Daily Republican., 1885-08-13
Moyamensing Jail.
OVER EIG H r HUNDRED PRISON
RS WITHIN ITS WALLS -H0N
THEH ARE TREATED.
MODEL INSTITUTION

/ THEF ARE TREATED.
ia MODEL INSTITUTION
; tive of the REPUBLICAN,, while in Phil
acelphia. Was enabled, through th,
courtesy Of Mr.. George Rubicam, one O
the keepers at Moyamensing Prison, Il
visit and thoroughly inspect that mode
penal institution. 1t is located at Tenti
and Reed streets and Passyunk avenue
and the corner stone was laid Apri
End, 1882, but 1t was not completed and
ready for the reception Of prisoners unit
1885.
The entire building Is constructed o.
stone, and contains 800 cells. The first
place visited was the keepers Office, 8
large and roomy apartment, from which
they have view Of the entire corridor
on which the cells for convicts are stu
ated. There are three tiers of cells, and
the arran cement is similar to that in
New Castle Jail, but the cells are not al
large, being only 9x13 feet. The con
victs are required to work, and during
the summer are employed at shoemak
ing, but in the winter the majority
lpick wool.
No visitors except relatives of the
prisoners are allowed in this depart
ment, but as the scribe stood in the
keepers room he had full view of the
corridor, and one of the keepers pointed
out the spot, about half way down the
aisle, where the gsllows is erected wheu
the extreme penalty Of the law is exc
cuted, and where five or six executions
i ho FOL MI ho a.. 1.
teen months.
Over the door leading to this room is
q ghastly reminder of the terrible pun
ish ment visited upon malefactors in the
days gone by 1t Is a gibbet, consisting
of an iron frane, in which the head,
legs. arms and body of the criminal con
demned to death were placed, after
which he was suspended in m i'd air,
powerless to move, and left TO liuger
and suffer the pangs of thirst and hun
ger, tormented by birds of prey, until
death came to his relief. This gibbet
came from Spain and is supposed to be
two hundred years old.
While in this loom Mr.. Rubicam was
called away to attend to other duties
and the reporter was taken in charge by
another keeper, who first took him into
the corridor assigned to female priso.
ners, of which there are quite q mum ber.
On one 81 ie there Is a large room hand
somely furnished, in which religious
msetin gs are held by ladies at stated
times, and attended by such of the
fem ale prisoners as desire. 1t was
noticed that one of the lady visitors
was at a cell door on the second tier,
Earnestly talking with one of the in.
mates, and no doubt pouring into her
ears the old, old story, Int which is
ever new, and it may be we'll to add,
that every effort is put forth by these
philanthropic ladies TO reclaim those
whose nisdeeds bring them within the
walls of the all.
The old apartment that was once
used to conane debtors In, was also
visited, and 1t seemed as though the
old cry of "please give something TO
help poor debtor" could still almost
be heard echoing from the grim and
ment are now used to detain witnesses
in cases where there is danger of
their NO. being found when wanted and
Idurir the time they are he they are
pa i'd 81. 80 per day, besides their board,
which, aa q general thing, is more
than they could earn II they were at
liberty, consequently their detentio n
Is not great hardship.
i The untried department, or the place
where prisoners are held who are com
mitted in default of bali, was also
inspected. In this corridor, the same
as the others, there are slates at
number ofthe doors, on which the
names OF the occupants, and the offence
with which they are charged, and the
magistrate before whom they had
preliminary hearing is plainly written,
but after prisoner is found guilty of
felony and sentenced, he Is only
know by a number, which is pain ted
on a wooden block in large figures and
Isuspended over the cell door. Priso.
ners awaiting trial are not supplied
with beds, but blanket or two is
always supplied.
. This method is adopted from the fact
that the greater number com mitted for
trial before the conrt are alive with YER
min, and this precaution is necessary
to prevent the cells becoming filled
with these unwelcome visitors. Blu
after prisoner Is sentenced, he is, as
soon as returned to the jail, obliged to
take q bath, and is also furn ished with
new, clean clothes, and removed to
another department, in which every
cell has nice corn husk mattresss.
The blankets and other things used by
him while in the untried department
lare taken to the wash house, and placed
in large steam boiler, where an article
lis used which thoroughly cleanses
them of vermin and dirt.
The next place visited was the bake.
house, in which the work is done by
con victs, under q boss baker, who ALI c
lacts as their keeper. This is large,
well lighted and ventilated room, con.
tainlng four ovens, and two large
bread troughs, and all the bread used
iu the institution is baked In this place.
At present seven arrels of flour are used
every day, and the bread is far superior
to the generality of bakers bread, being
more like the old fashioned home.
made article. 1t would be impossible
to find n cleaner, tidier bake-hou ,e
Ianywhere, and the four large ovens
we're filled with tempting loaves.
d weighing three pounds each, for the
next days supply.
: The paint shop on the second floor OF
: one of the buildings WINS also visited,
and the keeper explained that there
!, was painting enough to do around the
place to keep several men almost con-
| stantly employed. In the upholstery
room a man was found busily engaged
lin making corn. husk mattresses for the
use of the prisoners. When mattress
{ becomes worn, and the ticking soiled,
= 1t is taken to this room and emptied in
{ a place where all the fine and worn out
|husks are separated from the good
and thrown away. Fresh husks are
then added to these remaining, and 1t Is
= Iput into q new tick. On one side Of
! This room there was large pile of
bundles of husks ready for use when
Irequired.
EThe cook house is very large apart