The bee., 1883-08-04
BLAcKWELL,s ISLAND.
Reporters Visit to New Tork's Noted
Prison How Couvicts are Received.

OOuNtCtS aIC hOSNA'Oue
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, BlackwelPs Island appears an
attractive spot, its natural charms
being too many to be quite spoiled
even by its stern and forbidding edi-
Ices. A glimpse of several gangs of
men, clad in the hideous uniform of
State convicts, steadily toiling In the
hot sun. under supervision of armel
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
enforc ed in that penal institution .
1t was early morning, and sixteen
newly arrived prisoners were being
put through their preliminary exer-
eises in large chamber on the ground
floor, dlgnified with the style and title
Of "Reception-Room." At desk
erected in an elevated position, his
book recording admissions before him,
sat Hallkeeper Michael Kennedy. On
The opposite side, rang, d in rows, were
numerous large baths and three or
four chairs, such as BARRIERS invite
heir clients to be seated in. A gauge
tor measuring the height of pris-
Dners and weighing machine
completed the list of accessories
10 the "Receptio1-Room." Pres
lntly a keeper on the outside thrust
ais arm through the iron bars and, in
Ierting 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, "How
many times ?" Under what name or
lames?" These questions being sat-
iSfactorily answered and the replies re-
corded, the prisoner was handed over
20 an attendant who measured his
height and weighed him, the result of
these two operations, together with
he color of his hair. eyes and COM
olexion, being quickly added to the
statement and spread before Keeper
Kennedy. Each man was then made
20 strip and enter bath and, under
.he vigilant eyes of the keeper and his
satellites, nona failed to escape thor
,ugh washing. This cleansing
process completed, each prisoner
dressed himself in the suit
provided for him by the State which,
whatever may be said of it's utility,
cannot by any stretch of the imaginl-
ion be considered aesthetic. The
clothes belonging to each prisoner
Herethen collected, neatly folded, made
nto parcels and labeled with the
owners name previous to being put
AWAY. Unless man were sentenced
20 very short term and raised an
objection to it, he was next shaved.
after which he was considered to be
July prepared for the prison life before
aim. Deputy Warden Osborne rapidly
scanned the column headed "Occupa-
.ion," and assigned every man t. some
particular keepers gang; some to
work in tie quarry, some to the black
smiths and some to the carpenters
shop. After this all that rename 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 number of prisoners admitted
1aily varies greatly, but, approximate
y, it may be said to average ten. At
present there are 700 male and 80
female prisoners in the penitentiary,
but, although on one occasion in
January, 1S75--it a;commodated the
large number of lisa, 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.