The New York herald., 1873-09-01
A NEW FEMALE PRISON.
A Brick Wing Added to the Kings County
Peni,entiary at Cost Of SSO,OOO
The Food, Raticns and Regula-
tions of the Place.
Prisoners Who Are Sentenced to Mere I'm
prisonment Forced To Do Hard Labor.
LIFE AMONG THE CONVICTS.

LIFE AMONG THE CONVICTS.
The Kings County Penitentiary stands upon TIE
highest point of ground IN Brooklyn. is Just on
she verge Of the city limits, its grim, gray walls
bordering Flatbush on the southern side. 1t Is an
imposing edice, for it is built the Norman style
OF architecture, and its casteated turrets bring
mind the historical
DAYS OF CHIvALRY.
TO this "mOdel prison" there has lately been
added new "wing" or rather a large detached
building to be occupied solely by female convicts.
This structure is built OF red brick and 10 in the
immediate rear OF the main prison. It's dimensions
are-Length 400 feet; width 60 feet, and height,
AZ feet There are tiers OF cells, 100 cOmpart
ments in ALL q properly furnished laundry, drying
and washing room and an ornate dining room.
The entire cost for the Female Prison was $s000O.
On the ground moor is o fine stationary horizontal
woodward engine, that supplies heat and steam
power to the whole Penitentiary. John Guilfoyle
was the builder
The Kings County Penitentiary is large one and
presents noble appearance from its outer walls.
Its grounds cover an area OF
SEVEN AND THREE QUARTER ACRES,
and they are bounded by wall thirty-two feet in
height The open space between the prison proper
and the workshops is dedicated to agriculture, and
corn, potatoes, cabbage and other vegetables
flourish to perfection in the shadow Of the house
that holds go many miserable hearts. Mr.. James
Shevn is the Keeper OF the prison. and his deputy
is Mr.. E. b. Crombie, who has twelve assistants
under him. Mr. James Mcmahon is the clerk and,
all told, there are twenty-three regular employees
in the establishment.
HERALD reporter visited the Penitentary on
Saturday and Mr.. Crombie very
KINDLY SHOWED HIM THROUGH
the prison and gave him all the information he
required. The main building, which is built of
''Crow Hill" rock, cut from the ground whereon
the prison stands, contains the ofces. Apartments
Of the keeper and his family the ofncers' quarters
and then fAess.rooms Kitchens &C. On either side
OF the main buildings are extensions or wings, in
which the prison cells are located. Those occupied
by the male convicts are to the eastward, the fe-
male quarters to the westward. In each OF
these buildings there are four tiers of cells, with
balconies running around them. The cells are stu-
ated distance OF twelve feet from the outer walls
OF the buildings, and many windows
SUPPLY PLENTIFUL VENTILATION.
Thetoors of the cells are all locked simultaneously
by means of crank Whiewash seems to be at
discount, and consequently the whole prison Is
scrupulously clean There are 244 cells in the male
department, but though they are narrow and the
sack beds only two feet three inches width often
happens that two convicts are placed in one cell.
Prisoners do not complain OF this, however being
Wiling to suffer httle crowding for the sake OF
company. The silent system is practised In the
prison. no convict beng allowed 10y the rules to
speak 10 another. In the womens wards the keep
crs have found 1t
IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE
the silent system, and the feminine tongues are
unbridled. The male prison is in charge OF stephen
Donlon, and of the female Mrs. Chapin is custo-
dian. Discipline is enforced by the punishment OF
the dark CELL and even the strongest and most con-
tumacious culprit cannot stand the deprivation of
light AR and nourishlng lood for any lengthy PERIOD
Mr. Crombie assured the reporter that this punish
ment was far more effcacious than the lash. Os
Penltentiary; but luckless ones, who have served
terms therein, assert that much brutality Is dis
played by long term convlcts, who have been
placed as OverlOokers IN certain departments. This
should be remedied by the prison authorities
In the Kings County Penltentiary no one, unless
deathy SICK is allowed to be idle. 1t does not
seem to matter whether the Judge who sentences
prisoner DEGREES that he shall he Kept
he is made to work just as soon as ne mas had his
bath and first sorrowfu supper. Why this is the
case is an unaccountable mystery, unless the fact
that the labor OF the prisoners Is iarmed out to
contractors has something TO do with 1t. SEN
tence delivered in the English language is easily
Understood, and the punishment should not be ex-
Ceeded either from neglect or design.
There is only one article OF manufacture at Crow
Hill, VIZ, ladies' boots and shoes. Three hundred
and twelve men and sixty women are daily EN-
ployed upon this work from seven O'Clock A. NJ
until seven O'Clock p. NJ, excepting hour for
dinner. These prisoners turn out from
TWELVE HUNDRED ANb FIFTY TO FIFTEEN HUNDRED
of shoes per diem, and the country consequently
receives Or each prisoners labor from ten nifty
one cents day, according TO their terms OF incar-
cerati0n. The shoe shop Is under the immediate
charge OF Mr.. w. Z. Buck, who is the Superintend-
ent Of the contractors, Messrs Bigeow 4 Co., of
worcester Mass lthe Bay State Shoe and Leather
The manufacture Of these pedal coverings COM
mences IN the upper;leather department Here
packed in cases of sixty pairs, which are sent to
the httng department, where they are stitched
From thence they are forwarded to the soleleather
department. where the sole stock Is cut; the
nppers and soies are then fitted together and sent
lasted, soled heeled and finished. The goods are
then conveyed to she packing room, where they
There are very many nice and complicated ma
chimes in use in the shOe-shop notably one for
attaching heels TO shoes, which, with two men to
operate IL, can heel $500 pairs 0! shoes per diem
The work is very severe in this shop and s calcu-
lated to break down any constitution that is not
sixty pairs were heeed by the machine
in eleven minutes The contractors find the ma
chnery, tools and fixtures to carry the business
As well as the raw material, and as they only pay a
small sum for the convicts labor, 1t can be easily
conceived that they get their work cheaply done
Ihelr supervisors are careful that no man shirks
his allotted task.
Convicis on their entrance to the prison have
their
NAMES AND DESCRIPTIONS ENTERED
on the register, and are assigned cells; they are
then taken TO the lavatory and compelled to
Cake a tepld bath and exchange the civilized garD
ol respectability for the gnominious apparel OF
the lelOn From that hour their tongues are vir-
tnally tied; they become mere machines dumbly
performing That daily routine OF imposed labor.
10 men used TO mlngle in society, and who nave
Ialen RON grace, perhaps through no error OF their
own, or by the commission of a sin they thought
venlai or, as too often happens, through the malice
Of vicious but powerful enemies, this silent system
Is the
sEvEREsT TORTURE IMAGINABLE
Compelled TO toll, hour after hour, day after day,
IKE horse In mill without being permitted TO
ntter a word to the fellow sufferer at his side, Is
what weakens and breaks the prisoner down.
Hard taskmasters are those convicts who have
been placed in power by the astnte contractors,
and they frequently resort TO unallowed means 10
extort rom the poor prisoners their uttermost
quota OF labor.
The Penitentiary is well arranged, stands on
high ground and is considered healthy. The food
supplied is plain and coarse, but wholesome, and
the cells dormltories, &C. are as clean
AS SOAP AND WATER
ana kalsOn1ine can make them. The prisoners
speak well OF the prison officials, but they complain
slightly about the tyranny OF those OF their number