The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-05

equivalent 10 davis imprisonment According TO that
rule she would have to remain here nifty days more
Mr. Townsend asked how many people were commit
ted TO the prison, not for detention, but for punish
ment.
The witness gave list Or seventeen commitments
Of that description from the Special Sessions alone one
Of these prsoners-Mary Ryan-was sentenced 70 one
year in the Tombs Tor escaping from prison.
Mr. Campbell, the chairman remarked that II was an
abuse 10 mi the prison, when il already
crowded, with class Of men who should 80 TO the
Island
NOBLE wosAss TESTIMONY.
Mrs Deborah Julia Mlett wife Of Rev. J. Mllett, OF
the Church Of the Holy Martyrs dgnihed kindly old
ady who has visited the prison Tor charitable
The male prison has been for years IN a fithy cond
ton, and is still SO. The prisoners could
DO kept perfectly clean II they had only o.
binary attention for that purpose. she
contradcted the Wardens assertion that clean
clothes and linen we're furnished; the contrary, II
was impossible TO get piece OF clean clothing or
linen. She kept woman employed at home making
up clean clothes BY changing the sheets regularly
every week such hlthiness could be avoided she had
vermn crawl all over the bed clothing This used
TO be frequently the formerly, but now i was very
seldom the case. She had not known male prisoner
TO receive bath for years, though many were IN
repulsively filthy condition. man might be
here months and receive clean shirt The
prisoners would rarely ask H. and II was given
them without their asking IT, She often paid ten cents
TO have mans shirt washed She strongly repro
baed the lack of any classification Of the prisoners
They could easily be separated The prisoners had told
her that the keepers recommended TO them certain
lawyers All the prisoners are kept ''postedn in re-
gard TO the lawyers who are successful How
poor they they all read the
newspapers. One Of them bought the HERALD
and loaned IL 10 the Others. Mrs hillett
had heard many persons complain about lawyers who
took money from them without attending TO their
cases; girl whose name she could not recall had PAID
go TO Mr. Howe the lawyer, and he never came near
her again; these complaints Of constant recur-
renee, and not only about Howe, but about many other
lawyers she understood was practice Of le kcepes
TO put wel-dressed men into bad cells SO that they
might offer to pay for better one;
FIyE DOLLARS WAS THE PRICE
generally charged by the Keepers; Keeper Duuy, MS
She informed thrust several such men into
dirty, had cell SAYING, s.They II squel before night
Mrs Millcr thought liquor was smugged INTO the
prison very easily, the person who examined the ar
tcles brought Ia was some female criminal Who would
certainly let liquor pass in II twenty 1--WE cents were
given TO herr some conscientious person, in her OPINION
should perform this examination; she denied The truth
OF the Warden's statement that food from friends
but had found that prisoners who had
money we're compelled TO buy it from Mrs
Foster the matron She had known couple of eggs
TO be included, although there could cerLainy be no
concealed weapons IN eggs There were only hall a
dozen spoons in the prison aud the poor men had to
eat their soup just like dogs The clerk informed her
some Tune ago that seventeen dozen spoons had been
sent for and he had not yet seen one OF them.
Mrs Millett did think the present Commissioners
had done all in their power 10 improve the condition of
the prisoners 81 only know said She in good plain
English, "that every master should look after his
wants person, and they do not do that enough. If
they any money by their position they should be
here more
! TOLD MR. BAILEY
that he should come oftener, but he said Mr. Cox
better TO WISH Inc prison. Mrs Mlllet could not
say whether was true that some people were allowed
To friends late in the evening but when Coroner
Croker here she said there great deal OF visit
ing after hours. He had great many friends.
\ Mr. Townsend-Didn't you hear that Coroner Croker
taken out OF the Tombs in night timer
Mrs Miliett laughed and said she did know it, but
she had heard Of Others taken out, too,
cordng 10 rumor and they We're by no means the poor
est people ia the prison III Raymond, the forger,
heren said She The could tell you all about the
payments TO keepers for he of the keepers
financial agents for the whole tier" As one of the most
brutal keepers she mentioned Duny who slammed
the cellar door upon poor boy greatly inJuring his
heel The prisoners called probably be afraid
to tell the truth for imprisoned as they were, they de-
pended entirely the gracious conduct of the keep
Duly would be very gentle IN her presence, but
the moment she turned her back upon him he
most brutal
! She thought it an outrage that the prisoners were
not all compelled to take bath regularly. ''rhey
should be put into the Tub Just like naughty Children
said she.
The had been informed by prisoners that they we're
not allowed to see their wives once week while Ray
mond the torger had his wife there three days the
week But she was the wife Of some commodore" she
added significantly.
sActAs TESTIMONY
Marcus t. Sacia a thin pale, sckly looking man,
was called He SAID he was committed on the 18th Of
January, for conspiracy, while it q conspiracy
against him hg an. his fashcr conveyed to a man
named G. W. James, some property representing that
the title clear and perfect, and il claimed that
il was a "bogus ttIe and they were arrested on the
charge of conspiracy to delraud; he had been here
January, and demanded trial dozen times and
then, when they saw that they could not try him on
matter" said he Il know nothing whatever about"
The witness rather afraid TO tell about the keepers
mlsdoings, but Mrs hilletL encouraged him
by saying, 'speak the truth ~ Raymond the forger
the 6nancler of the tiers and was gen.
orally understood to be the agent of the keeper This
impression strengthened by the fact that he had
more privileges than any other prisoner the tier.
James Coddington, who was in the cell with him tive
months paid So to keeper for being put into better
cell, and the father OF the witness paid IS for an
extra walk Young and Duffy at that time the
keepers of the tier 10 get clean cell upon one,s ar.
AIS nd fpr& I'm hat
IL would be kept clean Whenever he had sent letters
through the prison authorities they had reached
their destination. No washing could be got without
paying for it. aud to baths-this the first time
he had heard the word in the Tombs The poor prs-
oners had to wear their clothes till they rotted of their
bodies. Ono man, whose body was long covered with
vermn, got shirt through the kindness of of the
keepers, Thomas Sullivan, and he dismissed 'be-
cause he knew too much Of the affairs of the Commits
sioners. "
After counsel refused access to prisoners his
own counsel ex-Judge Barry OF No I76 Broadway was
nsulted by Warden Quinn and driven Of the prison
Certain lawyers favored than others, prin-
cpaly Mr.. Howe, who could do as he pleased AS soon
as prisoner was brought here
HOWE WAS RECOMMENDED TO HIM
and often men who had already engaged other counsel
were sent down to the counsel room to Howe The
food was sometimes good sometimes miserable and the
soup he characterized as "dirty water, with a little
grease thrown in" Food was brought here to him by
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. potatoes, &c, and refused 70 be
sent in II suppose they thought If had any money
to spare had better 30 TO Mrs Fosters restaurant
He gave very melancholy history OF his fathers
ber 1874 till January, then sent to the Lunatc Asy
ium, brought back 70 the fombs and after staying
there Ave weeks finally discharged altogether without
having any trial.
DR. Brekes, the physician Of the Tombs testified that
in the of Fleming, who very i'll with consump
ton he made application 70 the District Attorney
have him removed to the hospital, but IL
done; he never received a reply. The man died few
days allerward. DR. Brekes said he made exerton
TO have the man removed beyond his application. and
several OF the committee expressed the opinion that he
a very incompetent man.
Patrick Welsh boy, waiting trial for burglary,
stoutly asserted his innocence He has been in the
Tombs since April 30 and cannot get trial. The shirt
he he washed himself IN his CELL cents
charged for washing Shirt He has had no counsel
all this time
Mr. Townsend observed that counsel should be
signed at the time OF pleading so that lawyers could
prepare themselves tor the and not the day Of
trial.
Patrick Welsh also declared that to get good cell
and walk money had to be paid 10 the keepers
Peter Fink said he arrested on the 2ih OF March
for obtaining goods under false pretcnces and had
KRvBR CALLED TO PLEAD.
He had not seen his lawyers KNITTING and Mott for