Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-01-19
Scenes Behind the Bars.

At o'clock the convIcts In the Auburn
New ork State Prison quit their work
and form in line In their shops. They are
marched to the 'bucket ground" and al
ter singing their buckets on their arms
they shuttle In long lines in single file to
their cells. AS each one passes TO his little
iron-barred apartment he Is handed his
dish Of mush and molasses. He finds a
cup OF crust coffee on a small bracket lust
outside his door. THIS be takes inside
with HIM. After this the doors are closed
by the convicts themselves, and the keeper
OF each gang walks along his gallery and
locks his men in. After 9 o'clock every man
is supposed TO be wrapped in slumber. AT
an, rate, he must be as quiet as though he
were sound asleep. No noises or talking
are permitted; anyone who breaks this
rule is "chalked in" ''Chalked In"
means that the cell door will be chalked
and the inmates locked in in the morning
for punishment. The north "wing,n
which is the largest of the two wings, offers
the bes, opportunity for night scenes. The
guards are compelled 10 make their rounds
every half hour. The corridors are kept
brightly lighted to prevent attempts at es-
cape. The guards wear shoes made of
cloth, which render their footsteps noise
less. The convicJs call these shoes
'sneaxs," as the guards wearing them are
enabled TO creep along the galleries silent
ly, and often surprise convicts In trans
gression of the rules.
There are five long galleries In the north
wing, and nearly thousand convlcts, when
the prison is full, locked in the cells. A
night may pass without a single sound
being heard. Tie men may read until the
time arrives for them TO put out their
lights and turn in, but it is seldom that the
day breaks without the quiet having been
disturbed. The stiffness is Oppressive and
a shrill whistle from some mIschief-bent
prisoner falls with startling effect upon
the ear. Ii Is the delight OF some Of the
men TO make trouble, aud IN the middle of
the night one of them may burst out with
a loud cry, sharp peal OF laughter, or
something of that nature. Detection is
almost impossible, owing TO the large
number Of cells and the nearneSs of the
convicts TO each other.
One convict, boy OF eighteen, tantalized
the guards night after night for long
time by ever and anon piping a roundelay
10 piercing whistle. Ii was difficult TO
locate the fellow, but finally he was caught
in the act and for his pleasure he suffered
an application of the paddle, which had a
salutary effect, as he never afterward en-
gagged in such business. 1t requires hut
little TO set whole gallery in an uproar.
Convicts are easily influenced, and any In.
centive at night will unlooSe their tongues.
AS by some hook or crook they obtain the
daily papers, they keep well posted. They
know Of every political or other kind of de
and are prepared for it. Any
unusal disturbance in the vicinity of the
prison is sure TO create a hubbub inside the
walls. One night cannon was fired near
the prison. This, with the exultant cries of
the crowd who were discharging it, awoke
all the prisoners in the north wing. Some
of the convicts began to shout. Others
took up the refrain. and in less time than
it takes TO tell the whole wing was in con-
fusion. For an hour or more the men
yelled like mad, and no effort of the guard
could stop them. Finally the noise sub
sided and peace reigned once more. Al
though it was late at night, a large assemb-
lage collected outside of the prison, at
tracted by the yelling. 1t was supposed
that an insurrection had broken out.
There was one man who would insist
every night for time, about II O'Clock, IN
indulglng in demOniacal laughter that re-
verberatcd through the corridors. This
was invariably taken up by the other con-
vlcts, and the great wing fairly rang with
the laughter from ten hundred lips. The
effect would almost drive one wild.
When all join in the disturbance the
convlcts do not care If the guards
are watching them, and they know
the whole wing would not be chalked
in, and one could not be left in without
leaving all the others. One convict was
'locked" in a cell IN which hIdeous- look
ing negro died. This man would scream
in the dead of the night, For Gods sake.
don't kill me! Spare me, spare me J" He
imagined that the dead negro was clutcl-
ing at his throat and stranglIng him to
death. The mans appeals were pitiful,
and he would be found cowed in the cor
ner of his cell, trembling with fear. The
officers of the prison were compelled To re-
move him to another cell. Had he re
manned in his Old cell he would have gone
mad. This mans fearful cry would in
stantly arouse the oth"r convicts and send
them all into a shrek of alarm. The men
acted as if they were all afraid.
Ghosts are frequently seen by supersti-
tious convict who imagines he sees one and
is certain to shout the information TO the
remainder of fhe prisoners. ''Ghosts,
ghosts ~ will sound through the long
wing. The convicts, If they dislike a
guard, may apply epithets to him with
perfect impunity. Every man will join in
the attack. The poor guard has no recourse.
He cannot find out who assalled him. One
Fourth of July night, when The guns were
booming, the convicts concluded To indulge
In jollifcation among themselves. An en-.
thuslastic convict started the song 'March-
ing through Georgia" Every tongue
took it up, and the refrain rolled out
through the grated windows of the street
and drew an immense concOurse. Not un-
frequently the infection spreads to the south
wing, which is mnch smaller, directly
across the court. With the two wings yell
ing at the top of their lungs, it would make
the hair of those unaccustomed to the
sound to stand ON the end. 1t is easy to
calculate the noise that could be created
by from thirteen hundred to fifteen hun
dred men. At o'clock in the morn
ing the men are required to arise, and at
6. 15 they must be ready to march TO tue
bucket ground to dump their buckets and
perform their ablutlons previous TO going
to the mess room for breakfast. After their
morning meal they proceed to the shops