New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
PRISON CELLS THAT ARE CLEAN And DRY
BOW PRISONERS AT SING SING WHO WILL NoT
WORK ARE TREATED,

BOW PRISONERS AT SING SING WHO WILL not
WORK ARE TREATED,
The dark cells of Sing Sing Prison were an
object OF curiosity TO TRIBUNE reporter the other day
As Principal Keeper ConnaurhtOn Of that place Of hard
labor was showing him OF the strong points Of
the Institution The word "dark" in this relation had
always conveyed 10 the visitor the additional idea Of
danpBess musiucss aud all the worst ondaBts OF Il
dungeon cell Mr.. Connaughton led the way through
his room ground floor or the prison to door that
opened into what first seemed impenetrablo dark
ness. The keeper disappeared In tho
gloom and only his laughing "COme
on as the visitor hestacd evidence Of his exist
ence Cropping through the dark the direction of the
voice, the visitor after going IL blind" for twenty
minutes upon the keeper standing at the end OF
tunnel which. II soon found, opened into "a
singlc-story square room. perhaps forty feet
each way. 1t Of good height. us walls
were clean. dry and white with white
wash while IT'S ceiling WAS kasomlned light greensh
tint The air OF the place sweet and pure and the
room the embodiment Of neanes- square struct-
ure OF brick occupied the body of the room and was
divided cells. five in each of tho two each
opening upon the passageway some four feet wide
between the external ani interior walls. Each
cell had It's heavy iron grating like that on the common
prison cell. Within the walls were whitcwa-hcd and
the cell dry and clean. outside the grating Of each
cell door Of WOOD. All these were thrown OPEN
Each cell vas empty and one staining within got a
goudly supply OF hght from the hEh'lp windows open
in into the general rOOu
"Why these cells pretty well lighted" exclaimed
Mr. COnnaug htons visitor stepping INTO cell aud IoOd
ing around Suddenly the principal Keeper swung thc
grating together aud slammed the wooden door after
H. Daylight cut OF as by magic and u Clmncrian
darkness took possession of the cell The blacknrss
was so dense that II seemed as II II could
be cut with knife. feeling OF intense lone
illness came over tho occupant OF the cell. and
he was thinking seriously OF having an attack or the
horrors when the daylight streamed In suddenly rs
N had departed, and Mr COnnansh tOns CHEEKY voice
caIlcd ont 'Wel how do you Ike M
It- clean In there. butwell. quarter OF minute
Is Mi the lime wish 10 do there" WAS the answer
- We seldom use those cells now Mr. CpnhhuKnl"h
explained. have not used one IN SIX months: rye
got much hctter device 10 punish men VINO sunk anu
will not work strike keeper or T. fuSe l any way 10
behave themselves. have Kept Il man locked up III
these cells for thirty days and nights ana iey nave
come out obstinate rs evcri IN Iact, lhoy
rather liked ~; the cells clean ana dry, ana ien
sensibes are not particularly me Wouu Il,
lie IN there in laliuess than work IN tbs open ar
got better way than that, which Invented myseH Z"
few years ago Here IL Is"
Mr.. COnnaughtDu pointed to solid piece OF
OAK plank two inches thick foot wld.
and two feet long which worked up ana
down In vertical frame set sOlidly against
the WALL Every inch two OF the frame contained an
augIr-hole through which iron pin could be pushed
10 Keep the OAK plank high as IL should be lifted AT
the upper edge OF the piece OF plank wooden pin pro-
jected. -, A., .,,.,
keeper "nnd the doctor says that he IS abe
TO. we lake him here, bud his wrisA TO-