The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-11
LIFE IN THE TOMBS.
Ventilating Some Of the Ills that
Criminal Flesh is Heir To.
eaowls FROM CHRONIC eRuMslERs.
How the Cells Are Heated The Beds and Bed
d,ng-What the Prisoners, the Warden end,
Reporter Thinks About It-How
Stokes is Wsrmed-Nos. 4 and II.


house OF Edward s. St0kes-a criminal with real
aristocratic associations and some social position
there has been considerable discussion both in the
public prints and among the community as
to the accommodations afforded to persons I'M
fortunate or sinful enough to be immured within its
dreary granite confines. or course, there was much
OF humanity In this sort OF solicituae, aud there
was also navoring OF false or unnecessary sympa-
thy. With view Of learning what the comforts or
dscomforts, the accommodations and inconven-
fences OF the City Prison actually are, a HERALD re
porter yesterday afternoon called on Warden Fin
lay and requested from that uniformly courteous
gentleman permission to inspect the male prison,
its furniture and general appointments The chief
complaints made have been in reference to the
lack OF proper warmth in the cells and the insult
cheney OF the bedding allotted to the prisoners. 1t
has been alleged that cold currents Of air sweep
through the building In all directions; that the
windows OF the cells were imperfect In their con-
struction and fitting, and that prisoners were
obliged to put on all their clothing and
STAY IN BED ALL DAY
to keep comfortable. The first information sought
by the reporter was as to the quantity and quality
orthe bedding apporti0ned to the prisoners.
1--WE furnish prisoners bed" replied the
Warden, ''with mattress OF ordinary ticking,
filed with straw, a straw-stured pillow and
FELLOWSHIP an upper and an under sheet,
two pairs -four thcxnesses) Of blankets and
q cotton and wool mixed spread or counterpane-
II you'll step this way you can examine them and
Judge OF the material and whether it Is sufficient"
The Warden led the way to q supply room in rear
OF the Offices, unlocked the door and displayed the
bed furniture The blankets WERE 1t Is true not
Of the finest Mackinac texture, but they were sub.
stantial and in pairs, uncut. The sheets were Of
coarse heavy, gray cotton; the ticking OF good
average quality, and the cOverlets of blue and
white, with cotton wool and wooden warp, are OF
kind good enough for people who have never shot
or stabbed any man.
CHOW is the prison heated, Mr.. Fnlayf" asked
the reporter.
'There are two furnaces built in the prison, and
two large upright gas-burner stoves in the CORR
dor. You have seen the stoves; you remember
when you were here to see John Real and Jack Rey-
holds tie stove that stood ut the door OF cell
No T." sf'tt
Eyes remember the stoves now, but do they
give ample heat to the whole prison interior, with
the furnaces ?"
az think they do" replied the Warden. "You
see, 1t N difficult thing to heat the prison effect
ually, for many OF the prisoners may complain OF
heat which would only keep others comfortable
Some men require more artificial warmth than
others; and in the next place, all prisoners In
every prison ana In any country, are
NOTORIOUS GRUMBLERs
Making complaints Is almost pastime with them.
But go into the prison and examine the arrange
ments, you will be able to see for yourself then.
III send q keeper with YOU"
BY this time the warden and reporter had
turned to the Office, and keeper, who was
summoned by Mr.. Finlay, took charge Of
the scribe to convoy him through the ave-
nue. OF what G. f. Train calls dungeons" Before
starting the Warden Instructed the keeper allow
p BAR the ventiating system, the windows,
cells, and SO forth. There were numerous visitors
passing IN ard out Of the PrIson and the general
were intent on curiosity-people from the country
and provincial cities, who wanted to see what
THE FAMOUS PRISON
looks like inside. Gentlemen with small troops OF
ladies', finely clad, but with morbid souls, who
60 ali M @
which they didn't get by the way: The reporter
was first conducted to the ground floor Of the cor
rIdor, which, by the way. Is not corridor,
as that term is usually understood 1t Is,
in fact, the central interior space or the prison
rounded by three tiers OF iron galleries, which
reached by iron stairs, with barred doors at the
top. All the upper cells open into and front on
these galleries, and the lower or ground floor cells
debouch upon the stone-paved floor The corridor
is divided into two wings, right ana ielt by the
The Keeper turned to the left and first showed
the reporter the
the prisoner being temporarily absent at the time.
The apartment looked t0lerably comfortable, there
an abundance OF bedding, neat and clean
looking, on his cot; q plain carpet was spread on
the n0or and camp-chair stood near the foot OF
the bed few toilet , articles abS completed
though dimly lighted. The walls are whitewashed,
and looked bare and cherries, and 1t would be
falsehood TO assert that there was anything like
luxurance in lit looked like what it is. prison
seen jerry Cen the Of Kate Smith,
John Real, who killed Ohlcer Smedick, Apq gack
Reynolds Inc aise prophet Of ::hhe scl.rod, In tie
same cell when IL lacked some Of the few comforts
large stove rradiates an almost blistering
heat day and night within thirty inches s OF the
ment dry and warm. About fifteen feet from this
cell, diagonay on the opposite side of the CORR
occupied by q cell, the heat from which Is dilruscd
directly into the corridor from an open-grated
radiator set in the wall about six feet IRON the
ABOUT 140 CELLS
In the whole maeprson available for use, and the
corridor" Is about u hundred feet In length and
iorty-fve fifty feet in height. The section OF the
corridor to the right Of the entrance is similar to-
there two furnaces, each about as large as cell,
and two very large upright circular stoves to FUR
moor are naturally ccider and damper than those
OF the upper tiers on the galleries, and as the
heated air Is lighter than the cold air the upper
tiers are warmer than the lower cells. Whatever
OF dampness there may be 10 AFFECT the cells on the
ground floor, on which Stokes cell Is situated,
Is due solely to the low, marshy ground
on which the prison is built and probably the
only way to remedy 1t will be to build
new. prison on a better site, or
10 Introduce u system of heating by pipes so that
each may be directly warmed. Prisoners, how
ever are rarely confined in the cells on the ground
flOor OF the Tombs, unless the upper tiers are very
much crowded by occupants.
o THE CELLS ON THE FIRST GALLERY
Fl higher was sad fsy'risp
tlceable here, and the cells were some
what warmer, but they certainly are not what
they should be In this respect. In one OF them,
about the centre OF the corridor, were confined
two young men charged with burglary one OF
them looking Qentee and respectable enough to be