Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-16

looks to be tno youngest prisoner III Cne place, and, seemingly. does not mind his disgrace. He will be released before Whalen, who has an additional year to serve for attempting to escape from New Haven jail.
 In shop No. , the convicts were taking their turn at haircut from the hands of the prison barber, who is convict. The Customer is rudely seated on box, while the guard holds the patent clipper, and with folded arms the barber waits to receive the clipper to commence work upon his victim.
 Down through the yard again the re- porter walked, meeting gang of convicts in striped clothes at work. Here were the three months men, whose opportunity of escaping is so much better than the con- victs in the shops that they do not wear the regulation suit of gray, but striped jackets and trousers, which are so remark able that, should they escape, their gar ments are noticeable and detection easy. Out to the new building, with it's four hundred and sixty cells, the guard then brought his visitor. There the cells are larger than the ones now used by the prisoners, and each cell is supplied with an urinal and running water. At the rear is little tunnel through which the guard can look and see what is going on in any
 
 edge of the keepers presence. Across from the guard-roou is the women's quarters. On the left of the corridors are the wash rooms, and further down large iron door is swung open, exposing large, well lighted room, with two lines of five cells each, painted in vermillion red at the left. Only six of them are occupied, Nos. and being the ones used by Mrs Alexander, the murderess of Suffering Jack," at Bridgeport, some years ago, and the other by Kate Cobb, the Norwich murderess Out in front of each cell is a sewing machine, and lying loosely on the piece of fancy work. Out in the little court yard provided for them the six female prisoners in charge of the matron, Mrs A. L. Carpenter were sitting, their arms folded and their faces expressionless. Coming back to the office the reporter found the warden boring over large book alphabetically arranged giving the name, age, height of each prisoner, with remarks as to his looks and the time each is to serve. ''We do not use the French system of measurement" said MT Chamber lain, "as do not believe that the chest and arm measurement of prisoner is any use as means of identification. Besides it would require the time of two clerks
 
 ! the prisoner and posting the measurements upon the books. When man comes in here he is brought into the guard room and l faced toward the wall. His height, weight and looks are noted and he is removed to 1 the examination room where he is stripped and careful examination for scars, India ink and other marks upon his body is made. He is then clothed in the regulation suit of grey cloth and assigned to cell, where he is locked up, Next day he is taken out by keeper and instructed in the mysteries of the lock-step, and after thorough drilling is again removed to his cell. The following day he is given work with the prisoners and continues to work unless compelled to l lay off by illness, when he is removed to 1 the hospital, which is directly over the guard room. We have 309 prisoners here now, 303 of them males, and six females. The greatest number of prisoners we ever had was last month, when 319 were here Of this large number your city sends very few, but Bridgeport sends us a large num- Der, as great many criminals drift into that city from New York. Of the number confined. 38 are for murder. During my three years as warden, only three prisoners have made their escape. Le Court, who escaped some time ago, Christopher Pagan, a life prisoner, who vaulted the prison walls last year, and Charles F. Horner, who escaped while at work painting a house near by. I charge their escape to the care lessness of the keepers. I have never heard from either Le Court or Pagan since their escape.
 Horner was evidently aided by his wife, and also through the keeper, who per mitted his wife to visit him. immedi- ately discharged the keeper, and am very particular as to who are employed in that capacity" .....
 ''Do you ever have occasion to punish the prisoners?"
 every seldom. Perhaps once in three
 months a prisoner causes a disturbance.
 The summer season is the time when the
 punishment among the prisoners is most
 necessary, as some of them become cranky
 and try to fight with their fellow work
 men. We generally subdue them by
 confinement in the dark cells, and taking
 away such privileges as writing to their
 friends. During my term I never had to
 punish a life prisoner, and generally they
 are diligent and faithful workers.
 MT. Chamberlain volunteered any fur
 ther information in his power, and ex.
 pressed himself as pleased with the re- porter's visit.