The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1879-09-04
LIFE IN SING SING.
A Thrilling Moment in the History Of the
Great Prison.

Great Prison.
Sing Sing prison came as near hav-
ing sudden revolt among its 1,6O0
prisoners, the other day, as is possible
for great prison to come and avoid
the danger. A correspondent of New
York paper gives the following account
of the affair: "John Barrett, desper-
ate and powerful young burglar, from
New York, created the trouble, and was
killed in consequence. The cause of
Barrett's desperate conduct was severe
fogging he had received Wednesday.
He had been unruly, shirking work,
burning his feet several times in the
foundry to ESCAPE duty, and being pun
ished on several previous occasions.
The burning of feet became so common
among the molders as to show it was
evidently done purposely. Sometimes
forty cases were reported in day.
Barrett pretended inability, and made
two applications to the prison physician
TO be excused. The physician refused
him, and, Tuesday morning, he threw
down his tools and said he would not
work. For this he was locked up in
dark cell. The following morning,
when the slop-buckets were collected,
Barrett refused to put his outside his
cell, and when, a few hours later, DR..
Smith visited his cell, Barrett threw
the contents of his bucket over the
physicians face and breast. DR.. Smith
was stunned by the act, and
the acids contained in the bucket
blinded him completely for several
hours. For this, Thursday morning, he
was brought out, and in presence of DR..
Smith and others subjected to pad
ding Thisisavery severe punishment,
much dreaded. The prisoner is hand
crlffed, and without any clothing in the
way, fogged with strap of sole-leather
two inches wide and about two feet
long. The authorities were very reti-
cent as to how severe Barrett's punish
ment was. However, it made him des-
perate, and he swore he would have
somebody's life. This morning, while
being taken to DIR. Smiths office by
Keepers Mackin and Mccormick, he
| suddenly struck twice at Mackin with a
knife, cutting him severely in the thigh.
cCormick knocked him down, but he
sprung up again and ran into the yard.
Getting on the foundry roof, he threw
chunks of iron at his pursuers, and sue
ceeded in getting into the foundry,
where he called on the 200 workmen to
join him and get freedom. The officers
had kept him at bay in q cor
ner half an hour, wishing to get
the other men out to dinner before
they tried to disarm him. When the
men were drawn in line to march out
Barrett tried to Join them, but the
officers prevented him. The other men
broke the line, rushed to their comrade,
and surrounded the five keepers with
many menaces. For few minutes
there was every prospect of an out
break, and the keepers feel sure that,
had the riot gained any headway, they
would never have got out of the build
ing alive. Three of them drove the
convicts back, the other two covered
Barrett with their pistols. Barrett, af-
ter threatening the principal keeper
Biglin, turned upon Keeper Good, with
his hammer raised above his head. He
was about to strike, and the blow must
have been murderous. Good had his
revolver in his hand, and, when Barrett
came too near, with the hammer still
over his head, fired. The bullet entered
Barrett's left breast, and penetrated the
top of his heart, killing him almost in
stantly. The other convicts scattered
at the sound of the shot, but rallied
again and made rush for the keepers
Three of the latter, however, kept them
at bay, while the two others carried out
the body. Barrett was one of the mos
powerful men physically in the prison
He was sentenced October, 1877, tx
three years and six months imprison
ment for burglary. The Coroner's jury
gave verdict justifying the shooting
in self-defense."