New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-09
A VISIT 10 BLACKWELDS ISLAND.
THE OCCUPATIONS OF THE PRISONERS.
HOW NEW ARRIVALS ARE TREATED-THE CELLS
AND wORKsHoPs-MORE ROOM NEEDED.

AND wORKsHoPs-MORE ROOM NEEDED.
To the summer pleasure seeker who passes
up and down the East River, BlackwePs Island appears
an attractive spot Its natural charms being 700 as 20
glimpse Of several gangs OF men, clad 10 tue neoms
UNDER supervision Of armed patrong Keepers presents
the initial idea the OF the suffering endured oy
acted and enforced in mat penal Institution,
by the courtesy OF John NJ Fox, Warden OF the Pen
day conducted TRIBUNE reporter over tho
buildings. IL was early morning. aud sixteen newly
arrived prisoners were being put through their
preliminary exercises in large chamber on the ground
oor dlgnfied with the style and title or keceptoh
book recori ns Sdmssions before him. sat Ha-keepcr
Michael Kennedy. On the opposite SIDE ranged IN rows
large baths aud three OF four chairs scn
as BARRIERS their clients to be seated in gauge
for measuring the height OF prisoners and weighing
ton Room" Presently keeper the outside thrust
his through the ron bars and, inserting huge Key
In the lock- opened the door Then entered Tue sAeen
IN double file and ranged tbemselyes IN row
before Keeper Kennedy Your namei snou1ed , Ina.
Official to the foremost offender 10 was aWen Inen
followed IN succession the questions, yomT a tesn
Native country !" Religion "Occupa'ion T., pes s
affirmative, How many times ~ "Under what name
answered and the replies recorded, the prs.
oner was handed over to an a,t nasnt
OF these two operations tosether WIN the S2os oi ns
hair, eyes and complexion, being quickly added 10 tne
tabular statement spread before Keeper Kennedy Each
man was hen made TO strip aud enter Dath and under
the ygiant eyes OF the keeper and his Satellites none
completed each prisoner dressed himself In the suit
provided for him by the State which, whatever may Dc
ton be aesthetic. The clothes belonging 10
each were thel collected. neatly folded made
into par ,es and labelled with the owners name pre-,
yi0us to being put away Unless man were sentenced
10 very snort term aud raised an objection 10 II, ne
duly prepared for the prison lie before MIN,
Deputy warden Osborne rapidly scannsu sno oo.n aa
some To- the blacRsmhs aud some to the carpenters
ALI ter III al
Keeper Kennedy sIow the prisoners thoir cels ana
explain the manner OF cleaning them. Then they were
marched Off every man 10 mis- gang.
Inc number Of prisoners admitted daly varies greatly,
bat appro xnately IL may be said average ten. Az
there 700 male and 100 female prisoners IN
tue Penitcnary. bu although ON one occaslon-n jan
uary, 1s7s-t accommodated the large number OF is4
IA much ovcrcrowded, and the system OF doubling
up" putting two prisoners In one cell Is termed u IN
some cases found to be necessary. ins system
Deputy Warden Osborne believes To be pcrnclous'
and detrimental alike TO discipline, health and morals
Each cell eight feet four inches in length Ly three ieet
i've inches width The only light admitted 10 u
comes through the bars composing the upper part
of rs iron door when opens On gloony coraIi, 1
but dmly gnted by long narrow WINDOWS when appear
as strips In the massive stone wall htle TO tue
left and at the rear OF the nam building ~ tne DaSh
smiths shop. low tuildng 100 feet onS Iicte unuer
the supervision of Keeper Mahoney practical smith,
twenty-scv men were at Work IoIklhs on
fences rc-cscaIcs, tram rails halner beaus ana olher
tools both Ia ron and steel and making locks anu keys:
huge pile bcdsteads ready for painting stood at one
end OF the shop. They were destined Tor use IN the
yariqns departments OF the charity ana correctional
buildings. Besides the supervisor only two practical
blacksmths there yet the direction Is 80 thorough
that these men are enabled 10 make and repair all the
metal work ranirel in the construction and frequent
alteration and enlargement OF the buildings on charity
Islands. little further on and the carpenters ~hop IL
reached. two-story building equal III isng'n 10 tHe
blacksmiths shoe. sixty men were found at work IN
charge OF Master Carpenter wunnenberg-carpcnters
coopers whecwrights, painters, narness-lnakers
uicr In hand aud with smiling cOuntenancc stood ut
bench making infants collins with the utmost uncon-
large pe Of these ittle cohns OF from one 10
two feet length lay before him IN their complete state
They made OF coarse unpaned' deal pt'nks Sc
cured with nails without furniture or ucssihS Oh any
kind little further alo1g the Dench vas ahothef hah
making coninsd larger size. during last year no
fewer than LEO collins OF all sizes were made on Baek
wells Island and used by the Department OF FhDnc
Charities and Correction OF these large number were
gwen To outdoor people too poor 10 bnty hsir ueau wi
ont charitable aid Other men were busy making
articles Ia evey kind I'm the shop on the upper
noJr men engaged In harness-mnking boat-buld-
artist painting an iee-water tank with admlrhble
the nrsoners exhibited ascrupulousy clean appear
Ance and appeared have pied their position with
good grace careful scrutiny OF tnslr e1an,enamSes
them. Eighty moro toicrs were found III tlo shop ne
canvas cot-bo,toms the name OF the single spread
which the eonyicts put upon their cots The goods
he rharv departnents and stores accumulate and
above what used The hardest life OF all Is that OF tho
OF American willows leading from Warden Foxs house
down TO the Penitenary wall Is called revealed on the
right beautiful view OF Long lsand but on the LETT or
New-York side, was seen deep quarry IN when oyera
hundred and nifty prisoners Mere at work drInS blast
ing sonecutting and loading trucks small gangs OF
men were moving. naymaking ana wedding; but even
Jobs rlnccurer, 10
who leans for few minutes on MS rake or otherwise at
tempts To AXE the wOrld AT least that particular spot
known as Blackwels Island easy.
small portion of the the Long Island side OF
Blackwell's Island has been Enclosed and during the
SUMMER months prisoners permitted TO battle for
short time IN the early morning Fully nnetyhve per
cent OF the prisoners avail themselves OF this privilege
said Deputy Warden Osborne: IF we had additional
wing built 10 the Penentary, and another dining
for the prisoners the working OF this establishment
would he eiclcn.. In the first 10 IL
10 the completion Of the building originally designed,
and, what of vastly greater Importance 1t Is i'm
fation OF this place Nobody with any knowledge Of
prison management defends the douolngup system,
more especially In prison where the cells are ad-
mttedly too small for the accommodation OF even one
prisoner As to our dining hail. Is as useful and we'll
ordered as ANYTHING have here but Just snch another
ia required IL Is found impossible to seat all the pris
IL and great numbers have to he fed on benches
lust outside their cell doors
BASEBALL NRUS