The New York herald., 1872-07-11
DARK DEEDS ON RANDALL'S ISLAND.
A Narrowing Tale Of Cruclties. as Told by One
Who Was There---The Sworn State
ments of William Kinney.
BOYS CHEATED OF THEIR EARNINGS.
Whipping Extraordinary-The Cases Of
RomOzier and Kilgammon Whipped
Till They tainted to Hospital.

The management of the Randall's Island House
of Refuge is very properly attracting public atten
tiOn in all quarters, and as the State con-
tributes $4,000 per year to the support OF
the RefOrmatOry (o, 1t is probable that the next
Legislature will make searching inquiry into the
Irregularities that the articles published in the
HERALD from time to time and the trial OF the boy
Mcdonald for the killing OF Buchanan show to ex-
ist The more recent
REVOLT OF SATURDAY LAST :
would seem to indicate that the abuses have not all
been put an end to, and that Pope Jones stil re-
forms in the wrong direction.
Seeing the article in Tuesdays HERALD on the
House Of Refuge, william Kinney a young man
from the Seventh ward, who served eighteen
months there and was discharged few weeks ago,
called at the HERALD Office and made
VOLUNTARY STATEMENT
that gives color to previous reports OF the tyranny
and brutality that exist there Some OF his state
ments are so startling that one would scarcely
credit them had he not made affidavit to their truth
before a notary. He is young man Of much in
telligence, and to be very familiar with the
working of the institution.
THE KILLING OF BUCHANAN.
He states that he witnessed the revolt when Bu-
chanan killed that there was revolt against
the authority OF the prison until after Mr.. Adams
I"
Mcdonald, when two of them got around him and
threw him out Of the way
TO SAVE THEIR COMRADES LIFE.
While they were scufiing with Adams Mcdonald
escaped TO the yard After that he declares that
Mr.. Adams passed through the shop with
drawn pistol and threatened to shoot the
first boy who would leave his place. Twelve
of them at once proceeded to the yard. Four
armed themselves with knives and the
S e up S1 b ha ones
by others and twelve OF them were locked up.
John Jones, the superintendent, entered the shop
Immediately after and read from paper the names
Of ten boys who he expected would revolt They
were at work in the shop, and, Kinney says, had
TAKEN NO PART IN THE REVOLT
beyond looking out Of the windows. Among them
were Thomas Welsh, John Sullivan, Daniel sullivan
and Alfred Kerrigan They were sent down to the
AS a punishment for the part taken in
the erneute by their comrades all the
number, were excluded from the privileges of the
yard and not allowed to play converse for three
or four days. delegation Of about thirty called
upon Mr.: Jones and told him they would not work
except they had the privileges Of the yard Ten OF
these were sent to the Tombs on the charge of
Hughes, James Driscoll, Henry Obermeyer, Gilbert
Johnston and Peter Demerest The remainder of
the thirty were locked up in their cells, without
beds, and kept on bread and water tor nine days,
when they were renanded to the shop; but
MR. JONES ADDED A SENTENCE OF ONE YEAR
u
line with their heads bent down and their hands be-
hind their backs for eight days, while the other
boys were out OF the shop.
HOW THE BOYS ARE CHEATED.
He reports that in what is called the new shop
boys are Systematically swindled. After boy Is
there nine months he can enter this shop, where
for the first three months he receives no pay; the
second three months he gets SO per week, and the
third three months s5 per week: When q boy has
been there nearly six months they will find some
excuse to remand him back to the old shop and
CoNFIsCATE ALL THE WAGES DUE HIM
for services, as q punishment. Among those who
Kenny recollects were thus cheated are Barnard
Dunn, who lost s3s, and Frank Stockman, who lost
about $50. The latter was taken back to the new
shop on condition that he would work for SO
week. There Is an incentive to enter the new shop
beyond the question OF pay. The d scharges usually
occur from tins shop, and boy who has no friends
or influence usually strives to get into this shop
that he may be discharged. Kenny reports tnat IL
is not an uncommon thing to keep boy who Is SEN
fenced for one year, from eighteen months 80 hyc
years, and he instanced Michael Maloney and Will
liam Piche (or Petch), who got out last summer
after serving five years on q sentence or one so
severe are the exactions, he says that several
boys who had earned in the new shop RON sixty to
slXty.tivc dollars ran away ana lett II Wheh they
only had week or two TO serve out their term.
II q boy turns his head during service or commits
any little breach Of the rules he Is expelled from
the shop and his pay forfeited Formerly these for
feits were divided among the remaining boys, but
Kenny asserts that now they are appropriated by
other parties, he believes, and no account mape
to the Board or Managers. He describes the man
ner In which boys sentenced for Il short time and
KEPT FOUR OK FIVE YEARS
AZ DelHH Ine UaHlpuidbtOH VI Tue lhiru ulNiNion,
which has iour grades-No. being the lowest.
When boy Is six weeks in the lowest grade he Is
raised to the third grade, where he VIII nave TO
serve twenty-iour weeks without being promoted,
that he can get out OF the division and enter the
new shop from which the discharges usually oc-
cur. When q boy reaches, by good conduct. the
highest grade and is ready to be advanced to the
new shop they enter marks against him,
UPON SOME TRIVIAL PRETExT,
that throw him back from the class OF honor, from
which the promotions TO the salaried shop made
Thus, n boys labor Is OF value to the contractor
to which 1t is farmed out he Is put hack and
KEPT IN THE INSTITUTION YEAR AFTER YEAR,
II he have no influential friends 10 secure his dis