The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-13
AS the Guest of Warden
Durston at Sing Sing He
Will Be a Tailor.
OCCUPIES CELL NUMBER Is.
Shorn of Whiskers and Hair Yet
May Be Asked to Prescribe
Sentence Thought
Severe.

confines of Sing Sing Prison. AT
quarter to four O'Clock well dressed
man, in whose pbysiognomy might be
traced the intelligence OF a full fedged
M. D., descended the white granite steps
leading to the prison door at Sing Sing,
and cool Iy and deliberately walked into
Warden Durston's Office On his wrists
he wore heavy steel bracelets, to either
end Of which there were attached iron
chains The technical name applied to
these adornments is ''hand cuffs" The
doctor appeared sorrow stricken and for
lorn.
He was escorted by Deputy Sheri ffs
Burke and Brown, who had travell ed
from the Toubs in New YORK with him.
The doctor WAS dressed in a black suit,
and neat Derby hid from view the hair
which adorned the doctors Uranium.
sHORN OF HIS LOCKS.
Immediately after his arrival at his
new residence. Sing Sing Prison, New
York State, the doctor had the dust
brushed from his coat, the suit he wore
was placed on nail, to remain for sew
eral months; the doctor was invited into
a tonsorial parlor, and there was trans
formed wonderfully.
His capillary adornments, which were
long and of yariegated colors, were elimi-
nated. The whiskers Sprouted out way
down in the DOCTORS neck, but off they
came. Then The tonsorial artist ran the
clippers over the thin hair on the doc
tors head, and soon the bump of amatiye-
ness, SO prominent in the learned physi-
clans head, appeared as huge promin-
tory on desert island.
When the operation was concluded,
the doctor was lodged in Cell No. Is, IN
the basement facing the rising sun.
At haif-past four O'Clock l rushed to
the prison and inquired of Warden
Durston if DIR. Atwell was in. The war
den informed me that the doctor was in,
but was not receiving callers, as he was
not settled. The doctor was indisposed,
however, and would say no thing for the
press. He appeared considerably de-
pressed.
AN AGREEABLE INNATE.
asked the warden il cell No. 15 was to
be DR.. AtWelPs permanent room. and ne
said tn at it was only temporary. and
that he would assign the new arrival to q
permanent room today.
II expect" continued the warden,
shat Dr.. Atwell will make pleasant
companion IN the prison. From what
have seen OF him so far, think he must
be pretty good sort OF chap"
What are yon gong to have him occu-
py lkl6 t1ulS WAV1S l. 6ohC0 OA tA0 WdA-
den.
MUST TURN TAILOR.
"Wel1, think that he'll be as good at
the clothing industry as at anything
else," he answered.
The warden would not give his reasons
for having decided on that, but it proba-
BILE that DIR. Atwell's experience in hav-
Warden to settle the question.
ksDP AEwAll will hagin fnmOTT0w
morning." continued Warden Durston.
"W hat kind of doctor is he. any
how2" added the warden.
"Well, as far as | know he has had a
large practice in Hoboken." then asked
the warden why he was anxious to know
that
"Oh, only wanted to find out what
kind of a man he is socially and other
WISE"
MAY PRESCRIBE THERE.
When l entered the Warden's office
previous to this, however. overheard
principal Keeper ConnaughtOn and War
den Durston speaking of the doctor. AS
approached the warden's desk he broke
off a sentence abruptly, but I inferred
from what heard that DR.. Atwell may
be of use in the prison in an other way
than by sewing and stitching at trousers.
II any of his fellow-prisoners are sudden
ly taken i'll il is probable that the doctor
will help them out, and under directi ons
from Warden Durston. too.
CoMAIUTATIoN SYSTEM.
asked the warden about the system of
how 1t wonld affect the doctor as regards
good behavior.
The Warden answered.
1.-The first year a prisoner has two
months off, the second year the same, the
third year four months, tine same for the
fourth year, and from the fifth year on,
five months. Let me see. The doctor has
he? Well. then. il he behaves well he'll
earn himself five months and twenty
days."
When I left the prison Warden Durston
walked outside the door with me, and
said:--
Mice bed Of flowers here, hey?"
SCENES ABOUT ATwELL's NEW HOME.
! saw some beds OF pansies, well ar
ranged and thriving, about the paths. and
answered that they appeared to be we'll
cultivated.
AS I stood talking wi til the Warden
aboug the recent escape and eIecJrocu-
tion. about two hundred convic5s as
cended the hill on their way to the old
omen's prison" which stands high
above the other buildings.
Each carried pail with him, and were
without handouts. l asked the Warden
if he wasn't afraid that the prisoners
might make dash for liberty. for it
seemed that no one was around to guard
them, and the outer wall was easy to
scale.
..No,n answered the Warden, ''those
fellows are some that have served for
probably twenty years or SO, and have.
maybe, only six more months to serve.
They wouldn't go away now"
SING SING A HOT PLACE.
When The Warden left me, after having
given me pass through the prison gate,
/ wondered now was gaing o get out.
The road from the station, whic winds
srounds dozen different times. was
dusty. aud the day was exceedingly
warm, and almost stifling. So | didn't
want to take that ROAD. All around me
were the prison buildings, and / could
count the many windows in the main
prison, looking like so many big eyes.
found my way to the ''prison gate"
which is nothing more than a plain
picEet gate, with old and rusty hinges.
The only thing TO prevent a PERSONS en-
tering IL the guard placed in snlall
house at tae entrance. who descended as
I advanced, and took my pass.
At the hotels there were men reading
the evening papers, almost sweltering In
the intense heat which was reflect
ell from the pavements. The Sing
Sing people appear interested in DR..
Atwell Several men to whom spoke,
advanced the opinion that DR.. Arvell's
sentence is trifie too severe. One gen
tleman prominent ia town said that al
though DR.. .Atweil undoubtedly deserved
still hU considered the SEN