The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-05-19
s,vss coos, sss- CONNIE les Dommss de teyTs;

Then hasten 10 be drunk-the business Of the day.
There was general comparison OF notes az TO
their respective sentences when they were up
on the Island last what Judge committed them
and other interesting topics OF kindred charac-
ter. though the men were all as silent and grave
as an undertaken OF a funeral the women, vita
tire exception OF tine lair occupant of my lap,
laughed, cnattered and sung all the way, the
grossest inde sencT ana profanity lowing from
their lips without restraint. At the steamboat
dock we were put into sort OF lookup, which
was already occupied by some ten or a dozen
prisoners, including two soldiers from Governors
Island. WHAT studies for the brush Of an artist
many OF them presented true lover OF his
profession would have been IN his glory. and
would nave remarked-as did me Irish
medical lecturer ON enierit1s during the
great cholera season to his audience
fortunately there Is no lack or subjects for
illustration" There was our college professor,
in glossy black irockcoat and trousers, black SILK
waistcoat ana chimney-pot hat, sitting side by
side by bundle or larters and wretchedness VINO
was busily occupied in searching ont and destroy
ing tine vermln which infested MN; an operation
greatly facilitated by his s'ooped and Widowed
raggedness.n A dlsslpated looking young clerk
was Joking over his fate with canaer and sta
blemaD, while l. the disguised fraud, hoonobbed
with the two soldiers. Two OF the worst-vlsaged
men / ever saw sat apart and cursed their luck
and the Judge VINO had committed them. They
were companions in crime evidently, or, as Byron
puts IT, In don Juan,n "arc1des Gm6o-fd EST,
blackguards ooth." The face Of each Of them lully
came up TO the marx OF Addison's epigram on q
rogue. which concludes with the following CON-
prehensive summing up:-
With all these tokens OF a knave complete,
snouldst thou be honest tnourt devilish cheat
l never saw two men with thief 50 plainly
written in every lineament. young English
sailor, VINO ought TO have sailed In one of the
Liverpool steamers the previous Saturday, de-
clared that one OF them had robbed him OF some
small change even In the sacred precincts OF tho
Tombs. | ptted this sailor. He was fin Y ing
young fellow, had frank face and winnE ID
dress and made the best he could OF his pos.. 4.
All ne knew about himself was the fact hat he
woke up on Saturday morning In the station
house. lie had no recollection of being taken
there, and seemed TO fancy he had been dragged,
as he assured me he was not given TO getting
drunk. IL seems TO me that his was case
where maglsterial leniency wonld have Done
no harm. AS it Is ne WILL he says, un-
doubteGly lose his ship and yet when the boat
at last arrived. and we we're marched on board,
the sailor was the only cheerful one oil the party
We were not allowed 10 remain on deck during
the passage to the Island but were all imprisoned
in tue + recaste and made secure by the paddock
ing OF heavy iron grating, which was smut down
over the hatchway. A few minutes later cur
numbers were reinforced by the arrival or another
batch OF prisoners, and soon as the grating was
once more secured the boat lett the deck. on
I reaching the landing place OF the Island we were
called up IRON below, placed In double lille. the
soldiers leading the way, ana marched on lmme-
dlately to prison. | just had time to say, soto
roce TO a member OF the HERALD stan, VINO was
waiting 10 see IL all had gone well, "Come over
again tomorrow morning. and then, aloud,
"Don't know nothing aoout the boat going back,
ain't much acquainted here, sir,n before We
started. Two minutes afterward we stood
INSIDE THE PRISON WALLS.
We we're fret OF all conducted Into q side once,
where our names, &C. we're called over. was
asked the same questions wsch had been
pur TO me at the Tomos by q cock-eyed,
delormed little dwarf, who leerlngy re-
marked that / was q 1ne-looEing man, and
eomplimented me on the apparent muscular
power y my forearm. felt Ike strangllng the
little monster. these preiiminaries BENZ over we
were marched into large cell on the first tier,
already half full OF prisoners the accession oil our
party raising the NUMBER IN the cell 10 lortythree.
II was an awful crowd; che wing. smoking spit
ting. noisy cursing, restless crowd, just such an
assemblage as may be seen In the waiting room OF
o railroad depot ON Q cold spring morning waiting
Tor rne permission enter the cars OF the special
train which IL TO convey them to the ground oil
forthcoming bloody encounter in the prize ring.
Every one was asking every one tne length OF the
term OF his sentence, who mad sentenced him and
how II all happened. Strange to say, AL seemed
TO be buoyed up more or less wIrh the nope OF be-
ing discharged before their time was up. They
were OF many nationalities and all ages. The
Teuion ana the Celt. tue Christian and the Jew the
lad OF fifteen and the old man OF seventy, were al
huddled together In this noisy, disgusting congrs
CATION OF degraded humanity.
DOMINIC TIE UNIFORM.
After half an hours delay we were all called out
and marched TO the Superintendenrs once for
sort OF afternoon parade and inspection, and tnen
batch OF US. including myself, we're ordered OF
TO what turned out TO ne the prison dressing room
and oarber's shop. Here encountered the nrst
Of the really serious unpleasantness OF my novel
situation. We were taken In charge by an officer
ana two prisoners, who act as MS aides. IL 10
strange, bot only too true that prisoners when
.drest IN q little brief authority are always
harsh to their fellow prisoners. Toe Two men In
question we're certainly no exception to tne rule.
one was q fat greasy fellow, with loud voice and
laugh, and evidently enjoyed the work be had in
hands the other was more lightly built. bright
looking and active, bus with decidedly jallDird
air apout him generally. Burke the tat one,
rubbed bis hands eleefu;ly. aud said :-"Now,
then, all or you jump out or your clothes, ana
put on these nice clean oDes.c My heart
SANK within me as my eyes fell on the
prison uniform, FOR more reasons than one.
knew tnat all prisoners were not compelled TO
charge their clothes and I particularly objected
TO parting with mine. therefore appealed 10 the
or1cer In q very hoarse tone OF voice, told him
that I had q severe cold, was suffering from
Brlghts disease and other complaints, and that II
/ caught fresh cold IL would probably be the last
OF me. He replied CURLY and colby tnat must
put on the prison uniform, and that without delay.
When ms suit was handed to me demonstrated In
earnest, Tor was now really alarmed. 1 found is
only comprised a pair OF trousers, a common blue
and waite striped shirt and o round jacket like
schooiboy's Jacket Neither undershirt, drawers
nor vest was provided, nor were tnose who bad
such articles Of apparel allowed to retain them,
no matter how clean they might nave been.