The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1892-08-24
and carrying mortar, bricks, lumber and
other material.
TRoTTER AND FALLoN AT THE GATE.
Tom Fallon and Tom Trotter go down

other material.
TRoTTER AND FALLoN AT THE GATE.
Tom Fallon and Tom Trotter go down
to the big gate on the back street, which
is in charge of Ed Laverty and through
which all vehicles enter the yard. They
also have to assist in loading ashes aud
garbage into the wagons which cart them
away. James Burns marches TO the kit
chen, where he helps the cooks in prepar-
ing the vegetables and food for the prison.
ers. He also has to help scour the cook
ing utensils and keep the kitchen clean.
Joe Mulrain, John A. Whelan and John
ID. Eagan shuttle off to the shop hall.
where all the goods are placed when they
are manufactured. The men in the hall
load them on trucks.
When these men march away they
leave behind them, locked in their cells,
David Gordan, Thomas Miskell, Peter j.
Cassidy, John P. Murray, James Hart,
Jacob Moschell and Patrick J. Kennedy.
They are what are termed in the prison,
unassigned" men; that is there is no
work for them Owing to the crowded
state of the prison. and the fact that the
contractors do not manufacture as many
goods in summer as they do in winter.
there is nothing for them to do. With
the exception of two hours day, when
they are allowed to walk around the yard
for exercise, these men are locked in their
cells.
Keeper Patterson says that these un-
assigned men beg him daily to put them
to work at something. as sitting all day
in their cells is the hardest kind of pun
ishmenU.
THE ELABORATE DINNER.
At twelve o'clock the bell sounds again.
Tools are dropped, the shuffiing process
sion is reformed and the men go back to
their cells to dinner. On Tuesday, Thurs
day and Saturday they receive thick
soup which is called beef stew and all
the bread they want. On the other days
the menu is varied and the men get baked
beans or vegetables. or some times stew
Of pork ana peas. Once month they are
given what they call plum duff. This is
a sort of brown bread plentifnlly sprinkled
with currants. The prisoners return to
their work at one O'clock and continue at
il until six o'clock unless it becomes too
dark to see. Supper is served at five
o'clock in winter and six in summer and
consists of bread. At breakfast the men
are given plenty of good, strong coffee
and if they save any of it they have coffee
with their bread at supper, otherwise
they eat their bread alone.
HOW THEY SPEND THE EVENING.
After supper they have lights until
$50 O'Clock. They can read the books
from the prison library or religious pa
pers. They are not supposed to have
newspapers, but somehow or other they
get smuggled into the cells. The men
can also write letters if they desire, but
all the prisoners correspondence is read
by the keepers.
Sunday the men remain locked up all
day. except when at church. At the time
for service the keepers call "church," /" and
those who wish to attend form il process
vices, Protestant and Catholic, are held
daily.
Those who do not attend church sit in
the cells and read or smoke, or spend the
time as best they can. Every Wednes-
day each prisoner receives a package of
"Navy Clippings" which is supposed to
furnish MIN with smoking or chewing to-
bacco. or both, as his inclination runs. In
some of the shops the contractors give
the prisoners one or two plugs as an in
centive to work.
Tuesdays and Fridays are visiting days
and then the prisoners, can receive their
friends. When anyone calls to see a
prisoner the convict is called to the
centre, the hub so to speak from which
all the corridors run out like the spokes
OF wheel. He comes in stands with his
arms folded and his face to the wall until
the captain gives him the word to turn
when he can face about and converse
with his visitor.
Keeper Patterson says that the election
officers are good prisoners and obey all
the rules. No favor whatever Is shown
them and they are given work the same as
any other prisoners. As soon as there are
vacancies in the workshops those not at
work now will be offered an opportunity
to serve the State at hard labor.