, 1885-08-16
A FAMOUS PRISON.
GLlMnsES OF LIFE AMONG THE CON.
VicTS AT SING SING.


Life In Sing Sing 10 not what II was.
and for this keepers and convicts arc de
voutly thankful Prisoners are no longer
treated ms II they were brutes. and they
have shown hat kindness Is not thrown
away on them. There are ten dark cells
in the prison. Under the old regime these
cells were seldom empty. and the sound
Of tie paddle aud the curses of the poor
wrctches on whom It was being laid could
he heard at all hours The paddle has
gOnr out OF fashion. IL has been super
seeded by a punishment as ellicac,ous as It
Is simple Men who were padded Sc dom
improved under the punishment Some
the punishment made irredeemably Lad
II destroyed the last sestige of self respect.
and hlled the victim with a longing for
revenge at any cost. since lis adjustment
the dark cells seldom have an occupant,
and the average this year has been one
contumacious prisoner per month.
The punishment most in vogue for pris-
oners who refuse to ohey orders is an in
vention OF Chief Keeper t~onnnHghton.
Two uprights, with slots In them. are
fastened against the wall about three feet
apart. Fitting neatly int the space be
tween them Is broad board. which can be
moved up or down on the principle of an
elevator. In the center Of the board is a
steel hook The candidate for unish-
ment Is handcufied. He is stood IN In
front Of the board. The chain which
fastens tho handouts Is thrown over the
iron hook in the bonrd Then the latter
is gradually raised until the victim is
standing on ii toes. with his whole
weight depending on his wrists. Around
the latter are the thin steels cuffs, which
cut into the zeal without drawing blood
the pain Is excruciating. apd is increased
II that were ossiblc, by the efforts OF The
victim to change his position in q vain at.
TEN I TO lessen the agony,
The toughest criminal in the prison has
never taken a second dose of this punish
ment. The first trial is always sufficient
The victim is lowered upon crying
Enough. Few have been able TO en-
dure the rain for more than thirty sec
ords. but one man stood il for a minute
and twenty-five seconds. When he was
lowered it was found that lie had bitten
his lower lip through in his efforts to
withstand the punishment without giving
tongue to his agony. knowing that moth
ing is to be gained by dis~obedience 10
orders. few Of the prisoners rebel against
the strict. but not at all harsh. discipline
enforced.
During the day the difference between
the lot OF a keeper and hat Of a prisoner
is very slight. and IS. II anything. in favor
Of the prisoner. The latter is employed.
while the keeper stands on a raised plat
form In the center OF a huge apartment in
which hundi eds Of desperate men are nj
work. n d upon these mon the keeper is
compelled to keep his eyes at all times
uring the day there is no rest for him.
lie stands with his hand much Of the
lime on the handle Of d revolver. with
every sense alert Not a motion of tho
throng under his eyes escapes his atten.
ton. Conversation between the men Is
forbidden. and the sound Of q human
voice Is seldom heard from morning until
night In the busy workshops of the great
pris n ComparatiN ely few Of the pris-
0 ers are unemployed. Nine hundred
and twenty nine of them are engaged in
$40 e making. Three hundred o es OF
various sizes and patterns are made every
q y in sing sing. They are sent TO
al parts II the world almost. and
ever, prisoner engaged in making them
is presented with a plug of to. acco at the
close OF each week THIS is customary
on all contract WORK. Two hundred
dozen of shirts are washed. starched and
ironed in tue prison per day. some OF
the pr. soners ecome wonderfully expert
irouers. and two ct three out Of the 100
men employed in his department are so
de1trous that their tasks are invariably
hn4shed before n.on.
When employed on certain kinds OF
work prisoners are given Il task. They
eau WORK qui ky or slowl so long us
The las Is finished when the whistle
blows for knocking oil. If they finish
their tasks three or four hours before the
regular hour for stopping work thoy are
allowed to retire TO their cells, where
they can read aud smoke or go to sleep.
Three hundred men are engaged in max.
ing boots and shoes. They make Z, SOC
airs er day. or nearly u pairs per man.
The bouts and shoes are all made with
the aid of machinery. one machine
makes wooden pegs AID drives them Into
place in the shoe or o about 1fty times
as fast as an expert workman could do
tho work It keeps n man busy to sup
ply this pegging machine with soles
Another machine makes steel screws. cuts
them OIL n proper length. and screws
item in place in countless soles in an
hour. Ine mans task is to put heels on
l.oUO pairs of boots per day. lie begins
work at o clock in tue morning has an
hour for dinner, and has generally finished
his task at 3 o'clock.
An inmate Of sing Sing knows just
what to expect thirty minutes after his
arrival In the prison. lie is instructed to
obey the keepers and the rules, to min d
his own business, interfere with no one.
aud TO do an honest day s work. lie rises
at d o'clock and breakfasts at hall. past e.
/ he meal consists Of hash. bread. and
coffee. At 2 o clock he goes to his work
and sticks at II till noon, when he marches
into the huge dining room. which il
bax20O feet The dinner ser, ice Is of tin.
The quality OF the food is good aud no
one Is stinted- The evening meal con.
sists of bread and coffee II Is served TO
the men in their cells. The bill OF faro
for dinner is changed each day.
The work of the day stops at . o'clock
Then the men are marched to their cells
They march TO and from work with lock
step and the right hand placed on the
shoulder of the man in front In their
cells prisoners have the privilege Of read
ing AID smoking to their hearts content
Zach man is furnished with two ounces
OF smoking tobacco per week. As many
Of them don / smoke others get a double
supply. There is a very fair library in
the prison for the use of the convicts
They are not allowed TO read newspapers
or TO talk with any one OF current events.
yet they are thoroughly posted on the
news OF the ia Convicts who obey the
rules are allowed to receive a visitor once
In TWO months A day seldom passes on
which more than one caller does not
present himself, and. in spite OF the
watchfulness Of the keeper. the visitor
generally manages TO communicate the
news OF the day to his prisoner friends be-
fore saying good bye II then travels
with surprising quickness from one end
OF the prison 10 the other.
Whitehall Times. Silence IA the gold
plating for q fools tongue