The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-01-25

entrance is on level with the ground.
the entire centre IS taken up with n
framework Of brick that Is followed out
on two sides into cells, and the entire
place Is Is white as line can make il.
The tagged corridor running around the
cells i spotiess. and the place Is as quiet
4s : tomb The cells are perfectly bare
os furniture and arO for the greater part
Of the time empty They are d0ubly
guarded. for besides the usually heavy
grated door. they have . door made Of
heavy pianks that sets IN close t0the ma
sonry- They are in striking contrast to
the walls. feF they ara painted black. A
raised center Of wood work in the center
of them admits air into the cell through
winding channels. through which not
even the faintest ray Of light can force
rs way. As ehe~rfnl as the place looks
to the visitor. Il : bugbeaT 70 the Pris-
0ners. for these are the dark cells
This Is one Of the two forus Of punish
nent inflicted upon the refractory prs
oaers in sing sing. and il s punishment
80 horrible that the mere threst of dark
cell carries with it more teTroTs than the
actual inaiction Of the other punishment,
which consists OF stringing Up prisoners
BY their wrists Tie apparatus for this
: in the same building, and consists Of a
piece Of heavy timber about eighteen
inches square that slides up and down IN
grooves In the centre Of the square IS q
hook The victim Is handcuffed. and the
link connecting the cuffs Is slipped over
this lIook and the block i raised up IN
til the prisoners feet leave the floor.
This point IS generally sisualled by
scream from the unhappy wretch who Is
suspended, Principal Keeper Connau-ii-
ton said, not more Than fifteen or twenty
seconsls
have seen statements to that effect"
siid be. that blood frequently gusnes
from the wrists Of prisoners punished in
this way that it often crirples them for
life that prisoners are hung up for five
and ten msuHtes. AMI that the punish
ment y frequently in:iietesi None Of
these statements are true In the first
place. no living man coal.l stand being
stsGng Ep q long as that. The punish
meat Is not inflicted here once a month,
and during my long experience in prison
I have never known Of blood being fore
el through the ssin by the pressure. A
short Time a-o party of visitors were
shown throGgh here One Of them vas
a man about q years Of age. lie hal an
idea that men we're hEns up by the
wrists for hours at a ti5ue- When I told
him thas the punishment never lasted
more than a few seconds lie WIS not in
ciine,l % believe il. / sent for a pair Of
handouts. and be consented 10 let me
hang him Cp for few seoords. Just a.
soon a. the strain began he cried oct and
bis toes had scarcely left the ground be-
fore be vas imploring me 20 let him
down There was a faint rel line around
his wrists. and that was all.
As terrible as this punishment i. it i
nothing compared to theasonics suffered
BY the prisoner who i locke,i up in a
dark cell A young fellow vas taken to
sing sing about year aso 70 serve
iye.years' sentence. He begin his term
q imprisonment BY di~Obeying every or
der given him BY the keepers He was
with. and efforts were made to
show him that he vas hurting noDoiy
n niuch as ne was hurting himself But
1e was both lazy AMI vicious. and he WAS
strung up by the wrists The punish
mens kept him straight for few DAYS.
bat il sas sooa fouac Necessary to string
Aia up asain- The second punishment
seemed % have NJ effect, and then be
was PlAeed in dark cell 1t the expi-
ration Of few hours the door was open
II and the Young man rushed OUT. with
l face As pale a death, and shaking in
.very limb lie behaved himself for a
week. and then fell into his old ways
gain
think I sliaiI have to pot you in the
lark cell aslin.- said Mr. Connau-hion
% him.
-Oh, don't do that. he pleade,i-
Please string me up; that isnt half -
rizhtful-
Thereafter the mere mention Of the
fark cell was - fraG.ht with terrors
hat it was enough TO bring him to
erms and make him industrious and
,5edienf.
was panishe,l once By being placed
q dark cell for several hours said aa
.x-eonviet- ~The moment the wooden
loor was closed the darkness seemed %
1mp right at me- Il was not the dark
les Of night. but heavy. Thick blaek-
less that yon could almost feel. ami that
eeHic'i TO settle upon you AMI crush YOU
l9En- Slowly Il i-es=lase sn1flsstiug,
nj little sharp PAYS of light began to
iaDce before ny eyes horrible forns.
'oaIsFed up by the Imagination. began
flowing ous of the bl.scsSness. aud fan
ie,i | eoald hear Gemoniaeal laughter.
hrew myself down on the fi0or aud tried
o sleep. lost consciousness for a time
nd thought | had been there all day
nj thst II was then night The black
leSs assumed 4 different shape. and
eeaesI to form Itself into waves, ike the
'osom of a tro1Dlsd OCEAN The billous
oiled al! aooat me. aa.i Occasionally
eemed 70 envelep me- ] struggled ont
{ Them wildly. bRt aylIn they came
toward me AMI again covered
Dc up. AMI then felt Is thouzh I VAS
eins slowly suGocafed. little sgerks
nj fiashes of light sPfanz Out ef the
'iackness and spr4ns toward me. bar all
eemed 70 f4H short.
q Then thought saw demons away
n in the shadows. who were hurting the
ashes az me. intent rpoa rnurslsr- I
ancesi around in a viii effort D. eseape
hem AMI then, utterly exhausted. threw
Bysslf again OF the foor snsi again loss
DHsrioasneSs for time When awoke
mother day seemed to have paasssi. aEdI
! ~as horribly hungry ansi
hinssy. Long rows of choice food sailed
lo~iy ont of the gioosn hestrl the
Vsrglins Of ~.iter and then mad and.gies-
crate. rlshed 10 the door anil bes.t
Ip,n il and ealls-l wildly for help. TA<-