The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1876-06-14
SEEING SING SING.
Where a Clothing Plantation Has
Been Discovered.
STRANGE DISCLOSURES.

which PRISONERS ESCAPE.
The NA'w York Sun of Saturday says:
Messrs. Sinclair Tousey, Of New York
City; George X. Bsbcock, of Buffalo;
Archibald G. Tiveu, of Sullivan, and
Louis d. Pillsbnry, of Albany, the COM
missioners sppOintsd by the legislature
to exame into the condition aud
management of the state prisons, are at
work in the Sing Sing prison. Inspectors
Crowley Wagner, ana Clark are also in
Sing Sing, ready 10 assist the commission
els, and with ali these officials. looking
around, Warden YouDgs and his clerks,
Samuel 6. WhallOn and james Il. Jackson,
are constantly IN the jump. The commits
sioners meet 81 nine every morning and
continue In session unti i've O'Clock, with
an intermissiOn Il lunch. An accountant
has for many DAYS bsen iabOring over the
prison books, and ire commissioners have
been listening to the reading OF his figures.
Only ore witness has been examined.
The warden and agent, keepers, guards,
contractors and convicts are TO be ex-
smined. The commissioners will. it is be-
lieved
CONDEMN THE SING SING PRISON,
and urge the erection OF q prison in an
other part of the state. They say that
there is no place of the kind in the coun-
is utterly impossible for a mere handful
of keepers aud guards to watch over
nearly 900 men, and it would be the
height of absurdlty to build a high wall
around the place. The rear of the prison
buildings is on the river, and the front
faces uneven hills. On these bills are the
prison for women, the stables, the srmory
and the guard houses; and between them
and the main prison building are
the track of the New
York Central and Hudson River
railroad ana q public roadway. This
highway is, of course, open to the use OF
everybody. Grrcers' wagons and
butchers carts may race through it at
will, and the guard can not stop them,
and prisoners may lounge around the
grounds and laugh at the sport. The arm
Org, which is near the top OF the hill, is
stacked full Of firearms that are rarely II
ever used, for the reason that some one on
passing train or in a wagon or carriage
on the public highway may be in the line
OF the escaping convict. Once on the sum-
init of the hill, the convict has the open
fields and woods before him,
THE GUARDS BECOME DEMoRAL1zED,
and in their excitement fear that they
may shoot each other, and so do not shoot
at all. A short time ago, when conven-
lent train 'slOwed up" within a stones
throw of the prison Office, and six convicts
became passengers on it, the guards in the
srmory on the hill saw the seizure OF the
train, but they dared not fire, lest they
might kill the engineer and the fireman I.
On Wednesday afternoon three convicls,
Thomas Deviue, Thomas Flaherty ami
Martin Kelley, who worked in the
quarry, stripped themselves OF their
striped uniforms, and in citizens clothes
made dash for the woods. The guards
hor II I'm dor tn
Iire, and mere boy, Elias Acker, made
after the escaping cOnvic,s. He snatcned
revolver from the hands OF one of the
guards and shot Thomas Devine in the
leg. Devine was then secured. The other
two convicts escaped. EASY to get away?"
said one OF the commissioners. In surprise,
as he looked at the reporter. "All q con-
vict need do is to walk up the hill and
make dash for freedom" A gentleman
who knows the interior of the prison says
that no less than 6fiy convicts in the in
Stitution are wearing citizens cloths I'M
der their uniforms. "Where do they get
the plain clothing?" asked the reporter
"Tbat's aqueer question for you to ask, u
was the answer. Then the gentleman con-
tinued, "Wben the convicts are locked
up for the night. the guards In those little
houses that you see on the hills retire to
their homes. The highway right here In
front of the prison must be open to the
public at night as well as in the daytime
How easy it is, alter dark, TOR any OF the
convicts to
PLANT PLAIN CLOTHING IN SECLUDED
NOOKs
around the grounds" "Plant clothing?'
interrupted the reporter. Certainly
plant-that is the word or you NAV say
stow away clothing in such places. / tel
you, this street is a clothing plantation
Hon "A min al
put 1t on without being seem" inquired
the reporter. ''COnvicts are marched tC
the qusJries, from an eighth to half q
mile away from the main prison building
and there frequently more than a hundred
Of them are guarded by two Oh
three keepers. Sometimes ten OF
fifteen convlcts walk away from
the rest of The gang. some to enjoy quieV
smoke, and ot0ers 70 set how the crop Of
clothing is progressing. At such times as
these, when plain clothes are ripe, it is but
the work of q few minutes for a convict tc
take of his uniform and encase himself in
citizens clothing. Then ne puts on bis
prison dress, and, with lOuneers, Whit:
his cigar. Zone OF the errors OF the man.
agement," the gentleman continued, "ls
the anxiety for retrenchment il the ex-
penses OF hiring keepers. There
are too few keepers and guards.
To properly watch over the ISIS
prisoners here to-day II would
be necessary to have, in such place as
this, ,5l9 guards. That's a tact, assure
you. Why don't all the prisoners walk
away? I'll tell you why; there are many
here who have only a short time to serve,
and they will not risk the loss of their
short tlme;' that il they want the full
benefit of the Communication law" This
commissioners have discovered glarinG
abuses OF previous admiuistT atoms, and
ha 70
and All sneak I'm the b;obas,
terms of Mr.. YouDgs, the warden
saying that he Is an honorable, pains
taking gentleman. He has no voice In tht
selection of the keepers and guards, and
his hands are therefore tied. His as
sistants are appointed by the state prison
inspectors. he has no authority to inter