The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08
CONVICT LIFE AT NIGHT.
WHAT THE PRISONERS IN SING SING
DO FROM DIRk UNTIL DAWN.


Home sights and sounds within the Prison
Walls Between NiuhtfaII and Daybrenk.
standing In the evening on the brow OF
the Hill TO the eastward OF Sing Sing prison. the
observer secs the glmmer Of lights within
through 1--WE hundred narrow windows From
tho opposite side Of tho building another five
hundred lighted windows are visible, and the
total number shown on all the sides oitho prison
Is not far from fourteen hundred. No sound
from within reaches the ear; the place Is still
enough to be an illuminated tomb. Yet there
are moro than seventeen hundred men inside.
Tho keys are turned upon them at 81
O'Clock in the evening. and the grated doors
ore not swung open until about s. o'clock on
tho next morning. How do tho prisoners en-
ploy these hours What are they doing until
bedtime and what after bedtime Do the
blessings Of pleasant dreams and sweet re-
pose" accompany the uncontostcd advantages
OF having all the bed and all the clothcs2" Do
new comcrs-thosc composing the new Glasses
In expiution-seep fewer hours and less sweet
~ than those nearing graduation Night in
lrison-is II still ? With the view OF trying to
answer these and many kindred questions tho
reporter. by the Kindness Of Mr.. Davis. the War
den spent Il night within the prison walls
Through the day every able-bodied convict is
employed-over 900 Of them in the stove works.
800 in the shoe shote. and the rest Of the six
teen hundred and over IA bakers. tailors. aud
walters in tho prison. At night when they have
been returned from the shops Warden Davis
can open book that lies on tile desk in his pr-
Vatc Office and tell where every pris Incr il at
that momcn, TO be found. Tho name Wilson is
q favorito on" with those who take chances on
being sent to sing sing and the surname Henry
the name t. % litile account BY re errug
b. the book. Warden Davistcan tell in precisely
gallery II the tw,uty-t four is To- be found the
Henry Wilson who stands five Feet ten in his
socks. sports a rubesccnt topknot and owes the
burglary. and what number Il on tho door
of the cell occupied by the Horny Wilson
who halls from q city in the western part
OF the State. and owes the commonwealth
I'VE of the ten .yegrs he got for assisting in II
robbery ON the highway.
on entering tho hall n the prison in the early
evrninR-say oclo'k-a murmur Of voices
rcaehes the ear. THIS proceeds from tn coils
I'm which two prisoners are confined. There
are twelve hundred coils and on the night Of
the reporter y l~it there We're over sixteen nun
drod conyci- iu these coils. In cool weather
.ll' men. as a rulo, like To hc doubled up. as
they call IT, They frequently request that they
De- confined in the same cell with some prisoner
who wis an acquaintance IN former days, and
perhaps an a..omplieo in crime. Where
ihcrc are two i'm the same cell. their even
Ing conNHr~i on ranges over WEI" Hold
ihg pasti Ne p,,sen'' NE iutnrs' Their crimi;,
pardon. their luns Tor making q living when
Wy are st fec. Years ag2 house IN a
detectives failed Co. learn where th" robbers had
effected AN outrau 20. AMI no arrests were mad".
keepers of the prison was living in "a house nd
joining ti' ON" tlat was so uyStcrluu~N en-
tered. and GA recent night he stood ucar the
grating 81 % r'li oul h"ard Hh 9ld pn"4d' re-
it" o. his young 'qmrtnion low Doe hai en-
t'rod the adjoining house.. picked % lock ON
cor como ting thc twl '"llnr~. nni r'mn.uci
the robbery which cileriullN hafli Il the skill %
I'll. Aunurn detectives and uoliec. II IL il"
u"ii y ~ the management 90 the prison tu
avoid plnning young aonvicts in cells with
criminals of tAo older and moro hardened sort
sign, in he evening. Al Intervals on ill.,
wnirwnshci walls ~ the hall nre gns Ict-.
air air c''ireaiatns in the rrson. and Which
cast their flickering rays into the coils
Hrro-- the pl--ag. wuf-. A. the western end OF
the central Inssa scwuy Is the Office of the keep
ers. with glass sides through which the entire
may be -eon The hlock Of cells comprises siN
tiers one above another. each tier having a bal
cony running entirely around the, block. IN
dark coils. which are used for disciplinary uur-
POSES. lhlee ,kr,prr7' armed Tor any 'lncr-
where they can he summoned in moment.
Tho keepers wear shoes mnde Of the striped
cloth worn 10y c0nVirS, with padded sol IS, So
that they may patrol the passages and balconies
without raising a noise.
Passing along the balconies NJ O'Clock in the
evening and look inG between the iron gratngs.
The visitor Will lind a light burning in nearly
snme cell they VIII be- talking or reading.
Those VINO have "a cell 10 themselves will be
reading or pacing the cel, Ieering through me
crates, or doing something to XIII time. There
are some two thousand volumes in the prison
library The books most sought after by The
prisoners are novels, books ~ travel ana
biographies. They are permitted a. read story
papers and magazines, but no newspapers.
Keeping the news OF the outside world from
them Is one ~ their most serious dcprivations
Sometimes they exercise the greatest ingenuity
30 draw out from the keepers additional in
formation relating To some pie-,r Of news they
have gathered from tho fpremen IN the shops
Ia the day. In the late political canvass
several of Tho convicts from this city were
Especially anxious 90 know what can lidates
Erro running for Morrissoys seat in thr state
II r. ID NJ
tricks they cndewored To- entrap the keepers
INTO speaking ih" names OF inc opposing can
among the conVcts when on" OF them has
come into pqssessi0n If il i astonishing.
Bank rotbsry the afiair was generally
known 20 The prisoners. They discussed II
the men engaged ia 10. ThrS were OF the opin-
lon that II wns really cool Iob, aud even john
SON who owes tn state cousid'fable time yct,
and was known 10 ms "ii' as one ~ the most
Caring and successful men IN il- ltn-. condo
bonded to speak wei of a. Tho plilage OF tn
stewart tomb Wa- kaQWn g. the cohNlcts Oh the
lay Of lis discovery.
galleries is rnr" ind .rd, md refore tho visitor
aas walked the length a. -.ngls gallery the
fact Of his presence has le.p pu~5.d from c'.l
aeary cyrry convict Inns H.
As tho Keepers pB-~ along the galleries IN the
Early evening They are hailed by voices from
behind the CRATES and lnccs are pressed against
,a ~ s9,y' i Nj, DAVIS coming through the gal.
WHO'S IT, now 'cll~r We had for one Of the
eny keepers tO-dhy
"Hayen't found the ehurs that took Stewards
body, have uIeyf'
When tho keeper starts away the men fire.
uuently urge MIN 10 hold onH minute" and
Try TO dctaiu hila for compuny's sake The n
yic,s Hro permitted 90 have i!ghts u their cells
until o'clock. They are furnished with kero-
benr lamps, and are allowed a rcrtuln amount
Of oil. Some Qt them seem to DO afraid Of the
darkness. nni turn thsr lights down very low.
md try 10 conceal them when tho keepers pass,
In order that they may turn them up again and
not be IN the durs. Near the close N tho week
they make all sorts OF promises ~ their en-
deayor 70 get a fresh supply oi oil. II II cOusd-
cred safe To let them have lights IN their cells
for they can only burn t4e icw combusttcs in
ihe cell, and Il they 10 that the penalty Is 10
haN"ihelr lights taken away from them which
n considered very severe punishment. One
Of thc conNirts not long ago sut IRE 70 his Iurn-
lure. but suce occUrrcncts are very rnr". On
iiis ocotslru tar n.ulm was given by convict
In an Wlloiuins cu,l
At O'clock thr br,l Is rung for lights out"
Jheh morn ia'"s ara seen ~ the grutIn md
tcre Is greater disposition among the enn-
N'fs 10 tu,k with their nrighhors. lr is a
curious iHc, That thgs1 who sleep ne least are
long time m"L who's terms hove almost cN-
pirO1 They seldom clos tlpfr u al, he