The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1883-11-22
BLACRWELL's ISLAND.
a REPORTERS VISIT TO NEW YORK's
NOTED PRISON-HOW con-
VICTS ARE RECEIVED.

; VICTS ARE RECEIVED.
! A Tribune reporter who visited
! New York's famous penal institu-
ton says: To the summer pleas
ure-seeker who passes up and down
: the East river. Blackwell's Island
! appears an attractive spot, its Datu-
raj charms being too many to be
quite spoiled even by it's stern and
forbidding ediices. A glimpse of
several gangs of men, clad in the
! hideous uniforms of State conyicts,
steadily toiling in the hot sun, un-
! der supervisions Of armed patrol
ling keepers, presents the initial idea
to the gaze of the suffering endured
by its population from the hard toll
and iron discipline exacted and en-
forced in that penal institution.
1t was early morning, and sixteen
newly arrived prisoners we're being
put through their preliminary exer-
cises in a large chamber on the
ground floor, dignified with the
style and title Of Reception Room"
,, At desk erected in an elevated
position, his book recording admis-
sions before him, sat Hall-keeper
Michael Kennedy. On the opposite
side, ranged in rows, were numerous
large baths and three or four chairs,
such as BARRIERS invite their clients
to be seated in. A gauge for meas
uring the height of prisoners and a
weighing machine completed the
list of accessories to the reception
Room" Presently a keeper on the
outside thrust his arm through the
iron bars and, inserting a huge key
in the lock, opened the door. Then
entered the sixteen sinners in
double file and ranged themselves
in row before Keeper Kennedy.
"Your name?" shouted that official
to the formost offender. It was
given. Then followed in succession
the question, "Your age ?'' Native
country p Religion ?" :sOccupa-
ton ?' ''Been here before % and if
the answer were in the affirmative,
s'How many times ?" Under what
name or names ?" These questions
being satisfactorily answered and
the replies recorded, the prisoner
was handed over to an attendant
who measured his height, and
weighed him, the result of these
two operations, together with the
color Of his hair, eyes and complex
ion, being 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 a thorough 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
Imagination be considered aesthetic.
The clothes belonging to each pris-
oner were then collected, neatly
folded, madeintoparcels and labeled
with the owners names previous to
being put away. Unless q man
were sentenced to very short term
and raised an objection to it, he
was next shaved, after which he
was considered to be duly prepared
for the prison life before him. Dep
uty Warden Osborne rapidly scan
ned the column headed "Occupa-
tion," and assigned every man to
some particular keepers gang ; |
some to work in the quarry, some
to the blacksmith's and some to the
carpenters shop. After this all
that remained to be done was for
Keeper Kennedy to show the pris-
oners their cells and explain the
manner of cleaning them. Then
they were marched off, every man
to his gang.
The number OF prisoners admitted
daily varies greatly, but approx
mately, it may be said to average
ten. At present there are 700 male
and $50 female prisoners in the
penitentiary, but, although on one
occasion--in January, 187S-it ac-
commodated the large number Of
1884, it is much overcrowded, and
the system Of doubling up as put
ting two prisoners in one eel! is
termed, is in some cases found to
be necessary.