Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1879-07-17
Life In Ludlow Street JaII

During the investigation of the charges
OF mlsmanagement made against the
sheriff of New York by the Bar Associn-
ton of that city. interesting testimony
was given concerning the manner In
which affairs were conducted nj Ludlow
Street Jail. Dir. j. Edward Ireland. re-
Gently released from that institution, said
that he was forty years of age and lived
mt Broadway and Twentieth street. He
was arrested and taken to Ludlow Street
JAY under process issued by the sheriff
| oi the county of New York on August
80, 1873. and liberated on May l3. 1879.
lie described the construction Of the iail
and said that on the lower floor were
two rooms which rented Ia wealthy pris-
oners at S35 and $40 n week. and another
ana handsOmcT room which brought ST5
a week. The witness had paid at first
S7.50 and aftcrward SI5 week for his
board in the Jail. AS boardcr he was
far better treated than the non-paying
prisoners. Each Of the latter had i'm his
cell an iron bcdstcad. straw mattress
and pillow, n coarse army blanket and
an iron slOp-pail - nothing else: no
sheets or pillow-cases. These prisoners
were locked up at five O'Clock in the
evening and allowed To- come out of their
cells at SIX in the morning. Their cells
were, for the most part, filthy, and one
of them, belonging Ia AN old man Of the
name oi Frost, was 50 dirty that il made
the witness sick 10 90 near il,
The paying prisoners, on the contrary,
were treated like gentlemen" They
went 10 the dining-room for their
meals, and were waited upon by coll
orcd attendant known rs Marc Antony.
They had clean sheets and pillow-cas,
upon their beds, and were permitted To
mi IN, tl... .UsI J a I r
O'Clock nj night. besides being allowed
various other privileges. Mr.. Fitzsim-
mons went around the iail every week 10
collect the board bills. and generally
there was no delay in the payment
Aitcr a time the witness ceased 80 be n
paying inmate. and at once experienced
change of treatment His sheets and
pilow-Cas"s were removed. hc was
locked up nj five and halfo'clock in
the evening, and the quality Of the food
furnished was widely different from
what it had been. His friends, too.
were rarely permitted To see him. and
once. because lady and gentleman who
called upon him entered his cell. the
keeper locked him up from one and
half o'clock in the afternoon until seven
O'Clock the following morning. and de-
priycd him Of his supper.
lie biil.oi-inrc for non paying prison
ers, ~ he described IL. was not succulcnt
or delicate. On Monday. for breakfast.
they got dry bread, which was often
sour, and a concoction which WAS called
coffee. Every morning, Sunday in
cludcd, the same breakfast WAS served.
On Monday, for dinner. they got what
was iacctiously tcrme,i An Irish stew,
consisting Of onions, a little meat and
bread, MI being served in tin pail.
without knife. fork. spoon. pepper or
salt On Tuesday. for dinner. a plcnti-
ful supply of beans. 80 strong and pun
gent that they made the prisoners sick.
was ladlcd out. On Wednesday the
Irish stow was served again: on Thurs
day and Sunday corncd beef and potatoes
constituted the banquet; on Friday fish.
and on Saturday the stew once moro.
For supper. throughout the week. a
pint of bad tea and piece Of hard bread
were served. All the meals were carried
around in tin bucket and ladlcd out in
the cells.
When the witness first became an
inmate Of tho prison the floor Of his cell
and his bed were covered with q coating
Of filth half an inch thick lie was un-
able Ia remove IL himself. and he had to
pay to have il taken away.
There were three or four female prison
crs in the Jail. who seemed 20 be all
boardcrs. They had free access 10 all
parts Of the prison and associated famil-
iarly with the men. lie once saw one
of them having her supper served in a
male prisoners cell
On the ground floor was n cell called
the bar cell, where liquor was sold.
The witness had bought very bad lager
beer there nj fifteen cents n bottle. and
scenes Of drunkenness and debauchcTy
frequently took place there.