Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-06-15

NOTES Of Convict LIFE AND INCIDENTS or
THE CELL.


WINDSOR. Vt, June 3, 1911.
Gentle reader, were you ever IN the
State prison, at Windsor? We mean, of
course, as visitor. It you have not been
there, it will prove OF interest. no doubt, to
read OF convict lille, end the stories of those
who left their all. and gave up other peo-
pies horses, household effects, etc, to serve
the State for their board and lodging. a. az
prentices at the shoe trade. The State
guards them against intrusion from insur
ance men and book agents. by solid gran
lite wall twenty-five feet high, and provides
other guards with guns to ''shoOt them on
the spot" We mean the priSoncrs-if they
overstep the mark. by permission of Su-
perlntendent Spencer. and through the
kindness of DR.. Henry Furnces. Prison Ply
stefan, and Head Warden, W. H. II.
Peakins, your reporter had an "open
sesame to the ms and outs of Vermont :
| time-lOck- up.
Windsor is delightful summer
resort The Connecticut here Il smooth
and broad, and from It's banks rise abruptly
the finely wooded hills of the New lIamp-
shire borders. Ascutney Mountain, easy of
access, il few miles distant, and some
| 5000 feet high. The streets OF the village
are handsomely shaded by giant elm7 and
spreading naples. a United States court
house, costing 500, 900. Is erected here
The prison il located not far from the cen
tire of the village, on rising ground, and Is
not an uninviting brick building ut first
sight, but at a near approach the grated
windows DO not progresses one to become an
| inmate.
Aiming himself with pencil and note
book, your representative passed through b
the massive iron door, and stood within the
corridor The,sience that rcgned within was
of sepulchral order, and tiers of whitcn-
ed tomb-like cells. with their black. grated
doors, that stood open for the return of the
l0l ShOemakers that were in the work shops.
reminded one very fOrcibly that this was
dark world This part was the old
prison the additional wing built short
| while ago, however. is of similar cOnstruc
| ton, and contains tiers of cells. with >
in each row, making altogether lj6 cells in
the prison.
These abodes are & feet by S. and contain
a wooden bedstead. a plain pine stool
and stand, tin plate. q cup and knife and
sometimes small chrome. This is the
regulation outfit. Many of the cells,
however, show the taste OF the occupants in
brackets and pretty ornaments, Phair's is
| fitted up quite neatly fancy colOred
tissue paper being festooned on the
ceiling, carpet covering the floor,
brackets and book shelves well filled
with good literature, and q pretty motto,
Rock of Ages Cleft for me, " over the cot.
A prison rule requires each occupant to
whitswash his cell once month, and to
wash the door each q week. There arc now
li9 prisoners, the last bOarder arriving here
May 18th. from "Spunky LamOille" lie
registered his name a. c. +. Kenyon, and
| will take course" of five years before
graduating. 1t was q case OF manslaugh
ter. There are only four colOrcd people
here. while two noble red men are
being civilized by the StIte. Like Office
holders, the inmates of the prison are "ins''
and 'Outs," and to such an extent that it
| appears that no prisoner who is incarcerat
ed to-day, was confined here fifteen years
ago. Circumstances have arisen which,
when told, will make this almost incredible
statement plain.
We will begin with Henry Damon who
was sentenced for life in 1899, for murder,
and had served Sc years. having grown from
vigorous manhood to decrepit old age within
the prison walls. lie had the misfortune, OF
rather fortune, to fall down stairs in Au-
gust, 1875. and terminate his sentence. Com
ing down to 1868, We find that John Burns.
hailing from Hinesburgh, was at that time
imprisoned Tor wiiemurder, on a sentence of
execution, which was cOmmuted by the Gov
ernor to life Imprisonment, which makes him
the Oldest resident here In 1855. 5. Pond
was sentenced to be hung for murder, and
was brought to Windsor, and one l.. Moore,
in lo63-same crime and seutence-was
taken in. Both became raving maniacs,
and the State sent them to B.attlebOro.
The next murderer received was ". Pen
d0lph, in 1867, whose sentence was com
muted to life imprisonment. Horace Plum
ley came to Windsor in 1870, with death
sentence hanging over him, which was
committed also. Iiba Plumley, F. VI. Plum
ley and F. NJ. Mcdonald, a trio brought
here in 1869 for manslaughter, the first re-
ceiying sentence, and the Others 70
and 10 years respectively, come next on the
list.
VIM. Ii. Grayelin, who will be remember
ed rs the murderer of White last year at
Weatherstield. is here with the following
OminOus rOte opposite his name: ITO be
hanged LIST Friday in March. 1879" OF
twelve murderers sent here and sentenced
to be executed during the last fourteen
years, three have met their end on the
gollows-John Ward, of WillstOn Henry
Walanno tho shuryh
Henry Miller, who killed an aged couple at
Weathersfeld. Five have had their SEN
fences COMMITTED. (including two sent to
the Insane Asylum; two are under SEN
tence, Gravclin and Phair. with a strong
probability OF the latter's innocence of the
crime of murder, and growing conviction
that he will not suffer the penalty of his
sentence.
Z. L. Hayden, the Derby Line wiie-mur-
dercr, is here for saie-keeping. and also j
W. Lewis, the WIndham County pOisoner,
both awaiting trial. During this period,
ten men have been imprisoned for man
slaughter. with sentences. from five years to
lie IS have been 4" sent-up" for burglary,
% for larceny. - for rape. ii for arson, Il
for intent to murder. for forgery, 10 for
horse stealing, } for highway robbery, for
perjury, , for bigamy, s for adultery, and
for playing Brigham Young outside of
Utah. One young man, NJ. ". Jenny, in
his 2jth year, is strongly suspected of hav-
ing a burglarlOus intent. lie is only sery-
ing his third sentence now, for entering
peoples houses after dark, without their |
consent
William Gilman has had ar unlueky fond |
ness for horse flesh. and is now prevented |
from exercising other peoples horses by u |
ten years claim of the State on his time. |
This fast hostler has been here twice before. !
for this failing of his, and has record Of |
scooplng twenty two horses during his pub
lie career, thirteen being run off on his last |
excursion. Charley Potter, who was SEN
fenced, for having burglars tools in his
possession. to ten years imprisonment, has
lust been pard0ned, having less than year
to serve, George Z. Miles the celebrated bank
examiner, whose last exploit, at Barre,
locked him for fourteen years, has about
concluded to stay here, and the chances
are good that he will serve his time out
That notorious Iail-breaker, and prison
Jumper, Bristol Bill, after going through
numerous penitentiaries and prisons, gave
it up" when brought to Windsor on an
eight years sentence. and said it was no use
10 attempt his fayOrite pastime. But, to
- made assurance dOubly sure, an impedi
nent TO MS INDUCING IN tins game, In the
shape of ball and chain, was attached To
- b. b. for the first fourteen months lie
served the State his eight years.
PhIlander Kemp. some fourteen years
iince. escaped from this prison. and Wa not
.ecaptured until last Spring, when in writ
Dg to his brother from the st. Albans Jail,
where he was confined on minor offence.
lie disclosed the fact that he was an escaped
'Onyict. On this Information coming t. the
knowledge of the authorities, PhIlander
vas returnel t. his former residence, and
entcnccd to serve the original one of eight
ears over again, which IL the usual penal
y for escaping, and being caught Ii ap-
ears that this prisoner was at work in the
blacksmith shop. in the basement of the
1orkhorse. Day by day. when he was not