The New York herald., 1879-08-05
...ERICAN BAsTILE.


Sing Sing and Auburn prisons said to be diff
cult places for men to reform in. but convicts who
have served sentences in the three great criminal
treats of the State say that Clinton Prison is the
place where the unfortunate prisoner leaves all hope
behind Its name is pronounced with a shudder,
and who served his time there said at is better
to live in a sewer for lifetime than to spend five
years i'll its double-doored dungeons" "rhe New
York Tombs or Tenth avenue tenement house is q
cheerful home compared to that place., added the
sorrowful-eyed man. with sigh.
Clinton Prison is located in the Adirondack Noun
tains, seventeen miles west plattsburg Lake
Cbamplan. The little French will ge OF Dannemora
adJoins it, 1t is wild ana solitary region, beyond
the reach OF city visitors and from the routes
OF travellers and ordinary prison explorers. The
cruelties which, according report perpetrated
within its walls seldom reach the public prints and
when u prisoner happens to slip
sounded. that escape is almost impos ssiblc.
The neighborhood is inhabited by French half
breeds. They know every path and secret by-way
through the forests and among the mountains. The
moment the cannon roars and the hoarse whistle
blows the half breeds flock to the woods and pene-
trate the country in every direction. A reward or
situation is expected from the authorities for cap
ture, which. rule, always follows attempted
escape. Clinton Prison was originally selected for
hospital purposes because OF the supposed health
fulness of the climate 1t was considered adm rAble
place for the diseased and broken down convcts of
Sing Sing and other overcrowded jails. hospital
scheme a success until the summer OF 1873
when the hat workshops OF Sing Sing were trans
ferred there to make room for a foundry. Carroll
x Brothers. New Jersey, Manufacturers cOntrac ted
for the labor OF the Clinton prisoners in making
hats. "The State was paid twenty-five cents "a day.
said convict, ''for the of each prisoner until a
railroad built to Clinton and transportation
reduced. Then the company paid forty cents day
for each man." Work was begun i'll earnest and tho
hospital patients. say the convicts, put into
the hat shops to do full days work
WHAT An Ex-cLISroS CONVICT SAYS.
An ex-conviet, recently from Clinton Prison.
visited last night by "a HERALD reporter, who found
him intelligent and straightforward in his speech
and actions. He spoke with great feeling and said
that he had done wrong and red for it according
to the laws OF the State bat he the bar
baritcs OF Clinton Prison something disgraceful
to the State. and he said that neither the people
the press of the country could form any idea of the
torture that men and boys had to endure who were
unfortunate to be sent to its rayless dungeons
The eX-conyict had spent several years within its
walls and ne knew what he talking about. He
considered the paddle than the lash and the
dark cells, with only gill of water a DAY, worse
shan the paddle.
For wnat offences is a put in the dark cclly'
asked the reporter.
''For looking around or turning his head when
standing IN line. tor talking smoking, for do
ing anything common to human being. All these
,hings forbidden. and the penalty Is the paddle
dark cell. Superintendent Pnsbury does not
believe in giving man chance to live. His system
IL silence aud hard work. His policy is traffic In
The labor of the prisoners for the benefit OF conrac
tors. His policy is to do everything that will benefit
the contractors regardless OF the prisoners health
or capacity. Work and money are first and
reform last. The prisoners future welfare is
thought of. The present contract, the dark cell,
the paddle and the keepers favores are always kept
In view wbi.e the prisoner Is worked like machine
until he sinks from exhaustion disease; then he
is padded or sent to the dark cell TO starve."
The ex-coDvict said 1t was acknowledged that he
physically unable To do full work in the hat
shrinking shops All of the work was done over
steam
IN DARK CELL.
He failed to give satisfaction and sent TO
dark cell for days and afterward Tor eleven
days The last period came near "hnisning" him.
HIS rations two ounces of bread and gill of
water in each twenty-four hours. During the last
six days his tongue sweled that lie could not
swallow. lie sucked the water a drop at a
time to make it last through the day,
but he unable TO swallow the bread
aud IL felt in his month like much dry earth. His
little pieces of bread lay untasted the floor before
the iron door. He could not eat swallow. The
cell was by 80 feet. Its walls and floor of
solid stone. There bedding blankets.
nor a scrap of anything in the room but q sprink-
ling of sawdust to sleep upon. There two
ioors. The inner one was never opened. but IL had
grating which of use, for the
outer door was solid and admitted neither
tight air. He said these cells were very
cold in winter and he often begged tor
hot drops ginger to the terrible cramp in his
stomach. Once keeper gave him some from q vial
Mt the risk OF losing his place. After eleven days OF
confinement ia the dark cell the convict was taken
20 his own cell and put under the doctors care Tor
three months. In December, when he was returned
to the hat shrinking shop again. days task for
each man was twenty mems mats and thirty
six womens hats, and the food was scant and weak
ening. New hands we're not expected 20 do 80 many.
But all OF the had to do more than their
health would stand Ia outside factory.
They not allowed TO look around or
~ speak aloud lie only succeeded in
avoiding the dark CELL by the assistance OF his fellow