The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-08-20
LOOKING INTO AUBURN PRISON.
stokes Offering n thousand Dollars for Per-
mission 20 Wear his Beard.

Externally Auburn prison looks like a
measured tread on the lofty stone walls, and
nothing relieves tho monotony; but within,
beautiful grounds surround tho asylum at
tached to the prison, and gardens Of flowers
and fruits are found IN front OF the prison itself.
Visitors are admitted at about noon To see the
prisoners march to dinner, but are not allowed
to 20 through the prison as they formerly were.
The PRISON contains fourteen hundred convcts
Seven hundred work on cont acts, three hun
dred are helpers, and four hundred are idle.
one hundred OF the latter are aged aud crippled.
Four nights In the week n teacher is employed
to teach the convlcts, and ON Sundays the pris-
oners attend religious services In tho chapel. A
sunday school. is connected with the chapel,
and there Is llbrar, for the use Of the cOnvcts.
IL requires leo pounds OF beef, twenty bushels
Of potatoes, twelve barrels OF SOUP, aud 400
pounds OF -four to furnish one meal to tine con-
victs. The average cost per day for each prs
oner Ia twelve cents.
There are few patients IN the hospital. DR..
Hoxie pointed out one Of them, Charles BAR
heidi. VINO sat by his cot In the hospital bunk,
tent over and looking wan and pale. " There"
SAID the Doctor, is a case that ought to be re-
ported That man will probably die within a
Something ought to be done to get him out OF
here. lie h a lost his voice and suffers con
stantly." Tho prisoner SAID that he was sem
fenced by Recorder lIackett to four years and
lie has ABOUT two years yet to serve.
Dr. Macdonald has charge OF the asylum.
WalwOrth aud Standernanu are confined there.
The former was In tbs reception room, talking
with hs mother. The latter laughed at the sug-
gestion tnat he had legned ina ,uitI on his ex-
animation by Gov. Tilden's commission. The
asylum Is model Of nea,ness and cleanliness,
and waa recently painted throughout by one Of
the inmates, who Is deranged u.On the suUjec
of religion. Some OF the women inmates ore
crosses on their necks, and when the painter
SOW them, he I'D. "You're Christians; amt
NAlI Asaal lAIlT lalL I
My cross Is paint brush.
Walworth's mother ts hard of work trying to
obtain tue pardon Of her son. While she sat in
tue reception room u the asylum talking to
him, two Of the ladies OF the visiting party acct
dtntaly slipped INTO the room where they we're
sitting. lhe sou was bent over m his chair,
looking dOwnGast and very pale, earnestly
ls.enlng to what his motuor was saying, and
she was talking to him In the most earnest man
ner. sue moved to Auourn when her son was
sent to the prison. ana slnce her removal she
has visited nm daily.
When the reporter tirst entered tho PRISON the
Warden objected to his seeing Edward ;.
stokes, alleging as the reason that the men were
numbered about tha- hour, ana II would not be
convenient. Stokes said that tns US all non
sense; that the reason why lie could not be
seen was that his cell was being renovated and
his wearing apparel changed. lie added;
keeper came down to tell ms TO wash and
change my cl9tnins;' l askei him why he
wanted II chansed, ana he said, That
Is the order" | told him | knew there was
break somewhere, but could not tell where.
now understand IL, aud am indebted to you,
Mr. Reuur.er for dec az clotuing aud Gle "a
| cell" lie further said that whom the keeper
told him that a sun reporter desired To see
| him he followed 1t with tue remark, You
don't want u see that fellow, do your" trying
to persuade stokes not To see MIN. stokes 4
| cell was clean wnen the reporter saw II. Fave
lady visitors entered II, and one Of them pinned
bouquet In the towel that hunx on the iron
| cot. The ladies having afterward ueen intro.
duced to stokes gave him number 81 bouquets.
Tue prisoner received the gifts With deep emo
! ton.
stokes says that no has done little but kill
vermin on his person aud ia his cell since his
/ arrival III Auburn. Asked what made his cell
/ an exception, he rcpli ID Keeper ohns On said
! that tue prisoner VINO occupied the cell before
me was notoriuusy lousy Warden DarstoI
sad there had been vtrntn IN Stokes cell, bat
/ looked cleaner than they over looked before.
/ stokes said that he begged them - put HIN l.
worK, Out that they refused 10 DO SO, AMI pu
hlm INTO tue "bummers' gang to huMillate
hiu,. Warden Ddrstpn said tncy had no work
for him. Willard smith, tle clerk Of the prison,
/ SAID that thvN COnpellrd stokes to be shaved,
taxing n Mis- hair, beard ana mOust tcne, ant
I that ;. okes offered to pay Sl,OOJ to De allJweC
/ to retain MS mOustaihS. " uIe tue prison ufh
] cial, claim int the nhavlnc was done u pa
Stokes On level with other conyicts. Stoke
. says Il WAS u he. as many other things are me
/ 10 curry public favor. Other men were IN IN,
! prison Win their hair ana beard long. \ prs
Oner WIS pacing 10 and trO on the sidew Tx n
front Of the Idle shop. He Is bllnd. one OF the
Keepers said tnat nc was a life IN an, aud that ne
plucked his eyes out TO get rid OF work.