The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-03-18
SHEPHERD COwLEY In PRISON.
A Minister'S Experience as n Convict on
Blackwell's island.

OhEI hEhD OVWhEI I'm hl6UNs
A Ministers Experience as n Convict on
BlacltNvelI's island.
Rev. Edward Cowley, who was SEN
fenced to one years Imprisonment in
the penitentiary on Blackwell's Island
for ill-using and starving the children un-
der his charge in the Shepherds Fold, a
New York charitable institution, is now
undergoing his punishment. A New
York paper gives the following graphic
account OF his first days experience as
q convict:
Arrived at the penitentiary, the party
adjourned to the inner office, where the
prisoner was introduced to Warden
Fox, who, in response to his earnest
prayers, allowed him to wait three
quarters of an hour, in expectation of a
stay of proceedings. To the warden
Cowley said: 81 didn't want to come
here. and feel terribly about coming,
but now that I'm in for it propose to
take the bull by the horns. / shall give
up all hopes of getting out, and settle
down to work like man." The war;
den shook his hand and said I'm
glad to hear you say that Mr.. Cowley.
When q man comes here and puts on
our shoes, the best thing he can do is to
walk in them under the guidance of the
rules. Do your work well, and don't
give your keeper an opportunity to crit
icise you. That's my advice to you"
The warden added that if he had me-
chanical turn-he might find something
to do in the blacksmith shop or the
shoe shop. yes" said Cowley, ear
nestly, with the tears standing in his
ey, s, want to work as hard as
can, to kill time and keep from think
ing"
At l 80 o'clock the ex-shepherd gave
up his hopes of a stay and resigned
himself to the hands of the prison bar
ber: His glossy iron-gray beard and
during the twenty-five years of his min
istry, were cut off short, and his chin
shaved and trimmed till it was as
smooth as Dutch cheese. He was
stripped of his clothing, placed in one
of the three bath tubs ranged along the
wall, and hot water turned on till the
rooms were filled with cloud of steam.
After Il refreshing bath he dressed him.
sell. and, putting on clean shirt and
striped trousers, stepped upon the
scales in his bare feet and was weighed,
touching the beam at exactly 1877
pounds. Then lie mounted n measurin G
machine provided with a crossbar and
post marked off in inches. The cross
piece was adjusted over the shepherd s
gray hairs by fellow convict, who
sang out to the recording clerk, Five
feet two and one-half inches" which
was duly entered in the prison books as
Il part of the description.
After this ceremony was completed he
was dressed in prison garb, and then
taken to the shoe shop. Mr.. Cowley
was introduced to the foreman of the
shop, who consigned him to the care of
an instructor, who in turn set him to
work cutting out leather for the soles OF
the shoes. He was given bench in the
front row, near the middle window
and under the eye of the keeper. Be-
fore going, Mr.. mbrose epjoined the
keeper to mark for punishment any
prisoner who insulted or taunted the
new conner i'll any manner. After the
officers had left Mr.. Cowley found some
difficulty in cutting the soles, and was
accordingly provided with punch, and
INSTRUCTED to punch holes in the leather.
1t was strange sight, the bare-headed,
pallid-faced man, bending down pa
tiently and resignedly to his unaccus-
toned task, handling his tools with the
clumsiness of a beginner, and yet work
ing away with the determination to do
the best he could End give his keepers
as little cause of complaint as possible.
AT $50 o'clock the men quit work
and marched in lock st. p to dinner. Mr..
Cowlcy cnnIe the last but fnnr in the
shoe shop division, and found great
difficulty in keeping step with his fell
lows. At times lie would almost fall
out of the line, and there was always
more or less space between him and the
man ahead Of him. He ate sparingly oi
the mush and molasses set before him,
and seemed glad when supper was over
and he could seek tie seclusion of his
cell. In closing the door ut the wori OF
command his "greenness was again
observable, and he was in danger of be-
ing marked for tardiness, until the con-
Wet ahead of him-a stalwart, good
natured youth stepped to his relief and
showed him how to close the grating
Deputy Warden Ambrose, who person
ally saw the shepherd safely into his
cell for the night, says the other prison
ers have treated Cowley with kindness
and consideration, and manifested nc
disposition to eXult over his fallen for
tunes. This is the more noticeable from
the fact that q considerable number were
plIoOiielo D uIilHS CoWIeJ . Clld DldlHCy III
1871, when he ordered prisoners into the
dark cells for coughing during service
The cause of his dismissal at that time
was his refusal to go into the smallpox
hospital to administer spiritual conso,
ation to the sick patients. The shep
herds cell-No. 5 on the second tier
is barely four feet wide, with just room
enough for him to lie down on the mar
row canvas cot which fills it. On Sun
days he will sit under he same pulpit
from which lie preached to the prisoners
nine years ago. He is the first regularly
ordained white clergyman that evel
served term on the island.