Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-25


category of crime and misdemeanors, and a
part of Christmas day in the black hole" at
the Police Court When the van at last backed
mp to the door ofthe great brown Jail we were
received by Deputy Warden Russ and ush-
cred into the rotunda, where we were
ranged in line against the grating on the
west side. Each mans name was read
from the commitment and he was asked
married or single?" After this the hand
cuffs were removed and the men assigned
TO their cells. Those who had received Jail
sentence were assigned to q cell in the east
wing. while three of US who were held for the
grand jury were given quarters in the west
wing. The latter section Is occupied by those
charged with murder, prisoners sentenced to
the Albany penitentiary, those awaiting trial
in the Criminal Court and all who are held for
the grand jury.
My companion was taken upstairs on the
west side and did not see him but once during
my six days confinement. / was given cell No.
q on the first floor in what is known as MUIR
derer's Row." This cell had but recently been
vacated by man charged with murder. 1t
was also at one time occupied by Guiteau, the
assassin of Garfield, as his Office, wherein he
wrote and sold his autographs and where he
received those visitors who were allowed to see
him. These facts and the additional one that
condemned murderer and two other men await
ing trial on the same charge occupied cells in
the row with me only served to add to the gen.
eral gloominess which resulted from solitary
confinement in the massive Jail structure.
We arrived at the Jail about o'clock Christ
mas afternoon and an hour later were served
with our Christmas dinner in a long tin box
with hinged cover on il. Having been with
out food for nearly twenty-four hours we did
not stop TO critcise our menu, but fell to- as the
sailors express it, and did justice to what was
before us. The Christmas bill OF fare con-
sisted of large chunk of corned beef, one tur-
nip. nearly half yard of corn bread and a
quart tin cup full of soup. After dinner gave
the novelty of the situation full play and spent
the few hours before dark in inspecting my
cell and the surroundings so far as / could.
The cell furniture consisted of an iron bed or
cot, a tin spittoon, a quart cup and tin slop
bucket, which was hidden from view in an
aperture in the wall with a creaky iron door
inclosing It This was all. There was nothing
about the sparse furniture that the most in
genious jail breaker could employ to aid him
IN making his escape.
THE PONY EXPRESS
The prisoners are rarely called by their names,
but are addressed by the number of their cell
For instance, the silence would be broken like
this;
Hello. l9r'
Hello; is that you 23?''
'Ies. I'm just going to eat piece of turkey.
Have some?'
Yes; send it along"
Then % would take portion of his turkey
and. after wrapping it IN bit of paper. give it
toss through the bars to his next door neigh
Dor, who would reach for il with his little cell
broom and give IT a toss TO the next CELL until
1t reached the party il intended for In
this manner papers, books. tobacco and other
articles are passed along the entire tier-by
pony express. as the prisoners call it,
spent the long mic hit. not sleeping but toss
ing about on my iron cot. My thoughts were
not encompassed by the grim walls of the
prison Like light-winged phantoms they took
their silent fight 20 erstwhile scenes of
Christmas-night happiness and merriment, and
the old clock in the rotunda. as it solennly
tolled the passing hours. recalled my child
hood. fraught with all its joysone pleasures, in
the good old home Of years ago.