New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-07-29
THREE DAYS IN THE TONES,
TIDE ,TNENT OF THE "IXN DAYS MEN,"

no ths EdifOr Of The Trtbuhe'
SIR: One day not long ago, suffering the
,ortpres Of neuralgia took morphine BENG az SUM
s,,ance from my residence and having therefore no
90 Of Weighing or measuring il, put into my mana
,o small vial had with me, what Thought 10 %
,sr ouantity as had often done before uhder Ike
fon,stances But, blinded by pain, must nave iah'h
-. than intended. In short, took doSe Oh thlS
rer,pl drug such was neither prudent nor sale'
~ consequence was that I was unable 10 get
- and sank down in the street UNCONSCIOUS
- .,,en 70 q station-hOuse. and the next morning
- sirred I'm the Washington Place Police Court on
harya of intoxicatiOn-" Found drunk IL the street.
When asked by the Judge what had TO say ID my own
~, cave him the true history OF the case Although
Az doorman in locking Inc in the night before haa
,,osa SOMETHING in my condition different rom 'hat Vi
Nv ,,orv drunken man, and had remarked upon W.
o. friend who had arrested me could not see
a., or nretepded he could not AMI the Justice was Iii
arced in his decision by the opinion OF the oncer' nc
aid NO shonld send down TO spend three days as
SCI, ~ tho Commissioners Of Charities and Correction
.ne citys stone castle in Ccntre-St, desiring oIo
co. ~ afford me an opportunity OF examining lh'o "io
Workings OF that famous INSTITUTION -
.ordirgly TO the Tombs went; went IN n cose car,
, a vehicle Of peculiar construction one o' TIC MN"
,hat man cannot easily fall out or Ihere "e'C
otber Messengers. including some women III i4siio'
o,+ire and wearing a great deal or faiss JeWrH!' "a
,,or and forger also accompanied rs All oNc'P,
,t soor,ea 10 enjoy the ride. They langhcI ana
.id and Ypre as merry if they were gong 10 Fo
mic Al the prison the sexes were separated" 'iu NJ
Going I'm one direction, the females III a'o'hc''
e mt Temporarily into cell near the inner once VI
tbc prison whence they were called one pS oio
sce ana each was Intercepted as to his name 's''
&c. % birth and residence, whether he was mIII'u OK
single Catholic or Protestant etc, ana MS "'
recorded The officer was civil ana quiet In HIS w
meanor displaying none OF that arrogance Wmcn Is SUI
times observed persons ciothed Win " i'''' ~
authority. o.. -, a., ,,,,
- M 1o, hefore had almost entirely passed of, and
-. ba-ir, eaten ANYTHING for moro than 2i hours pe
gan 10 feel somewhat weak in the knees lhe ocer o'
serving this gave me out of a rusty niue un cup "
drauch of some detestable stuff which was KEEP on manu-
for use whenever q nervine was demanded II 'as'."
like solution of salt in water, to which some whisky
and perhaps little of he tncture of waterman had peeh
added II Is used principally, believe, TO give To o!u
toners who are deprived of their accustomed stimuet
while in confinement, and who otherwise might nave
delirium tremens After this was taken ont doors ana
around TO the prison pen, where was locked III. 1e
nrison pen or tenay yard it is caHpd is an nco'uTe
surrounded on three sides by the lofty walls u INC
prison and closed in on the fourth by ng ron renee
This believe is the place where executions take place
Here was thrust into the most ragged ana drty crow"
IL has ever been my lot to in contact WIN mere
were about 100 of them coaess some ha'lesS anu
some shoeless-walkng up and down the yard or louus
inc the benches winch NcIc pidNt" "''''iA w
Every one was smoking who was fortunate enough 70
have a pipe and tobacco to nh it,
Soon came what was TO every one in the prison the
event OF the day This dinner, when was served al
Ppm. Every was first given ration OF preau' ~
biz as his two ts then ration OF soup Ihe soup was
good and was the only good thing they HAD there IL
was served ont in shallow Tin pans holding about three
hints each When IL had become cool enough 70 handle
each man raised his pan his lips and drank OF the
broth; then fShed out the meat and POTATOES WIN NJ
fingers We had spoons While on the subject "i IA
lions may As well state that sor breakfast and supper
every man was furnished with portion OF bread lnar
to that given out at dinner For breakfast We had knd
of ops that was called coffee and Tor supper We had an
other kind Of slOps called BY courtesy tea DURING tc
war when coffee was dear, many persons made subst-
tutes Of burnt beans peas &c. but never drank any OF
the war coffee" which so bad as that at the
Tombs on the day on which came away from The
prson was in the kitchen, about y. NJ, ald saw
there four or five iron tanks holding than barrel
each and filed TO the brm. This was the tea, aTe'y
ON the fire. for the supper hours later The coffee
and tea were served ont 10 IN the same shallow lin
pans from which we took soup at din err after they
had been washed in cold water without soap.
In the course OF the afternoon respectabie-lo'EinG
velldresscd and clearly brought into TIE pen.
He too was in upon charge OF ntoNicaton The police
had evidently made mistake in his case, for lie had
not become entirely sober yet lie was very ln'shahV
Al his arrest and threatened to make it bot" for the
almost any price his release. As evening drew near
and we found ont from those had been there for two
or three days what kind OF lodgings we were TO nave
this man offered - bed. Al length we had supper,
and soon afterward turned out OF the pen IKE
drove OF cattle, and put into two-storied building Tor
the night On lower floor stood large coal stove,
red hot for the evenings yet cool narrow plank
ran around the walls and similar panks placed IN
the middle the room, all elevated foot lS inches
from the floor On these OF the prisoners lay down
for the night Bat the majority went upstairs. Here
were wooden platforms three feet high and about
six feet broad extending the whole length % thc
On two SIDES Upon these the prisoners piled themselves
until every place was occupied But noticed that Our
wel-lresscd friend who had offered - for bed was
not Of the number. and presume his s. had procured
for him the accommodation he sought As for myself
was suffering much TO sleep, and passed the nig
in walking tho floor, and in going up and down stairs
from one 20 the other.
When came TO the Tombs in the forenoon had asked
TO the prison physician. Although told that rrs-
oner needed his services, he did until
he made his regular evening round We had then been
locked IN the night happened % be standing at the
grated door II the on the ground hOOr when re
came within about two rods o. inc and called ou nqur
ing what was the matter. began TO tell HIM my
words and left much suffering man 10 spend he
Soon after daylight ordered ont into the pen
again. and there rcqusition Cor four to
sweep The yards The officers made use OF the prisoners
whenever there was work to be done and to III sub
who took the pen when came was prisoners the
one who locked in also aprlsoner Inc men were
and whitewash the prison, the women 20
scrub and mop the floors. This was not hardship hu a
kindness Thus engaged they seemed less like prisoners
both tOthemscve and To the others and IL served 10 re-
ntvC somewhat the tedium Of confinement. NOiunt' rs
could always be had IN plenty 90 do any thing there was
70 he done.
The first day OF my confinement tho weather had been
clear and pleasant and IL comfortable enough IN The
open air bat the second day the sky overcast and
tile atmosphere damp, ana chilly. su1 red much
from cold; 1t too cold TO SIT still, was too weak TO
walk about the yard and too sick 10 eat anything