Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-10-02
OLD NEWGATE.
The Ancient Copper Mine Prison In Con-
necticut.

d From the Chicago Tribune.
- In the present Town Of East CRANKY
=, formerly Sunsbury, traces of copper orr
? ore were discovered about the year 100.
It The place was Copper Hill, a high, rocky
Z range, and seven years later a company
" was formed to develop the mine. Moth.
ing was done, however, until some years
i later, when Jonathan Belcher, of Boston
! (afterward governor), and others opened
\ the mine, and removed more or less ore
y annually for nearly aquarter Of century.
The work at the mine was carried on
: at various periods until 1878, more than
= seventy years, through wars and rumors
= OF war, by private enterprise and by
: chartered companies. In that year the
IL Colony of Connecticut purchased the
: property and fortified it for use as per-
manent prison.
, After an exploration of the caverns a
Legislative committee reported that by n
small expenditure it would be next to i'm
possible for any person to escape. The
y Puritans Of that day were hard-minded
{ men. Having selected for a prison the
worst place that could be conceived Of,
they passed laws authorizing the keeper
: TO employ the cOnvicts at hard labor, to
> use the whip shackles and fetters, and
extended terms of imprisonment were I'M
posed for nearly all ohenses. At this time
two shafts led down into the cavern, but,
escapes being frequent, block house was
built over one, and the other was closed
with stone and iron.
| A visitor in 1907 gave an interesting ac-
count of the wretchedness of life in the
prison. The employment consisted in
making nails, barrels, shoes, and wagons,
and farming on land near the prison.
When the convicts came up from the
shaft, by threes, they crossed the yard to
the workshop, before the cooked and lev
eled muskets of the guards. All were
heavily ironed, both with handouts and
fetters, and could walk only with a sort
of hopping motion. On entering the
shops collars, dependent by iron chains
from the beams above, were fastened
around their necks; others were chained
pork for the dinner of the convicts em-
| plOyed at the torges, pieces were thrown
on the floor and left to be washed and
boiled in the water-troughs used for cool
ing the iron. Punishments were hanging
| by the heels, severe flOgging, confinement
IN the stocks on bread-and. water diet,
double irons, and solitary confinement.
A visit to this ancient tomb for living
subjects now dlscloses many sights of in
terest few steps bring one to the first
shaft, descending 100 feet into the caverns.
Over its mouth are the weather. beaten re-
mains of the MINDLESS and rope used for
hoisting ore years and years ago. The n
closure is nearly square, and off to the lett
hand is a long range Of the dilapidated
workshops. The roofs are warped and
shrunken, and in places broken through.
Within is dust and confusion. The plas-
tering has fallen from walls and ceiling,
and upon patches remaining are scrawled
the names of visitors. The lolidity of
construction is noticeable. The partition
walls are of stone, and the floor is planked
and supported by huge hewn logs. In
the floors remain the rings to which the
prisoners were chained, and the flooring
beneath is worn with their impatient
tread.
The prison inclosure was the heaven of
the convicts; the cayems below their nell
At daylight the call to labor resounded
through the passages of the mine, and the
cOnvicts, fastening to the shaft, climbed
up the long ladder to the guard-house.
Only three came up at time, and then
the trap was slammed down upon the
others until the armed guard had march
ed the trio off to the workshop. To have
permitted general exodus meant in
surrection and bloodshed, for men treated
like brutes were nerved to desperate
deeds, and only awaited their opportunl-
ty.
Accompanied by the guide, your cor
made an extended exploration
Of the caycrnS. Coarse outer clothing and
candles were furnished, and the main
shaft was descended by the pOnderous
ladder whose rungs are half worn through
by convict feet. At the foot was q mar
row passage way sloping away downward
at an angle of 80 degrees, agreeing with
the natural dip of the strata of rock.
Fifty feet away rude chamber is hollow
ed out, and at one side were remnants
Of a platform of planks, which had been
one Of the sleeping places of the convicts.
From this chamber small passages brand L
I'd off in various directions.
One of the shorter passages terminated
IN circular chamber, scarce ten feet
lcross, and at one side huge iron ring
vas made fast to the solid floor of rock.
This was the solitary confinement cell.
Chained to the ring not sound was
heard, not a ray of light visible, nor a
ace, excepting when the keeper brought
he pannikin of bread. Near the ring
,avity the size of drinking-cup, scooped
n the rock, is filed with water which
jrickles, drop by drop, from the rock over
lead. Thus it fell century ago, when
'ome wretched being hammered YEARLY
1t the solid rock with fragments Of stone
Until he wore this cavity, and thereafter
lad fresh, cool water by the quantity, in
stead of tapping it with his tongue as it
.rickled downIthe side of his dungeon.
The history of Old Newgate is replete
with interesting stories of the attempts of
prisoners to gain their liberty.
In July, 1902, forty prisoners were left
with but single guard, the officers and
other guards being sick. He was a stall
wart six-footer, and full of fight. The
prisoners were passing through the guard.
house down into the shaft at the close of
work, and had all passed down on to the
adder excepting ten or a dozen. They
Iprang upon the guard, who, instead Of
'etreating, dashed in among them, and,
lealing with one at time, flung him
down the shaft upon those who
lad now begun to surge upward to join
heir comrades. The uproar summoned
assistance from beyond the walls: but the
guard was master of the situation, had
aged his rats, and closed the door. Four
'ears later the convicts in the nail-shop,
having unlocked the fetters which they
vore even at work with keys made
rom the pewter buttons on their clothing,
Ittacked the guards, but musket-ball
through the head of the ringleader quelled
he mutiny in short order. One convict
in a most ingenious plan for
scaping. A fellow-convict body was
emoved from coffin and secreted. Then
he daring fellow stretched himself in the
offin, and on reaching the place Of burial
,eyond the walls, put the guards to fight
a series Of sepulchral groans. He was
leyer recaptured,