The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-10
VOL. XLIIL--N0. III.
SEEING SING SING PRISON.
wurRE A CLOTHING PLANTATIo"
Uxs BEEN DISCOVERED.

.--,.,. 9TH Citizens' suits under Tnc'r
vr,.o, strtpes-some verv queer D're'o'
~. "a, an Investigating Commission
rss E..e with which Prisoners Eseape'
,,...r. Sinclair Tousey Of New YORK
60. n. p,bcock OF Buffalo, Archibald
eS, =, s,,I,van. and Louis ID. Pillsbury OF
-. ,hs Commissioners appointed oy tno
-..,.,,r. to examine into the conditioh anu
..~.m.nt of the State prisons, are NJ WORK 10
- a,n, s,os Prison. Inspector Crowley, Waa'
spss. .Ds rss,ix are also In Sing Sing ready 70
.s,,st the Com missioners, aud WIN "' ''e'
.nc,a,s looking around, Warden founes sno
k.. s,.rLs. Samuel 3. whallon ana Ja"os "'
s.or.o,. arc constantly on the jump lneoou-
,-,..,onar. ms.t Al sine every morning anu eon-
s,pue In session until Ave o'cIooA' WV o.,
r,tsston for lunch. An sceV.u"'" -,
many days been laborina over the
books, and the Commissioners have been listcn'
s,r 20 the reading Of his figures. Only one wit
ssss has been examined. The Warden and
Arspt keepers, guards, contractors, and con-
victs are to be examined.
TIC COMMISSIONER will, II Is believed, con-
asmn the Sing sins Pr son, and urge the erection
n prison In another part Of the State. They
say that there s no place Of the kind In the
country from which II 10 so easy to escaIs. IL
n utterly I'm possible for q mere handful OF
keepers and guards TO watch over nearly l'coo
bulld n high wall around the place. Tue rear OF
Shs prison buildings is on the river, and the
rant fsoes uneven bills, on these hills are the
1prfson Tor women, the stables, the armory, and
Sss guard houses and between them hpa
se m.n pyyisSsa py.,s cU,,a eHans and sr HUDSON River
Railroad and . public roadway Ihls highway
b. OF course. open to the use OF everybody.
Aroceu' wagons and butchers carts NAV race
Shroush II at will, and the guards cannot stop
tbeu. and prisoners may lounge around the
which 10 near the top OF the hin, is stacked full
u firearms that are rarely n ever used, for the
ssason that some one on passing train or 70 a
wagon or CARR on the public highway may Dc
N the line OF the esc ping convict. Once on the
summit Of the hill, the convict has the open
come demoraiiEed. and In their excitement fear
Mat they may sBoot each other, and SO DO not
A short time aao, when convenient train
Slowed up" within stones throw OF the
prison ofnoe, and ak convicts necsme passengers
% tt, the guards In the armory on the hill saw
TIE seizure Of the train. but they dared not
Pre- ,heS might h the eogipssT and nrss ,ss
ssnvicts. Thomas Devine. Thomas Fla.
hsrty, and Martin Kelly, who worked In the
quarry, strip 90 themselves of their striped unit
forms, aud In citizens clothes made a dssn foI
ths woods. The guards saw them start put
they dic not dare nre and mere boy, El,ss
Acker, made after the escaping cOnytcts. lie
hnstched n rev Iver from the hands OF one OF
She gu 4rds and shot Thomas Deyne In the LEG.
DsviDe was tnen secured. The other two con-
ttots escaped.
Easy % get away p said one Of the oonmi.-
SAli convict need do is 10 walk W. the hill and
make . dash fer freedom."
A gentleman who knows the interior OF the
prison saVs that no less tnan nifty convicts In the
Institution are wearing citizens clothes under
fhslr uniforms. "Mbere do tDey get the plain
question for you TO ask was the answer. linen
She gentleman continue d, When the conyici -
prs locked up for the night, the guards In those
hltie houses that you zee OIL the Mills retire TO
their homes. Tho highway right here In fiont
ss we'll a In the dav time. How easy Il IA, after
fsrk. for friends OF the convicts 70 pa plain
ro,nine 10 seciodsd hooks around the eround''
~Certainly, pIsnt--that is the word or you
may say stow way olo' hing ~ such PAGES
How do tue convicts ge the cl"thins and
put it on without beng seen p inquired the re-
aConvicte are marched TO the auarries. from
IN eighth to a half a mile away from tns
more than q hundred Of them are qua d.
Cd bv two or three keeIers. som Is
he res, Of the gang, some to enjoy
luiet smoke, and Others 10 see how the 'rop oil
eiothins Is proeessnx' AZ sHrh .inss as onsse
sfew minutes for q convict To take n ms uni
form and sncase himself in citizens, clio, ming.
Then he puts on hi prison d ess, nd, with the
bouneers, whins his Gig 7. one Of tue errors OF
lhe man cement" the gentleman continued,
sis the anxiety Tor r.trencnment In the ex-
psnses OF hiring keepers. there arc too few
keepers ana gua'ds. 10 properly waton over
tne l.0b prisoners mere lo-uay, IL WOMB
DO necessary To have, In such n place as this,
lble guards. hats a tact. assure you. Way
non't all the prisoners walk awayf I'll tell you
wny. There are many here who have only q
short time to serve. ano hey will not risk the
loss OF their short time that Ia they want
tae full beDe1t OF the Communication law.
Tho Com missioDers have discovered Rlsrtne
abuses Of previous COMMUNICATIONS, and are fol
lowing no ths accounts. One and all speak IN
tbo highest terms OF Mr. YouDgs, the warden,
Eying that he Is AN honorable. inst KING
senueDan. He has no voice in the selection
Of the keepers and guards, and his hands are
therefore tied. HIS assistants IRE appoint-
I'd by the State Prison Inspectors. He has
no authority to interfere VITA contractors. lie
may suggest improvements to ths Inspector IN
smmand. end await that officials orders.
Several Of the "hfe meu" are TO he ques
poneu by the Com ulission and simmons anc
baokes, whose time exuires IN October next
may 10 called upon to tes tfy.