Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1879-09-06
LIFE IN SING SING


|
- Great Prison.
Sing Sing prison came as near ha,vg,, h,g,
ing sudden revolt among its 1.g0t
prisoners, the other day, as Is poss;i,l,
ior q great prison to Come and avoid
sne DANGER, A correspondent Of 4 NeS,
York paper gives the following acconn,
OF the affair: John Barrett. a desner.
ate and powerful Young bufpiar. fron,
New York, created Tue tfonble md TSs M
Killed IN consequence. Tie cause oi
6arretts desperate conduct was severe
logging he had received "wednesday.
ne had been pnrnly, sinking work.
burning his feet several times IN the
foundry to escare 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
iorty cases were reported in a day.
barrett pretended inability, and made
two applications to the prison physician
to be excused. The physician refused
INN, and, Tuesday morning, he threw
down his tools and said he would not
work. For this he was locked I'M in a
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 Thisis very severe punishment.
much dreaded. The prisoner is hand.
cuffed, and without any clothing in the
way, fogged with strap Of sole e-leatbcr
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
lsuddenly struck twice at Mackin with
Ftnife, cutting him severely in the thigh.
fcCormick knocked him down, but he
K prung 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 heicahed ON the, 200 workmen to
join him and get freedom. The officers
had kept him at bay in a cor
ner half an hour, wishing to get
the other men ont to dinner before
they tried to disarm him. When the
men we're drawn in line to march out
Barrett tried to join them, but the
officers prevented him. The other men
broke the line, rushedto 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 tile
back, the other two covered
Barrett with their pistols. Barrett, af-
ter threatening the principal keeper,
Biglin, turned upon Keeper Good, with 4
his hammer raised above his head. He
was about to strike, and the blow must 4
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
Barretts left breast, and penetrated the
top of his heart, killing him almost in
stantly. The other convicts scattered
1t the sound of the shot, but rallied
,gain and made rush for the keepers.
Three of the latter, however, kept them
1t bay, while the two others carried ont
The body. Barrett was one of the most
powerful men physically in the prison.
He was sentenced October, 1877, to
lree years and six months imprison-
nent for burglary. The Coroner's jury
gave verdict iustifying the shooting
IN self-defense."