The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-29

io the tlurpln' you'il see IN this city afore the
winters over. The world owes us "a hyin' ana
were bound to have ". no odds VINO suHers'
NEW WAY TO oAIN AN "nONEsr LivING.'
A convict IN one Of the state prisons said To
the writer during the past week You sec
these green hands don't know the trick hoWlv
a chance for some little stealing that + no credit
and mighty little good 20 them, WY tncyNNIc
Jocunrly: "lf was out, I'd tr Z" earn an non
est liVin' this winter u maxim ana haR- anu
sluugslots. Thcrell he lots OF inc ooSs
hut not ali who enter upon criminal lives thls
winter viii labor under su'h ulsuuVnin'aieer W.
modes of acquiring the ruods OF others Tue
coneregate tyst,m In yueno ~ our I Sitmre
school True, there Hrc strict rules against CON
ycrsaton rpon any topics chcS9t tnoss ncc'ss,
engaged. But the ALBANY Penii "ntinry is prob
rblv the only tenal institution Ia tho state W
which this rule T., or can be. strictly enforced.
In Auburn Site prison thcrc ere cOnst ntly
four or Ave hundred uncn pluycd couvcts who
are simpiy turned loose day after day IN the
Iall4 ron; when Industries hitherto practscd
have been removed. Ihcy Urc under the eye
Of keeper, hut are permitted To- walk 10 aud
prevent these hundreds OF iule men from com
municatiug with each other, even II nc desired
In Clinton priaon where tho men work In
deep iron mines, the furnaces, In the rolling
mills and nsll works, IL would TOO nccCss. ~ to
have ne Keeper Tor each convict to stops all con
In sing Sing, where gangs Of men are en-
plOycd In quatrNiug and other uut door occuph
lions, the same dimculty necessarily prev, u.s.
Even where the men arc at work In the shoe
shops, the foundIies, or the axle shops, costing,
finishing, collar making and so on, absolute
silence carnOt he maintained. The keeuer,
| perchpd uuon lis high stool in the centre Of The
| ioug hali. overlooKirR a hundred or moro con
vtcts, cannot, amid the prev ling din 81 labor,
know il two of them are secretly chatting while
| seeming most busy with their work. Strict and
even severe a. j. the Albany PeLitentiary disci-
pline, 1t may well he doubted II 1t il sufficient Ia
Ia aF
machines Granted then, that the men talk To
each other and must do so IA LONG ~ they are
held under the cunrrcrate system, Of what do
| they talk7 side 10y side. at adjoining benches
work an old hardened convict aud youth strv-
ing his first term. "a. .,,.... A,
FIRST.
"s,ealinr horse"
to get caught stealing a horsrl why,Tve stolen
a HUNDRED hor es and never got caught.
| mol How did You manale IT.
| TuE SCHOOL OF THE CRIMINAL.
Then the old sinner, proud OF his achieve
menls, proceeds to pour his guilt, oNrericncc
| into the wiling cars OF his listener. lie tells
| how he his run horses IN, and passed tucut
| through fiitnds to distant states; how he hrs
dyed thom. and clipped them, and hled their
| teeth. and otn,rwi cfcndt red thcm unrccocuiza.
| L. even ~ their owners. The youth imugiue-
| IL l. the e.. sest thing IN the world g. steal a
| horse, ard iurns with int ationcr for the nuur
| uf his liberation, that he may dcmonetrate hts
! but an illustration l,utglnrv, forgery mock l.
| Ickinf- all are tsu'ht ~ cNieri,nctd rasc l.
| inside the ~, lis of state prisons to the urin-
,uated. OF course the novice. IN httcmp INK to
put he thcottt~ into pr ctlCt, lackitG lac does
tho ulAtfh ana crttt ut the older ciimlual,
is AFT ~ lie uer, and sent M inr second
term. But vhft doe that mttcrf Ito his only
gone for another .coutse Of ,tudy at lis col
| l,.c. and the public paws Tia cNpcnsc~ aud
i.ko- good cm". IL him while his educ tion
b. Icing tori, ctcd. Among thieves, having
served a term 10 ate prison is q Passport To-
ter good s"ci, ~ "a src quo ron l" MN VINO
woull Uosscss tfcir confidence, nni the me re-
t,ru- enc tusstrv0 and tue gfvat'rthe rrt Noes
Tor Which thgsc t,rns have bc,n the penalties
ne moro highly IL his suciety ur'2ed
| ketcrcts Of Stuc PRISONS aver that not only
arc thieves educated by experienced conyicts
within the walls, but that The assort. ton Of
| kindred cuntntlity I'm such estaplishn n q
enables the connecting nt many crimes for per
| pctratiun by fellow fclons outside. Mr. Henry
| shelley. one Of the most experienced and intel
| liccnt keepers at clinton Prison, sail " Rarely
| does a convict leave here II the expiration OF
| his tenn Of couhn "m"nt. without irving out
| WIKI tim Instructions, information. and plans
Tor the p'rpctrati n of new crimes hltched by
to share eventually In the profits Of the ieiOnies
| they tlut for others to execute
hut the process OF criminal education goes
s,ill further. The convict discharged unon tho
spiration Il his term is very apt to associate
wnosc necessities VIA herd them TO his wishes.
and who pussefs one adVantase which &c doe.
uot tina, of being unknown to the police. II
necessity t,quues II. lac VIII "slve away these
ascrcttt's w order to save himself, without the
| sight ~ h' sititt,n or cuinuuuctiun Of con
Science. "Hnnor auIonH thieves II it eH,s AT
| al. is not heli 10y thrul To- require any pt roua
cttce i,r tHe nen.Lt Of ~GlrsSnSi}-; wn .,
ter for a term need 1t IN .ct, 10 II, he men oil
them" 81. either way, whether the crime OF
goods. or whether u fails. society n the loser
luo,c felt suffers from The rob' cry in the
oi.el. ftom toXauon f,r ne arrest, rusccution
ans detention ~ the rtimin Is the M Il guilty
.l tnc wnilr. beng the on's most hkcN Il
robrwNNEp. ronEARnED.
From, 'hr fict~ thus cited o. is plain tho stprv
ING aud hoi clc's tramp cicincui, when Il shall
tie Il u-rgous iinppl-r a ignorance Of The
modes OF crule and hcnce ne imr.llcd to H.
mos, savage demonstrations. but VIII not lacl
war are upou society. Some definite idea o
trc extent to which the army at felony may u
wim.cr may be given, Nv 4 list of couyic vic
wills Ice TUNED loose during tho months OF Orto
lot y 1vemt cr aud December. AZ closely "a
ihis r. n a, pr.st nt he innce MP from caicu atiut
OF cou"mutatluus Uuon commitments, the dis
q, arr.s during those muutu~ ltum the fouI
penal institutions named will be AS given la IN,
lie G;schsTyes from tho Atnnv pcniicn,iar,
have been inrluaod 20 this lit .pr two reasons
Fiist. that all the ruiul cluit'f schd mere q Ell
wort aud mos danger u ciii iunls, ai er ~ /.
jurty Of whom have eiaduatcC in crime IA tn
city second; bee use the general Govern
men: Sc; d. Ne" y. j criminals here Tor IN
fractions Of United States laws A. il is intended
that tins LIST shall &c efficiently accurate Il
prove Of practical N.l to o, leo ON Crs In put
ting them ul'on their guard Tor re rropet re
quietly slip back into their old Grin iinhi ASST
, | Citations and reuan unnoticld until they ha'
, committed some crime, IL uas nantes u
ncccssa AIRY To include the Yield VI thus pariicul
. penitentary, even though New YORK criminal
, do not seem " nsuTe cOnspicuouss in II II
, the three lists, however, New York city Is wei
represented. OF the 23S Conyicts reported a
abe III 10 be turned loose from those Institutions
, no less than ltr} credited to New York and II
soon as liberated they VIII doubtless return
B | here.
A noteworthy fact In this connection ia tn
! | youth Of The blenders included ~ The fOregO
. ng list. OF the entire 2l1, no less than lji wer
r | not aboye 20 years Of age when convicted an,
Q | many were mere bows, between the ages OF Df
+ teen and twenty. IL is believed, however, tina
the average OF age Will be somewhat higher OF
this years criminal harvest, especially upon tina
a portion Ia be Cleaned during the winter month
T, from the tramp class already spoken Of.
The discharges during the months Of Januar
= and February are ext ectf d To largely excee
. those Of any two u the moi tbs above made NJ
but their number cannot now he even approx
= mated 70. The reason for this il the fact tina
: each convict inearcetsted upon less than a III
term has reward offered nun for good bt
: haviOr Ia prison. in the shape OF diminu'iOn G
= Communication OF the time for which he
sentenced, and he may, by bad conduct upO
. the very last day OF his shortened term, sacr
' ice all the benefits thus prOnered him. In IN
case OF lonc-teTm men such a sacrifice would
y large enough To throw all antcipatOry calcuis
tons months, aud even years, out of the Wal
, The Communication Is thus arranged