The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-10
THE CONNECTICUT PRISON.
wutT wy M DONE UNDER LINER
ICIN STITTTORY Laws.

tI,Vrropn Aug. 2a.-ln the Wcthersncld
e,,. Prison found twenty-scvcn life prisoners.
iVa- surprised to hear that they we're among
,., most orderly and obedient Of all the con
,.t- George Merritt one Of these life convicts,
r,l ncrn arluned out few days before my
,...t. lila case WA signal instance Of the in
iI.fr, tint sometime occurs m the dispcn 81
uYn punishment 10y courts oi law. lie was
.pntcnccd The very threshold Of ife-at twcn-
u "a charge " rape. to Imprisonment until
h. DEE til. lie was without means, and u a tour
family, living Il Dlnburv. The urencc was snid
toh w. been committed IN the neighhorhood Of
thIt village, white out on a bllckber wing party.
FIR five days aftetward. not n word was said
about IT, Then he was suddenly arrested and
iudcod In jail. lie wits promised three DAYS
notice q the calling OF his case, to enable MN
tO cot his witnesses and prepare for trial bnt
the promise WAS not kept. lie received no h"'l'e
" the calling - his case. ana lac was sumha'"'
tried without counsel To- defend him. ana "lth-
ont witnesses 81 his behalf Ihe tesuW"N 'pI
the prosecution. uncontraiicted' ana with every
doubtful point construed against him est b.
ushcd nm offence onlv ~ the most technical
,h ractcr our not even this was admitted by
MIN. and tn re- /. every rrlson to believe that
fl DENYING n he wa telling the strict truth.
Actlal violence W rs not even alleged. either to
Do. person or She frclin = NJ the c1mpl inau',
and up ucvrivtiug circumst lnccs " any Kind
Nrre ch e. .od. hat the girls father WIS a rich
nan. and influential. aud the prisoner was
puOR AND UNKNOwN;
and So that Connecticut court ~ Justice SEN
.,n.cl ht.u. just a. he WIS emerging into m ~
mod. to y ~ the rest Of his days IN the living
comb NJ y ron. After some We US. Dr. Ma er
u n Irtf rd heiug then state Prison Inspector.
hal his attention called e. the case and draw
n. no very fotcihlc statement Of 1t. applied to
the General Assembly tor a pardon, urging II
uuOl their attention We e after year. but not
until thc young man had been ten years In prison
were those Efforts successful The good peope
900 D'nnurv who had secured his conviction
protested vigorous to the ~ against hi- par
dom. being determined apparently. To keep Tim
inmured' II possible until his dying dav. IL IS
the opinion everywhere. 50 far rs | have seen,
that he has Suffered uuju tlv.
An thcr life convict, Alexander MONTGOMERY.
ia the prison tor murder. lie struck ~ ~,
who was grossly insulting him and ninging foul
eIitiets r. flecting upon his mother and sister,
Uur blow with an Oakeu stave. That blow was
UNEXPECTEDLY fatal and although the algtrva-
uon was such that almost anrbody might have
Welded To It. a sentence 81 Imprisonment for
nie WAS imposcd. The yourg man II said ~ tie
e good. warm, aud generous dispu- tticn. IN
Capable VI dclibei ate criU or deed # violence.
II IS Thought that he will ne pardoned.
Another lie prisoner Is a youngC ma tan. also
sentenced for murder. I can only say 81 him
that he asserts Ia. Innocence. ami that hcre. far
ir'm 'ficnas aud hopclc-,. he seems to be break
To-. down.
rHE NEw HAVEN roIsoNrR.
Mot WIDELY known toy repute among these
lit PRISONERS rs Nr-. lydia sherman the New
Haven uI~oucr. She rs stationed iu tue kitchen,
where she works Qti 'tly and undcmoustr.ttvrlV.
We went through the prison, tusucCtug Al the
arrangements. We u ,s-ed rcp.A. ca, "A ~ re-,
elderly woman OF tueuium height, who con
stanilN b. ut urr back TO Us and looked -te .uly
and drearily before her Ibis wiu Yrs. Shtr-
man. ste gives the prison officials no trouulo.
Twenty one OF the twenty seven re SELF
fenced Tor murCCr n various grades, the rest for
RUE WE'VE are hdlNeS OF t"nuec1cut
thirteen ~ other states 81 the mon; one oi
sweden. aud one ut st Helena. Seven were
tot yet OF age when sentenced, aud less th u
lai were over TIVE nty-nve. 10 Is extraordinary
That 50 large a proportion Of Mo prisoners
should be Young.
there II another prisoner who though not
confined tor lite, awakened INV interest. lie ~
young Russian who entered the lnited States
naval service, and j. serving ~ o. nited states
prsuner-O:e 81 Rohesoh's convicts. lie Is d.
manly Young fellow 81 INDEPENDENT nj tmpul-
pve character lii- offence vas an assault upun
pne OF those puppies thal are found onls In tho
navy, Wh'' being his superior uulcer. n~uitcd
Inn beyond endurance. FIR tins a court mar
ia scrt him to Mcther-led Tor six YEAR.
sun another prisoner OF interest l. one wuo
Was tuilupuod Nv Anthony j. tmstOck. that
M 81 hampton 4 VIZ uc. II - sufficient To- saw
Of tniS case tnat the fence VA, NOT tn self de-
grading, hut was purely statutory: tAat IL wa,
40 offence 81 all unt ser, r. equity, whrn 10 49,. 81
placed upon the statute uuYk without attra I'm.
attention anywhere except among iutoTmer-
that not one person in . Thousand knew % 10 bee
hn offence; thar IL this man slightly sentenced
should be ma II -tc prison.
WHO THE PRISONERS ARE.
There are IN an Two hundred and thirty-siS
cohNlcts M the lri7on. OnN i've are women
uine of other states OF the Union, twenty uy,
a lrclAnu' only one OF Germ uN, and two "a
Aurtfall, RUSSIA. So III nd, and sweden ara
Trrr scit Il. me Sentences arr Tor tWruy-
seven different Offences. Four uf the prisoners
are JUS mes i'r r!f NttY are ciuptNAcu Iu dlm--
o. services auHut tue prison, ono dozen are uu-
abe 10 Vol tho ret. over our hIuurti ana
tcVentv. are engaged q iuaktn. tout, and SHOES,
Hs is. D. T. b . Of
tne whole uuu-tr Werr under turtN year, oi
u-r When sentenced, tNittrtn were over my.
h.mh anu.htr fourth Tor thctt.
as % o. rough Toe Prison. SAW the Worl.iu.,
81, a. 'i,' d. ,"'n anu .h, ~ u.s. 5'oIa -tli 81 r.
he 10 ii stone cells closed viii duNrs oi
i-hy grating In some / found Lamps placed
gwen mo ed-.ht winch thc c'uyicts are an wed
u ichl uli. % o." CLOCK. AZ tuAt 40 IA il-hi s.
a. out In"rr l. no danger Of lr,. fIr,NtrN-
tHn- i - me- and non lhe warden -gpnlr
'l 4, bose who " mt IL, ana ,Siu. their ..r.tf.
tIde. IN SOME Ut the cells tamll, nh.,i,. a. .pl.
~ ABOUT, cheering the Ir .u,r 10 war.
'Nfs. Ia these cells, thong e. IiI,r,. -urc.V
h''t u' human hearts, ahi ] iln. sd there
h i-ut ~ edch De- puth stor O., tell la
'.-It ell rs ~ "dolnu.eut were ,i-l bee. ~m. u
nor ehsia'ines cut from w,,Ai, raper ,
o'n"r hm'h-huact- hung tunut. n o. and
lH ic 49, tsuf, - or neCAI wor,-d, urr-
'y -'ine lMtHluI u.aii ~ heart sil Il
n'.lcl. Onc cei was partially pl.clrd WIN
10 r"pcr OF green ANA gold. lat .h-v were
NI'''''' ''"' STONE PRISON cells hou' thc it--.
$50 LOSGER CnAINED BHuIrs
IN n" ~ bishops nptircd that the convict
i'il nl lNrir heads as ncn DO nr.inutily. Ih-S
h'i th.i. eyes TX d upon tntir work, ma to.,i.
D.rtni $50 other did ar'uLI t.rrn; D.t
Ii "'- 1' constr amt in th,ir atli .uI,s. Two
lf lNfrc ar@ a-l 1t was dllirrcn.. tNli.s 10.
r Prison then, / found the prisoners VIA
.'li nold- u ugius ou their breasts, ud ioo>-
Na hr|ealu tnelr cfeor. SIS a. though
itrN wtlrr" aimed GO the door, ur were brlte-,
% ID l'"h silutdwari aga a.. in'o the s s
,Nrh. tni' Wis ro44ilci ht th" prison ruiz
~ .