinate officers, as was customary The
officers claim that most OF tue troubles are due TO the
absence of the but the facts show that they
commenced pre- vious the abolition OF That instrument
OF torture, aud about the go t.e fo.Ga ~ Nei Ms
also about this time that prisoner Mas thOWeIed 10
death The officers often hooed NJ as they walked
through the ne-s-roOn, great was the dislike Tor
| them. The admirers OF capital punishlhSHl, ana
OF hogglng, have great dea 70 sy aoos uno uSo VI
| cessfuly managed without H. Others believe III thumb
screWs and other inhuman conriyancea That these al
nf HARM
told TO me by ono who - familiar MIN te i.1iuo
buIldng $50 am nfOrmed there are six or more hooks
driven into the wall at hight OF rom hye 20 SIX ieet
brought up hero and handcuhed with his arms behind
him lie then hung by tile wrlss on Ohcoi inc HOOKS
40 mat his toes will lust the door am told that the
and pleadiugs Of the victim only cease when no ahts
pendcd nc one time on such occasions the cries were
heard outside OF the prison walls hfteon rods away
| conyIct was left hanging to hook Tor lhxe hours,
NOT long since Fortunately he very tall man, so
that his suerngs were not 80 great as my 80
would have been. Another m9do Oh ny 70 ~, W
lock prisoner up In his CELL snd turn stream OF water
him that would hnoSK rho n prso T'q warned
by a placard 10 use "profano or indecent anguase
nnn1iron 10 hear Keeper when reprOyng convict
break forth into a yoey Of basphemOus anu lndeSoht
nooriy fed and il hard matter 10 hnd out whether
| they are furnished with good food OF NOT: 0 ,G
| for than his own family. Ho even went so iar
as to say that no would Ike 10 ehShago places MIN
them as far as eating concerned Inc Iaets ltuh
what can learn are these; The meat which they eat
known among butchers as COW Oeel vi course u rs npS
~ tic frst oualty still 10 is not usually what ono would
| cali bad Often il is impossible during the summer
season 10 have perfectly fresh as ~ ~ haued through
The streets In an open wagon exposed 10 the sun and the
aes. ON Sunday, a week or so ago Tue
| nrison doctor, Mr.. Collins, went into the chapel
and said that the meat not good therefore he would
give them cheese Instead IL not 10 be supposed that
eonyicts can always be pleased Heretofore not more
than 30 or 40 prisoners have complained OF their 1000 a
any one time Last week there 200 or 500 OF the
men who declared that unless better grub was fnr
ushed them they would not work another hour Ana IL
was for this that many left the stone quarres
| aud the shOe.shOps. ~. -. A..
Some Of the head officials say that most OF the late dis