The New York herald., 1879-09-25
PENAL OPPRESSION.
Shameful Quality of the Food in
Auburn State Prison.
OMINOUS REVOLTS.
Cruelty and Injustice OF the
Contract System.
AUBURN, Sept. II, 1879

AUBURN, Sept. u, 1879
For three weeks a disturbance has occurred every
Monday ut the dinner hour in the messroom of Au-
burn Prison. On Sundays all the convcts have to
eat. from breakfast until Monday morning. is bread
and molasses and coffee. and when Monday arrives
they naturally possessed of unusually sharp ap
petites. Monday morning. the 1st the convicts said
that their hash and at the same time they
groaned to show their displeasure. Many threw
their rations the floor. When the dinner
served a fearful uproar oc urred. The men shouted
and Missed and indulgei III numerous mani
festations. They stated that the corned beef
was in putrid state. and refused to work
unless supplied with better food. Forty or fifty
men were taken to the wing. when tho Agent and
Warden addressed them and promised them better
food They returned to their shops, but the fol-
lowing Monday another uprising occurred. The men
protested that the meat was bad again. Twenty
nine were locked up and were not released tor
several days. Last, Monday the third revolt took
place. This time the mess room perfect PAN
demonium. Finally the prisoners quieted,
but the men employed in the three shops operated
by Sheldon Co., locked up. Mr.. Sheldon
visited the Agent ami told him that unless the
sent back to the shops the firm would lose
heavily. Accordingly the Agent ordered them
leased.
SWORN TO SECRECY.
| No convicts discharged from the prison on
Tuesday, but Wednesday Thomas Murphy, of
New York city, was liberated. Upon being asked to
give statement of the exact condition of affairs
the prison he said he could not as he took an oath
before leaving the prison not to divulge anything
| that had transpired within the institution. This
practice and rather startled the inter-
viewer. No to the knowledge of the questioner
had before been asked, much less sworn, to
keep. secret the happenings behind the walls.
| ~ of IN tall With fb
place in the prison?" was asked of Murphy. .You
were not obliged to-"
II anxious get out that was willing to
do anything. have been excited at the prospect
of being discharged that have eaten any thing
to speak Of for nearly a week" By strategy and in
direct queries enough cleaned from Murphy to
satisfy your correspondent that reports poor
food were true. To-day the HERALD correspondent
obtained three letters written by sconvict to friend
outside. A third party acted rs internuncio.
Any acquainted with the prison system and dis
cipline must understand that is easy matter for
convict to find means OF getting q letter carried
outside having one brought in to him.. Conse-
quently the correspondent that he was in
| possession Of prize when he ured the letters
INTERIOR VIEW.
The first Que, which is presented verbatim, as are
the two others. Is as follows Only half Of it is
gven the latter part is entirely in reference to
personal matters. 1t is signed "Jock:''-
| HOTEL DE CONVICT,
| MONDAY AFTERNOON, Sept. /, 1879. (
DEAR -:-I intended not to write until heard
| from you but incident has just occurred i'll
the shop thought would give you the particulars
OF it and let you net suit yourself the Incl
dent is its all hands down stairs in shoe
giving you would have Been greatly surprised il
you were in the mess Room to day ut dinner time
the men fairly & h9llGed out on account Of the meat
walk the Beauty of it there a great
crowd Of visitors in the mess room ut the time
guess it was as good treat to them u show
tor they would have stood taking it in til
VIC got through if his ROYAL Highness did no
give the keep with them the offer to give them 4,
walk. was tickled all over when seen how Hs
! Highness acted ON that trying occasion. When he
heard the groaning he turned red peacock and
could imagine what he wouldn't give if he had
loand Of few of them for while i'll tue jail for to
the shop the first thing seen the whole of the
men i'll the cellar holding u workingmen's demon
stration meeting down by the door. The first thing
knew solid men to the front. l Bravely re-
sponded to the call and went down
the mob to see what kind of platform
ton that the best thing to do to fall in Well
it put me in mind OF mob around the polls
Election day Purdy down in among lot
of men trying to feed them wind pudding for
the meal they had lost but which would so down
No way he would sugar it the other keeper don't
know his name yet had u loand of hair dozen Re-
spectacle looking farmers Pouring soft Nothngs
into their Ears but alas with about the same
as Purdy the first thing 1 knew Reinforce
ments came among MS in the shape OF that old
| pirate holmes from up stairs he tried to
attract some of the to quiet pow
WOW But il usc they gave him
20 understand by men convinced against their will
in of the same opinion STILL he took quiet walk
to the upper Realms above Purdy wanted the men
to choose 4 certain number of delegates from among
the mob to wait the agent on Saturday and state
there wants to him but the motion was lost by
large majority SO when he that ine chin was
thrown away OH hungry men he gave the orders to
fall in ;or the hall Reviewed by his high
ness aud his Dog Alias Hogan passed through
the Hall and when Purdy told Him what was the
ha fol i'm IN ureh
was no disorder i'll the shop in the wing the thing
was done in q quiet way.
MORAL COURAGE PRISON.
The letter abounds ia grim humor. and shows in
a clever STYLE but, OF course, so far as the wit is
concerned unintentionaly. an interesting phase of
prison life. The second letter shows how the officers
of the prison caught Tartar"
HOTEL DE CONVICT. Sunday, Sept. :, 1870
ALL WAYS YOU.
DEAR --fours came to hand But 1 had to take
big chances to get 1t don't send any thing through
that party hereafter for had to take sneak over
their. and came within of being captured by
Smith who was put on to me BY who
Inc agong up to see tho party that had it but
managed 10 escape his clutches alright without him
seeing me the party that gives you this is solid as
Brick and you may trust him to any Extent as |
have told You before and as no doubt you aware
yourself by this time felt quite put the few
words you wrote but as you promised to write
me long letter soon will wait on patiently as pos
siSle tin % you do so you mentioned in your
my friend you ought to give little
credit for common sense by this time but sup
pose its on account or mo sending you sutch long
notes that makcs you think don't know Enough to
hold my tongue II such is the Just inform me
III your Eext and you will never have cause to COM
plain on that score for tho future for can make
them as Brief as the one got from you lately see
they have Bccn making tough man out of me by
mentioning me Is one OF the two men who were
locked up But as there is doubt in my mind
whether the Editor OF of that paper ment to do me
favor by getting me out of my cell by giving my
name to the public that was not satisfied with
the agents promises tor Better food for the future
will look over 1t and not 90 after him with a
bubble Barrel shot gun as Intended to Do in six
weeks time so lot him look and never let IL occur
again.
uNPALATABLE TRUTHS.
l did know that the rest OF the men went TO
work that afternoon till Coburn told mo in the
Night But when got in the shop in the morning
heard the full particulars of the affair. and was
sorry that the reporter of that paper did get them