The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-08


hardly become Interested in game whore blue
chips predomnatod: now he was rcady 10 be-
come excited Qyor "A game between his right
hand and his lott for imaginary stakes, Tho
cards were made Of shipping tags which he had
smuggled from tho shoe shop. and the suits
were marked in blood. The face cards we're in
goniously figured. One bore the figure Of y
police officer OF course tho maker intended
tlls for. knave But the pack was not CON
plotcd, Tor II found It's way into tho koepers
desk before the cards were more than half
marked. chapter might be written on tho
expedients OF the prisoners for killing time.
head OF the 6lito stand the bank robbers. Tho
man who enters as the hero Of a daring and
by some faithlcss pal, finds his reputation al
reudy established. The scums OF prison so
They are Oetracize1 10y the other prisoners. No
other prisoner will speak TO them; thoy are
Stunned even by the most hardened criminals.
Tho manner in which nurdercrs are regarded
IL dependent upon the circumstances OF tho
killing. The convict who has killed his man in
low convicts. II he shot down man In order
to mako his way out of n trap into which he had
burglary s T line The aaT IS Scons1oredp s one at at
tended by eXtenuating circumstances. As
q, rule, murderers do not rank worry
hgh-using the expression in its prison
scnse-.among those belonging to the Grim
inal classes They are not often PROBES,
frequently summed up in the one act which was
done In the heat Of passion and which sent
thcm to prison. Thus II is that murdercrs are
Caste in prison is wholly dependent upon the
prisoners past man once In gentle society
may be employed on the most disiastotul OF
prison drudgcry. and social outcnst mny be
IN the enjoyment Of position that is almost
among his fellows was nxod before he entered
there. and nothing can change I unless 1t be
daring and mastery strike for liberty.
In their walks the keepers sometimes ind
man hanging from the grAtcs Of the cell, bis
face black and his cyeballs protruding. Such a
"a ID
had Keepers experience. Bnt the keeper
promptly cuts down the would-be suicide and
cell may be- opened ana the man resuscitatcd II
IL Is not already too late. There is nothing that
running along The gallery. \ face appgars at
almost every door. with the inquiry What's
upY What's the matierF' On some ~ IN"
galleries tho aciis are all provided with soma
rate locks. These can b. easily and suicly
opened y anything is wrong in any coll In the
night But moro care needs to b. exercised in
opening a cell on q gallery provided with
lever lock. When II Is necessary 10 open ono Of
those coils Keepers are stat ioncd nj either end NJ
the gallery and another keeper stands in front
ofthc cell 60 be opened. At silent signal from
this keeper the lover at the end Of the gallery Is
ruiSod the smnll lover on the cell door Ia dis
placed. and the main lever is brought into place
again. This d. done In an instant, and so sud
denly NAT me rrisoners ON the gallery Do not
II they could ull be ready and could witness the
Keepers signal, the iiry men on the gallery
could get the freedom Of the hall. oycrpowcr
the three keepers on duty. take their arms. and
attempt To fight their way out Of prison.
one night about two months ago, one OF tho
keepers heard strange sounds In a cell. On
holding his lantern % the CRATES he saw a man
hanging In the back part Of the cell After Tho
cell Was opened, II Was found that the man had
tied his hands behind him. after he had uut a
moose around his mock and fastened the cord to
u wooden plug driven into the vcntlAtor. This
H. MAJ tone whi'c standing ON his bucket
Then hc lad Kicked the bucket away. and was
lrii -u-l nacd in The most approved ana help
loss lu-iI On. II was tho n li-r ipndc by Kicking
AWAY the bucket that attracted the attention of
the Keeper The man WAS taken g. the prison
hospital and next morning. when he recovered
his ~DnsDs. but before he had rrguinod speech
Dee wrote ON slip ni ptp"r a fearful curse on
the man that cut him down.
Late ai night. the snoring Of the slcepcrs al
most entirely ceases. aud the plnce becomes ~
silent a- though It were a vast scpulchfc. save
when tie stiffness i broken hy the cutlery ot
some dreamer or the knocking Of a RESTLESS
prisoner who has found a preteNt for calling a
k'rper. Their is something thrilling add
and distorted 10y the acoustic properties Of the
place. The hail will be ~ still M death. when.
suddenly an ngonizlng shrek win come from
sOmcwhc ere along the vast galleries, lowed bv
the cry ~ Murder murder-r-r,' Then all
will b. still; or, perhaps. "a lulicrous turn
disturbed ncighbor Of the dreaming convict
rendered in words like the following Oh. lay
g groan. "9 swelling into painful ya%n. vii
break the stiffness, % be followed by some such
exclamation a.: We'll, we'll such IS fer
From long familiarity with the place the
keepers know from what part OF the block
of cells come the noises they hear. They can
also determine the nature of the sounds. 4
tirular and Is multiplied hy the echoes TINT are
/ awakened. That, says the keeper. " IL tho
fellow i'm tho dark cell, trying % gct somebody
10 come and talk with him. Once IN n while
the Stiffness wi be broken by hnisterous and
hearty HHw. haw. hu-R-a-w!' Tho sleeper Is
Dreaming 81 other days
Tho dreams Of the prisoners generally tend
an interesting study with tho view OF rearhing
some conclusions n 20 the influence OF external
and mental conditions ON the visions of the
alecp"rs. The PRISONERS are likely 70 be super
-titiOuS in tho mntter of dreams. Ii they have
] happy dreams. they VIII say that somebody Is
| working for their release. II they dream hor-
rible things. they fear that harm has come 70
| their relatives, or that they may be taken sick.
and may die loi9re they are Released. II | wns
/ out Of TINS, SAID convict. one morning. /
Z would bet all the money ! could raISe on the
| three numbers dreamed Of last night" Being
| aSked Yhat ne numbers Were' he ronhcd
You, don't play policy, What good would
| tlley b" 70 you But would make on hem
| they would be a surer thing than i-ll-ii."
II Is strange how uncOnccrned some Of
1 the prisoners are. and how others fail TO COM
prchcnd their situation. Only short time ago
friends in New York. asking them to come w
/ 10 Sing sing and get n job. He said that II was
| q good, place to work and the board WI. first
! rate. lie wis wholly IN earnest.
| Tho tracks of the Hudson River Railroad run
/ close 10 the eastern wall Of the prison. and Mt
! frequent intervals IN the night tho stiffness II
/ broken hy INC thunder OF passing trains In
| tho noise and The jar there Is company for rcst-
] Jess 'DnNltS. sometimes requests are received
! from prisoners who want TO be placed on that
| side ~ the prison so that they can hear more
! plainly the rush OF the passin locomotive and
/ cars There II among all OF the prisoners de-
| sire to Ice frequently transferred from one part
/ OF the prison 10 another. Any such change
breaks up the time; II amounts to sort Of mile
/ stone In their dreary journey through the bar
! ron years Of their sentence
There are prisoners in Sing Sing who do not
! know what there II AT the end Of the hall OppO-
site their own coils yet thcy have been there for
years. As they enter the hall they look down
! toward the other end. and although il l. not five
/ hundred feet away from them. they have not
! been there IN all their years in the prison.
Al o'clock IN the morning small gang OF
! prisoners are aroused and taken down into the
kitchen. They thoroughly understand what IL
| required Of them there; and washing their
| faces and hands under hose. they begin hurl-
| ing great chunks Of meat into large pots sur
| rounded 10y coils Of steam pipes. The room Id
! filled with steam. and the cOnvicts. working In
| their striped suits present "A strange appear
| ancc. When the meat Is cooked IL Ii placed In
| n mill-which runs by stcam-and is ground w
| with potatoes and onions. This hash is served
| 10 the conYicts at O'Clock in the messrOom
| and with bread und coffee. constitutes their
| breakfast Inside Of the main hall all Is still
until toward o'clock. Then the prisoners
! begin 10 stir In their cells. Then Is heard a tu-
| muhuuus coughing and yawning and clearing OF
! lhrOats. and nm occasional mAtutinal breakdown
| hysomc prisoner who has arisen with morning
! chilluess upon him. A little while later the
] a t,a ban tfin in thafr