The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-08-19
THRILLING SCENES.
Centre Keeper Van Houn-
tons "reminiscences of
State Prison Life.
REVOLT OVER BAD MEAT.
a Darkey's Ingenious Method to
Get His leellmate's Stealings-
IA Smart Young Lady.
REVOLT OVER BAD MEAT.
specfa1 to The JERSEY cttp Nsacs.

Aug. IL, =
er Jacob Van Houten, an account Oh
whose long life at the State Prison was
recently published in .HThe Jersey City
News has given a reporter some inter-
esting "reminiscences of both thrilling and
amusing scenes which he has witnessed
at the prison. In reply to questions Mr..
Van Houten said he recalled but three
really exciting events in the prison, ana
those because he was personally inter
ested in them. One was in the summer
of 1868, when one evening lie blacksmith
shop was burned and set fire to the South
Hall, the cells of which were burned
out. The convicts were all removed
to the North Hall, where they were at
liberty. While most of the deputies were
busy at the fire, some of the worst or
the convicts behaved badly and attempt
ed to break the locks m the cells OF the
| women. Deputies and armed citizens In
terfered and a military company was
| sent for and placed on guard, and order
was restored.
In 1869, during the first week of Keep
er Hennion's term, about fifty men in
| the Gaming shop revolted and refused to
work. The matter was reported to Mr..
Van Houten, who Immediately called in
all the men in the other shops and qul-
| etly locked them in their cells. The
| deputies were sent to the armory to arm
| themselves, and when Keeper Hennion
| arrived from the State Capitol, from
! whence he had been summoned, he found
fifty deputies ready. for orders. They
were marched to the shop where the
| rebel1ious prisoners were, and six of
them, headed by Keeper Hennion and
Centre-heeper Van Houten, entered. The
keeper ordered the men to resume work,
but they refused. They were ordered
into line, and guarded by the deputies
were marched 70 their cells and locked
in. Then Keeper Hennion and Mr.. Van
Houten took them out two at a time,
and those who were willing to work
were marched back to the shop. g
or ten still refused to work, and they
were put in solitary confinement until
they gave in.
MEAT REVOLT.
In 1872, in Keeper HoweF's time, all
the men in one shop revolted because
the meat was bad one day. Mr.. Howell
made an Investigation and found the
complaint just. He told them if they
would go to work they should have a
good dinner at night, and they agreed
at once.
LII Tx Ill S4AlA(o q ~
was Edward Norton, who had been sem
fenced to thirty years for many acts of
incendiarism and burglary in Mercer
county. When Chief Justice Green sem
fenced him, Norton swore that if he
lived to get out he would kill the Chief
Justice. Many efforts We're made to
secure his release, but the threat for a
long time prevented it. At last the Chief
Justice interceded in his behalf and Nor
ton was freed. Mr.. Van Houten thinks
he is now in Sing Sing for burglary.
While Norton was a prisoner he one
day left his cell while Deputy Snyder
was in it. Armed with a shoe knife,
Norton ran to the front door and threat
ened Centre-keeper Carnlan's life. Mr..
StolI, the Principal Keeper, was present,
and ordered Carman to shoot Norton.
but not to kill him. Carman was a
good shot, and fired. the bullet strik-
ing the hand in which Norton held the
knife. He then surrendered, and after
his wound had healed he was chained
to the floor. in which position he re-
AN INGENIOUS SUICIDE.
In 1871, in Keeper Howelps time,
revolver was stolen ire The p POCKET ere OF
excitement that was not allayed for
several weeks. The prisoners were seach-
ed. DuI the weapon COulQ HOl NC Az
and the deputies went about their work
in fear and trembling. Finally a deputy
was dismissed for some offense, and
then it was learned that he had stolen
the revolver, and the prison quoted
down.
few tools or articles with which to amuse
themselves, become very ingenious. h
shops, and It Is an impossibility TO pre-
vent them. With these they fashion
nice and intricate pieces Of work that
with the finest tools. One case men
toned was that of a prisoner who com
=aitted suicide a few days ago He made
lighters. The sections were fastened to-
gether with wetted bread crumbs and
was made. One end Of this was attach
ried along the side Of the cell, down IN
and the prisoner drew the comfortabIe
|sgT5E RI fa hs7d a anf NaE s~s RRhH2ESia aaosr.
gFoes Had been placed, because Of the
aHepsutieE: was told BY two frightened
aegroed that there was a ghost il the
eireuia3ed through that hall. Most Of
t tnral pfa and bec aS1asss 80 f frig int sdpst that
they would not sleep, and in consequence
were unfit for work. Mr.. Van Houten
made AN investigation which led him to
suspect one of the negroes was working
on the fears of his cell mates. He de-
MED the charges when called up. That
was in the time Of the .stretcher," and
the negro was taken to the room to be
he had made queer noises to. frighten
the other three in order that he might
steal food they had secreted at the table
and taken to the cell. The ghost CAV
no more trouble after that.
The prisoners were allowed q choice
between molasses and grease fos their
bread, and SO many of them in one Of
the wings developed a love for the grease
that it aroused suspicious. Mr.. Van
ticed that the cobwebs in the ton were
blackened with smoke, and pursuing his
investigation that night discovered thnt
the prisoners saved the cupfuls of grease,
and by inserting pieces. of rags, or wicks
made Of string improvisedslampss by the
light of which they amused themselves
by playing cards during the night, after
having first darkened the cell doors by
means of the clothing from their beds.
Mr.. Van Houten says at one time
there was a young woman who ~frequent-
~ visited the prison with a mmfs
who distributed tracts, flowers and such
things to prisoners. She so often 7declar.
ed her ability to tell the ~charactsr4 and
the en0rmity of the crime zAf a corvtct
by his face, that some OF the of7iciaE
thought they would give her a trial
54ise 3 fs asais e zS'isaiE s s saa as sssa shs Wss