The daily gazette., 1880-06-23
BrutaIities in Prison.

A PRISONER LEAPS DOWN FORTY FEET
ON TO A STONE FLAGGING TO ESCAPE
THE DREADED'PADDLE.
As Keepers Mccormack and Mackin
were pursuing convict Frank Thomas
in Sing State prison, to take him down
TO the principal keepers room for pun
ishment, he leaped from the fourth
corridor to the stone floor, forty feet
below. When they took him up they
supposed him death, but the prison
physician discovered life in him, had
him carried 10 the hospital, and he still
lives, with fair prospect Of ultimate re-
covery from his inju les. Five days
after his terrible plunge intelligence of
what had befallen him reached his
father in New York, not from the prison
authorities, but by means of letter
smu. gled out of the prison from a con-
Wet, who begged that he might never be
made known as the informant, else the
keepers would make him lose all his
Communication" time.
Then a clergyman of Astoria, a
friend of the prison chaplain, after a
visit to the prison, called upon the
family of tho convict and said that he
thought the young man father should
visit him and would be allowed to see
him in the hospital, as he was in seri-
Gus danger of death from his injuries
The name borne by the convict is not
his real one. He belongs to respecta-
BILE family, who have suffered suffi-
ciently through his conduct without
enduring the further pain of needless
exposure.
On the 12lh inst, Thomas father
visited him. The young man was then
able to speak family, but the full ex-
tent of his internal injuries or their
probable result could not yet be deter
mined. So far as was known his left
thigh was broken, his left ankle dislo-
Gated, both arms badly sprained, his
face bruised. and his nervous system
had suffered greatly from the shock.
The prison physician gave little op-
portunity for private conversation,
Franks father said, never leaving him
and his son alone together more than
minute and half at one time, but
Frank managed to tell his story in
brief.
"They put me in the laundry; set me
to ironing shirts. 1 could not iron as
many as they wanted me TO and do them
as they wanted; they punished me.s.. ]
was padded three times for that, aud no
other cause, in less than eight weeks
Then they came for me to paddle me q
fourth time. L was required to iron
twensy-six shirts day, aud could not d Q
II. Whom l saw them coming for me,
and looked forward to three years oi
such constant to ture, thought would
rather die than endure 1t, SO / jumped
over the rail. hoping TO dash my hraius
out on the floor below aud end 1t. Un-
fortunately, landed on my feet, and
here ] am still alive"
The 81 adding" mentioned Is thus de-
scribed by one who has had practical
know ledge of IT.; "Tho man to be pad
died Is stripped. Then they put hand
cuffs on him, and fasten to the handouts
q rope that passes up over pulley In
the ceiling. His toes are placed beneath
pair of staples In the floor, so that
when the rope is pulled up he is forced
into q painfully strained position, bend
lng forward, without power to move his
feet or any other portion of his body
Then they bang him in tho rear with a
big paddle either of wood or very heavy
sole leather. 1t Is very painful and
shameful to the poor wretch who is be-
Ing padded, but great fun for the keep.
aers, who crack jokes, laugh, and do al
they can to Increase the mans humiia
ton. And they don't let up until they
have made man holler. The more
nerve he has, the worse he gets Il, and
xvh ha fl,nxy -