The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-21
ROUND ABOUT GOTHAM.
HOW SING SING P .ISoN CoNVICTS
WILL CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS.

for Their Voices All ay Loag-The
Toughest Christmas Amos J. Cum
min sEqer Passed Wives of Notable
Men as Hostesses and Philanthro-
pists Business Recreations ola Girl
SAle2 raph Operator.
(Copy,fSh)
NEW YORK, Dee. S0.-While all the world
is celebrating Christmas, the DAY will not
pass entirely uno, served by the people who
are out of the world, OF. rather. who being
sill IN the world are smut out from Its joys
aud its hopes and its freedom, but not from
its cares and its misery. Are there many
such personsl Look at your own county or
state prison for the quickest and most direct
answer. Take glancs a. one Of those cheer
less communities Of Convicted criminals,
sullenly undergoing the punishment
against whicl they dare not rebel, and then
wonier if ray Of evea Christmas joy can
pa Into those toiling rooms or narrow
cellsl Nevertheless, even convicts are wait
ing eagerly fr Christmas morning, as
eagerly perhaps as sinless children.
AT Sing S.ng, on tne Dan Is OF the Hud-
son, stands the prison, best known through
out the civilized world as the typical penal
inst tuition OF this cOuntry. If British or
continental novelist has occasion TO p. esent
in his story an American pr son, II IS pretty
safe 10 be Sing Sing although VI late Joliet
has not entirely escaped fore gn recognition.
In sing sing y. lson ona DAY this wees tnere
were 1888 couvic5 inmate, and OF that
number very nearly $40 were avail ing
Christmas day with pleisurab.e antIcipa-
tious.
Not ali of them, though. Ferdinand
Ward, wo. 4ing faithtu ~ but uervously
OF the prison printing press. and chatins
like ca tive ser rs the day OF DIS delIv-
erance beg rs to loom up before him, but
ct Ii so far ia the futIre-would undoubi-
edIy rather work all day, as usual, than 60
through the preteIse OF &c. ebrating Christ
mas in a prison. The day has no meaning
to him now, except to remind hlm that
Christmas this year and Christmas next
ysa.' must come and 60 before he
can begin to reckon by weeks tue time
still remaining between him aud freedom.
To Banker Pel in little room, with a
CONVICT a soc ase, cutting and packing Co
bacco for pris IN use. the prospect Of pass.
ing through CHRISTMAS day for tie first
time a. pris Dner in the degrading fiped
suit cannot have in it single ray Of CON-
fort. At his daily toll be keeps up brave
o. e,eass at cneerfulnes5, ma ly enough III
is wav under the circumstances; but
for Pell to feign enj'yme as par
ticipant in festive celebration ar
task masters. would sbe the ghastliest Of
gaas.ly burle sques. The doomed murderers
awaiting death within Sing Sings pris) IN
wal BY the p tic ally untried aud DIR I'D
ed metnod OF electrOcu;ion SEE nothing ia
the holiday which brings gladness to all in
the world, bu. a still nearer approach 60
the inevitable fatal day. Such men as these
have no part III even the paitriesr OF Christ.
mas Joys, but the majority OF Sing 81 z
prisone S will maze tbs most OF the DAY.
And a pitiabl c. eoratiOn it will be. The
day before Christmas at Sing Sing will be
like al other working days III that tn5titu
tiol.
At o'clock on Christmas eve each man
will be locked In his cell and there the
Christmas dawn will find hin. At z O'Clock
on ChrlstmaS morning the prisoners will lie
released from their cells q taken to the
washroons to arrange their simple toilet
Egersthing will be done leisurely that
morhing, tue dly being holiday, and con-
versatIOn will not ne Prohibited. Half-past
s O'CLOCK will find the msa in mess
room, \ here l 1857 conv.cts can st down at
time. Thy will eat what is called q
Cans:mas observation-disclosures" TnaE is
the tables will be spread as for q dinner,
with chicken as the principal dish. and the
convic;s will lie p,r mitted to eat Us heartily
as they please. They will not hesitate 10
avail themselves to the fullest extent OF
that permission, for plenty of roast chicken
and reQulsit side dishes, after long sub
sistence daily on prison fare. is not TO be
desyised or pecked at delicately. TIE
dessert will consist OF mince pie.
Long bsfore noon the meu ara in the r
cells agsln, locked up fer the rest of the
day. iher celebration OF the day, how
ever. is 10y no means over. Christmas boxes
from coavic-s relatives have bee1 receive
by the hundreds in the outer office by State
Dstectivs James jackson, who, when moi
hunting down runaway prisoners, has
special Office duties to attend to, including
the reception of visitors and gifts for che
prisone.S The goods thus re-
ceivei are hastily examined tC
see that no attempt has been made
t. smuggle in contraband articles such a.
whisky or weapons Of any kind, aud ther
the presents tor each prisoner are placed IL
separate box aud sent 70 the proper cell
led Oue OF Theses great wooden boxe
are. Fruit of all kinds in profusion can b.
seen in almost all OF them, enc
for the weather.. prisoners 20.
will often see a boz Of expensive
cigars, while convcts with poorer rsls
tiye5 get smoking tobacco and pipes tn,
tobacco item figures IN almost every Christ
mas box received al Sing Sing. Sometime
1t is the only item; man- poor woman IL
New York city or else whero in the state
deprived through no fault OF her own o
one who should have been her pride anC
chase little tobacco for a convict hus
band or grIwn.up scamp OF a son, becaus
he mad said that prison life would be mos
enduvable with it. Tobacco cut and packe,
by Banker Pal and his ass )ciaee is fur
nshed free in limited quantities TO all tn
conSicts who want it. but m ost OF them I'm,
prison tobacco q little strong, and prefer {
ge5 what tEey can from home They ar
permitted to see relati es and receive pres
elts once every two months, but Chri stms
is an extra day TO which, 80 fer present
are concerned the two months limit dos
not apply.
Then t Iecs are convicts with no frtend'
who get no presents. Some kin i-hearte
fellow prisoners, with superfluity OF fru
and cake, will probably discover an unfoi
tunats of that kind and will share his fea.
with him, a keeper making the transfer
Restr.ctio for the day are removed, an
already the men are beginning to i; duke
the unusual luxury Of shouting and singiu
in their cells-a privilege permitted only q
Fourth of July and Christmas.
Next, cigars are passed around-a gi
from WARREN Brush or principal Keeue
Connaugh on-and merrinenr, actual mer
rlneni, grows apace. The men have fcu:.
Their voices now, and the uproar is all br
deafenihg. You see, il is six months sine
these stalwart. Ia " fellows rave had
cha ce 70 tes5 their lungs and they a.
maxi & the best Of thei: opportunity.