The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-01

to work his stint and some men can get
90 on working for the rest Of the day and have
wh9t he earns for himself Some men VINO nave
rseeSe WSss they Of
convicts DON'T care very much about doing much
sis their stint much Of days work." asked
mo; It is just about as much as any man would
system good one The men don't care about spoil.
ing good outside trade. Ferty cents day aint
o +. tts to and this
the convicts ought to have something to do; but
think it should be public work. Lime kilns and
making Shoes and buckles and convict labor goes
into the market against honest labor, don't think
the shops and think they are right"
do you think there is much chance OF convict
reforming in Sing Sing, Mr.. Brown ~ .,. nv
show for 1t. There's always about twelve hundred
men in that building, and they're pretty pretty well wei,
soon teach him. II man goes in there, say for his
nrst oenoe, when he comes out he win be likely to
KNOW there's exceptions. Take my case, for In
stance. This Is my first oflence.n they cal II
Wen nt sss ns &c be- ea%s ike sF
poor devils inside there. They don't know enough
Mr. Brown looked up at the dialplate Of the clock.
He observed that his train would be here in few
see his pocketbook, with the $500 in It, and SO !
was tsns NJ BrS%n about
the train, OF whether It was mere forgctmlness, l
shall never be able to but certain saG IL Was
him Good bye and success in life." and added,
o Sse sS Sa5s ali ii r iss Ills '''' ~ e'
' MR.. BsowN's STORY TESTED.
In the cool of the evening sauntered down to
the prison. In the private once l found Warden
Nelson-rub!cund, Jolly, goodnatured frank, open
had never found resting place upon that Placid brow
After short general tax said You discnarge ,ti
Nsson reneS 0 sns
name had been discharged that morning. "DOn't
you think 1T rather rough Warden, to employ
f sSp sn his Mn s'
business; but III seen The Warden here rung
desk bell and sent messenger, In stripes, to the
prison THAT man Brown is convict: He Is sent
labor. He goes into the shoe shop to work on the
contract. They set him to keep the books--per
The contractor pays the State forty cents day for
his labor. Now, there are plenty OF convicts who
tract work. 1t is not degrading; they are not CON-
PEELED to be marched along in fles from the yards
to the quarries or to any other outside work and
of the prison is that men shall work from bell to
bell but the men working in the contract may
get through by eleven O'Clock, and the rest OF the
day is for themselves. They have other privileges
which man in Browns position would always OBJ
tain For instance, II the officers Of the shoe shop
had more lunch or supper than they wanted
Brown would join them, and he would not always
have prison fare, though don't know that that
fare is so bad
WHAT NEHEMIAH SAID.
| The Warden was interrupted In his conversation
| by the entrance of u gentleman who did not wear
'the stripes" but who wore over black cloth coat
and vest long linen buster, and on his head a
stOpe-ppe hat. His nose and eyes were the only
part OF his face that was not overlooking with lux
uriant hair. His nose was hooked, his eye was
ana ana ms as
getting WELL from an attack OF asthma and aziness
combined, He cast long look at the Warden and
| myself and then dropped into an easy chair In the
corner; but before he finally dropped into his seat
he put two bony fingers azily out and dragged a
newspaper by the corners down with him. He re-
cned so firmly on the back of the chair, crossed
his legs so persistenty and looked so steadily at the
e OF ne paper mat II as rg
triple sheet and all.
"pid you you discharge Brown this morning; Ne Ten
~ did," answered Nehemiah, not taking his eyes
=" " or ri him $40 when he le:tr
| "NOt O cent" still absorbed in the HERALD.
why he told this gentleman here that you
and that he told You to keep itn WI "a VIC '''
ale told him darned lie then" Nehemiah
spread the HERALD over his knees and then turned
his eyes round to the Warden said 81 tell you what
he did. He had got no underclothing and he asked
us to give him some, and we gave him two suits,
we give him so for' He only worked about hour
a day anyhow, and we paid the state forty cents
and good living. What more did he wantY Ten
dollars. He wouldn't have refused $40, guess"
had quite an amount a to receive when he was dis
charged and that, perhaps, accounts for 1t f'
| "Quite an amount" said the Warden, with un-
affected surprise.
eyes, $500 he told me-"
| The Warden touched the bell again. The gentle
| tleman In stripes came in; he received certain
directions and speedily returned with books and
papers. There, slrn said the Warden, handing me
e Pa s' M as o e
a es. This was the amount that his friends who
were $50 well connected, and who "lIved In Brad
ford, England had thought 1t worth while 70 trust
him with, and so deeply inlaid was the habit Of
lying In this otherwise decent young man, that for
ncation OF q morbid vanity, had he rQmaneed to me
THE PRISON KEEPERS STORY.
On my return TO the hotel found a group of
lOungers on the stoop. My host whispered In my
ear that the tall man with the blouse was retired
conversation and shortly afterwards the ex-keeper
and found ourselves in 'front.' OF the bar. After he
stoop, and was successful before had got my
cigar well lighted In getting him into groove OF
tax u, about his prison experience.
was. I've seen some hard cases there. Warden
came to me one day and he said zoe, should like
You to take that man out Of 10 into your gang to,
morrow; guess he's pretty smart said, All
right Warden, and ,darned II / didn't find
a n ou Mnt this 0e Smart m and Ws Gs se wn s
something OF Eyetalyen, he was darned smart fell
low, with eyes and hair az black the DEVILS; oil
legs and tail, like DEVILS darnin needle. He was
one OF those men they call confidence men none OF
your common thieves cheats you and robs you with
your eyes open, and you don't know how 1t Is DONE
Well, that's the kind OF carrion he was They told
me he could speak seven languages. Well he lined
my gang the next morning I'd darned good look
at him as he came along and 1t was my opinion he'd
heap OF thunder aud lightning in him. SO
spekilated which on us would go or first. Well, |
laid tracks for the first fire. him go one side
OF the gang, agn a tree, and mntter something to
one OF the men. spoke right up:-"Look you
here, young man, they, tell me you speak seven
darned little OF that" Well, he looked at me
with that pair OF black eyes OF his, but he
didn't get any let-up from me. / put him to hard
work and kept him during his stint. One day he
was at work inside OF the prison, in OF the