The bee., 1883-07-28
BLArkWELL'S ISLAND.
A Reporters Visit TO New Yerk,a Noted
Prison How Conyicts are Received.

/ n hcPoftef-s tfsu 10 New Herk'a NoteI
frisen-How Convicts are Received.
y Trf5Ule reporter wao visited
New 1ork'S famous penal institution
says: To the summer pleaSure-Sesk kel
who passes up and down the East
river. BlackwelrS Island appears an
attractive spot, its natural charms
being too many TO be quite spoiled
even by its stern and forbidding eii-
| tces. \ glimpse Of several gangs of
men, clad in the hiieous uniform of
State conricts, steadily toiling in the
hot sun, under supervision of arme
patroliing keepers, presents the initial
ldea 10 the gaZer OF the suffering en-
dured by its population from the hard
toll and iron discipline exacted and
enforced in that penal institution.
1t was early morning, and sixteen
newly arrived prisoners were being
put through their preliminary eNer-
clses IN large chamber ON the ground
floor, dignified with the style and title
of "Receptioa-R1om." At a desk
erected in an elevated position, his
book recording admi. SONS b.fore him.
sat Hall-keepsr Michael Kennedy. ON
the opp. site side. rang d in rows. were
numerous large baths and three or
four chairs. such a. larberS invite
their clients to be seated in. \ gauge
for measuring the height Of pris-
oners and a weighing mach Ne
completed the list of accessories
to the Reception Room Pres
emily q keeper on the outside thrust
his arm through the iron bars and in
serting huge key in the lock. opened
the door. Then entered the sixteen
sinners in double file AMI ranged
themselves in a row before Keeper
Kennedy. Your name?' shouted that
official to the foremost offende-. 1t
was given. Then followed IN success
ion the questions. Your age?" Ma
tive country?" Religion:" "Occupa-
tion -" Been here before:' and if the
answer We're in the affirmative, How
many times = Under what name or
nameS?" These questions baing sat
isfactorily answered and the replies re-
corded. the prisoner was hand5d over
TO an attendant who measured his
height and weighed him, the result cf
these two operations together with
the color of his hair. eyes and COM
pleNion, beng quickly added to the /
statement and spread before Keeper |
Kennedy. Each man was then made |
to strip and enter bath and. under
the vigilant eyes of the keeper and his |
satellites, none failed to escape thor !
ough washing This cleansing |
process completed, each prisoner |
dressed himself in the suit
provided for him by the State which. /
whatever may be said of its utility,
cannot by any stretch of the imagina-
tion be considered aesthetic. The
clothes belonging to each prisoner
were then collected. neatly folded, made
into parcels and labeled with the
owners name previous To being put
away. Unless man were sentenced
TO a very short term and raised an
b5ection to it, he was next shaved.
after which he was considered to be
duly prepared fer the prson life before
him. Deputy Warden Osborne rapidly
the column headed "Occupa-
ton, and assigned every man t. some
particular keepers gang some to
work in tie quarry. some 70 the black
smiths and some To the carpenters
shop. After this all that remained to
be done was for Keeper Kennedy to
show the prisoners their cells and
explain the manner of cleaning them.
Then they were marched off, every
man To his gang.
The numbsr of prisoners admitted
iaily varies greatly, but, approximate
y. it may be said TO average ten. At
present there are 70G male and 80
'emale prisoners in the penitentiary,
lut, although on one occasion in
January. 1S1S-it accommodated the
arge number of 1.1S4. it is much
,vercrowded. and the system of
: doubling up" as putting two prison
ITS in one cell is termei. is in
some cases found to be necessary.