The Opelousas courier., 1883-08-18
BLACK ISLAND.
a Reporters Visit to New York's Noted
Prison How Onvicts are Received.

VEIL 10 new 1OFkS8 N0t0G
Prison-How COnvicts are Received.
A Tribune reporter who visited
New York's famous penal institution
says: To the summer pleasure-seeker
who passes up and down the East
river, Blackwell's Island appears an
attractive spot, its natural charms
being too many to be quite spoiled
oven by its stern and forbidding edi-
Ices. A glimpse Of several gangs Of
men, clad in the hideous uniform Of
State conyicts, steadily toiling in the
hot sun, under supervision Of armed
patrolling keepers, presents the initial
idea to 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 exer-
eis2s in a large chamber on the ground
door, dignifed with the style and title
Of "Receptio1-Room." At a desk
erected in an elevated position, his
book recording admissions before him,
sat Hall-keeper Michael Kennedy. On
The opposite side, rangtdi in rows, were
numerous large baths and three or
four chairs, such as BARRIERS invite
their clients to be seated in. A gauge
Tor measuring the height Of pris-
Dners and a weighing machine
completed the list of accessories
Il the "Reception-Room." Pres
tntly a keeper on the outside thrust
his arm through the iron bars and, in
serting a huge key in the lock, opened
The door. Then entered the sixteen
sinners in double file and ranged
themselves in a row before Keeper
Kennedy. "Your name?' shouted that
official to the foremost offender. 1t
was given. Then followed in success
lon the questions, "Your age?" "Na-
tive country ?" "Religion?" "Occupa-
ion ?" Been here before?" and if the
answer were in the affirmative, GLOW
many times?' under what name or
aames?" These questions being sat-
sfactorily answered and the replies re-
corded, 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 COM
plexion, being quickly added to the
statement and spread before Keeper
Kennedy. Each man was then made
20 strip and enter a bath and, under
The vig.lant eyes of the keeper and his
satellites, nom failed to escape a 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 magma
ion be considered aesthetic. The
clothes belonging to each prisoner
werethen collected, neat'y folded, made
nto parcels and labeled with the
owners name previous to being put
lway. Unless a man were sentenced
10 a very short term and raised an
Db.. ection to it, he was next shaved.
after which he was considered to be
July prepared for the prison life before
him. Deputy Warden Osborne rapidly
scanned the column headed /" Occupa-
:ion," and assigned every man to some
particular keepers gang some to
work in the quarry, some to the black
smith's and some to the carpenters
shop. After this all that remained to
be done was for Keeper Kennedy to
how the prisoners 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, approximate
ly, it may be said to average ten. At
present there are 700 male and $50
female prisoners in the penitentiary,
but, although On one o~ccaslon-in
January, 1S78--it accommodated the
large number of 1,184, it is much
overcrowded, and the system Of
doubling up" as putting two prison
srs in one cell is termed, is in
some cases found to be necessary.