The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-12-28
DEATH RATHER THAN WORK,
Confined for Onc Hundred ard Two Days for
hi- cbstmncy. bui his iiiainciinatioo to In
bUr not Overcome Wis IN rerm Faded.

hl~ cb@tinncy, bui his fiainciinattpn to In
| bUrnot Overcome y,- Sixsh rerm Faded.
a convict claiming the name Of william
Jones hanged himself in q dungeon cell Of tho
Essex County pcnnontiury tN. J) on Christmas
day. Tho Obstinate determination that enabled
man i've feet mud nine inchce high 90 commit
suicide 10y hanging himself from q support but
four feet and cight inches high scoms a. have
hrcn Hitting termination ~ what was. accord
| in. To tho representations OF the officers Of tho
| Icnitcntiary. n remarkable struggle OF indi-
Nidual will against rrlormatOry discipline
Warden John q. Ncrmlycr relates the story as
| follows: William Jones. IA he was here
| known. was sentenced at Newark for n larceny
| in Orange TO nm Imprisonment at hard labor
| In tho pcntcntiary for term Of three months
| and to further stand committed to hard labor
until he should have worked out the costs
| OF his trial. which amounted to 1890. Our
New Jersey law allows n convict. II he cannot
pay the costs OF his trial. flfiy cents per diem
for his labor In the pentcntiary until he works
| them out. That practically added seventy
| eight laborIng days within n fraction-to Will
| liam Joncs's sentence. The Frcchoders Com
| mittcc in charge Of the institution have the nu-
| thority to discharge n convict before he works
out his full term for costs. hut their doing so
depends. of course. upon the manner in which
he conducts himself Jones was received here
on the 18th OF September. Before coming he
avowcd his determination never to do n days
| work. The morning after his arrival he was
sent ont 10 the labor ground. nt o'clock. with
| the ether prisoners. under charge Of Keeper
Van Houghton. was On the ground myself
over there Van Hough,on directed.
| ., want no hammcr.' Jones replied.
out hammer' the keeper answered.
III break no stones
49,. II you don't work you will have TO 20, to
| tho dungeon. van HuuEltNu warned him. lut
the convicts only rcioinlcr was tho SUI m icii-
eration. accompanied by an OATH won't
,"I!old l,!, him he would be punished i he was
life. They've tried many atiine TO make ma
work, and nobody over did yet I've conquered
conquer me. or words to that effect lie was
a. once placed In the dungeon.
| During the day. while tho mon werc at work
outside, he was forced to stand IN ,ho dungeon.
| by hls hands being hanlcNffod together 10
ring four feet and ciFt inches from ilir Moor.
| " hen thcy came in from work he was let d"wu.
| lie was not kept W ~ night NJ ohslding is a-
| lowed In the dungeon celis. but prisoners in
| thrm are eivn av v"r wide board 10 ie on e.
| Keep them on ihc sion, r,or ana that IA mad
eycrJ nig't. Blankets hc did M rcrd. as ihr
place s well warmed 10y steam heat. ald he was
warmly clad in tllirk unlerclothirg ana heavy
r,9nvir r'pi.,s = leod De- had TIE rtrs ri'
| tho dungeons l. lac hal 4 sired hcii'r. an he
had to do WAS 10 gnify his willingness to ~ 10
| wnrk:, oar dun, N cells. .E tn was. nte not
| mud other New York Irison- \ crH * unlNr
NJ door admit light enough n daytime ior the
current of mir. and enables hlm tp hear rOis.s
! outside. II - far from hins so horrible NJ
thgs' grave IKE dark coils TIM; referred TO as
VOL Jones eon,inued in tho dungeon.
thought he might hoi be altoe er,hcr sane. and
| hls mind WIS at all affected. Tn Doctor said he
WI; hll right. After threeor four dn,-. W. gave
won't cni to WORK. Al O'Clock On The morning
! Of IN" 2Mh ~ September. whom lhr other con-
Soud 20 along and submit Wien ~ s',tr t.
the ground hr said he didn't want to hrcak
him any. He might as we'll have asked me To
siys 4'm Mwalrhlna~ing'ii, M ] hqd noi1ips Of tnet
whSei n harr"w. hnt he wasn't III for tnn,
Ho only weighed i22 pounds. lie said then
s,; a. a reas9n i2r not wanting to br.9k stones.
| run ans r.ss oi nluring i. eot Tor hin a pair
OF s.2sslrs win strong blue glasses and wiro
pairs ~ always for men who ar. afraid OF hurt
ing their eyes though there Il rcelly ~ danger
| ma at / o'rlork that sam. morning he was put
| liHek into the dungeon. There he stayed until
leased on his premise 20 20 10 work. H. then
went out with the other cnnvictS took n
hammer, and pecked away. not, doing
! went cut to the ground after ho had
| been hherc an hour. md to HIM, I'm glad to
| have yourself. But don't want to crowd you.
| You have been in confinement on low diet Tor
| some time. aud arc no doubt. weak. SO you
| needn't work any moro to-day. Como in and
| III get you something t. eat. and then you can
lie down In your eel take II good sleep, and he
| IN good trim for tomorrow He didn't say
anything, When brought him in ! had some
bread ani coffee got for him.
and said. III go hack 10 the dungeon. | don't
want no such .tuf ns that, I want some beef
sienk. or something nOur hing
"Instcad of putting him into tho dungeon, /
sent him to his cell and ia the course oi an hour
or two sent the doctor W. 10 see him. The doe;
recolnmendatlon Jones was transferred ha X to
the dungeon. He siId there then until Nov
~. when once more lie promised Ia 20 20 work
and was let out. lIc had his goggles on. worr a
pair II stout bu 'kskin mittens. such rs We give
lo MI ihc conyias in winter, and worked about
hr,o ours. Tho rest Of the day b. was al
IN re- thai night Whether he worked the next
hayrii least gone out to the labor ground. for
he was no, rqp,lir'i 81 4. and d,n,t Gi,d any
| the day ait"r: tlat Wns The 22l day II hovcm-
| Der. when at O'Clock in the afternoon he WAS
| work 10y my orders. had gone down t. tic
labor ground % bring NJ some incn for the be-
tor to see, and when got there Jones was not
at work but walk ing To and iro | didn't think
mum OF ! ! ~ ihn umr: thouyh ii wns oontrary
an hour after. and found ilm stlll walking
about spoke 10 Van ioughten about II. IL
said lac had been wall ing around three quarters
| of an hour. told Jones he would lave TO 90 10
work. H. replied tlnt h" wasn't going to break
any more stones. Then sent him back 10 the
dungeon
On Dec. 3 he wGs released again nj 7.i5 on
promise of going to work. marched down To The
labor ground. there refused to gu 10 work was
brought back. and at s:i5 was locked up in
the dungeon onco more. On Dec -. ut I. NJ.
no called 10 me as was passing through the
corridor going out. and said lie would work If !
would let him out.
So want my liberty said he.
:" You can have it, replied. as soon rs you
are ready 10 10 10 work
Very vol. ho answered. I'm rcady now
so told him rs il was 30 late in the d,l, he
need not go out then. but would nN him M
comfortable so that he would feel a. right fir
going TO work the next morning. took him
out by the dungeon, got his hair cut. had him
shaved. Put clean clothes on him. and sent him
to his own cell that nisht after he had had
hearty supper with tho other conNits AZ !
learned ntclward, his chum. Sullivan. who
VIA convicted with him. asked him TINT night:
Are You going tQ work. No. he replied.
Tho nest morning when the mcn Mnr" ready
togo ont Jones hcsan te make difficulties.
want my nllts.' said be-.
~ VIII BRING you a par down tO tho ground
in II few miputes ! told him. ms tlrrc Wus no
time in gci thrn ut that moment
want ny EogelcH, be- demanded