Evening star., 1896-03-07

convicts to LOIS. and Chief Clerk Angus
tus Bowers of the prison stated to The
Stars reporter that about 40 of the pris-
oners were District convicts.
The penitentiary receives both male and
female prisoners. but the men and women
never meet, except when detailed for duty
women are mostly employed on needle
work and in the kitchen, while the men are
employed in making shirts. washing and
ironing them, making shoe brushes and
Gaming chairs, the Short-term men being
mostly employed in the last named in
dustry.
Great workshops are provided, wherein
the n are employed from about Z o'clock
in 1 morning until dark during the win
ter months and until about o'clock in the
evening during the summer months. The
prisoners are called at $50 a m. and break
fast is eaten in their cells between 6 and
o'clock. Dinnercts served at noon and
supper immediskrfy after the close of the
days work. SGtdsss religious services are
held IN the chare4 prison. the music being
rendered by choir of prisoners. The at
tendance at these Services is optional with
the convicts. &.
Some Prison Rules.
The prisoners eajhy the benefits Of a we'll
stocked library but they are not allowed to
read newspapers While they may receive
as many letters as.are written to them, they
are allowed to Write But one letter a month
Ezoi course, where business or mataria! in
terests require, this rule is relaxed. but only
III such instances Letters written to the
prisoners are delivered once a week on Sat
ur6ay evenings. The men are compelled to
wear the usual Striped clothing,x black and
Wnite; ana their faces arc kept bare of hair
and their heads closely cropped
he women wear dresses of 4 dirty yel,oy,
color, but their heads are rot cropped The
convlcts are permitted to be visited by rela-
tlVes and friends about once a month and
are also allowed to receive food and daintias
COnVlrtS
tences of five years or more, are allowed TO
have light in their cells until shou. q
O'Clock in the evening. No conversation is
permitted between the conyicts or hatwean
them and visitors to the prison and whom
prisoner wishes to speak to an officer he
must first raise his hand, indicating his wish
for permission to do so.
ConVictS sentenced to one wear or moro
are allowed two months reduction of the
sentence for good behavior for the frat vear
two months for the second year. four
months ~ ior the thrd year, four months :or
tfe fourth year, five months for the fifth
year and five months for every subsenuen at
year.
Capt. Howgate Is Librarian.
The most distinguished District prisoner
now serving sentence in the ALBANY peni-
tentiary is Capt. Henry W. Howgate who
was sentenced by Judge McConlas las Tu1v
to eight years imprisonment upon CON.
viction of falsifying his accounts while dis
corps In 1879. and also for forging the same
Capt. Howgate entered upon his imprison.
ment last fall. and was placed in charge of
the prison library and hospital. His duties
are not only light and pleasant, but he en-
joys also many privileges because of his
prison position.
Those who predicted that his sentence
would crusE or Kill him little knew the
bravery or the philosophical nature OF the
man. and when The Stars reporter was ner-
mitted to see and talk with Capt Howeate
he was astoaished somewhat to discover
that he looked heartier than he did hafora
his conviction His smoothly shaven face
was ruddy and full. and he appeared to be
in most excellent spirits w
Il am, as you see,' said Capt Howgate.
"enjoying splendid health, and, as INV dn.fes
are light and pleasant am as well situated
as man in my position could possihiy he
!! am somewhat of philosopher, you know. !"
,,e,a ne laughlngiy u, explained. PA; "and always be
course, my position is one which 1 could.
think. be somewhat easily prevailed unon
to resign" and again he laughed s!but
l hardly think that contingency is likely
soon to arise. so you may safely address me
here for some time YET -e
He begged his visitor to assure his friends
that he :.. was wei and nicely situated. Il
probably think that so wrote merely a.
matter Of form. Tell them. plea az Thai T
am not only IN the best of health. but Also
ana snat a% trsafa Yth ut the
S.A~ SOAAo.oo. eeAo.. ~ soupeFlQSeQdent Dear.
styne and the other prison officials
SmOthers and Jack the Slnsher.
There are mahy other noted prisoners n
the penitentiary from the District. and ast
The Star man Was being conducted through
the prison by sMrjo Bowers he observed a
veritable negro giant slowly walking about
the great yards of the prison. He snnaar-
ed to be wanderingo oaimlessly and his sIou,
movements induced the belief that ba No.
but wreck offwhAt was undoubtedly onca
most powerful mAn The negro was Tom
Smothers, who inb 1880 was Sentenced 70
thirty years for criminally assaultine Lena
Lefns, young white woman. here. His
time, assuming that he will do nothing ha.
tween now and then to forfeit the
Usual time allowance. will expire through
good conduct while in prison, in July.
1893. reduction in the sentence OF
eleven years ana ten months, The NEXT
man met exercising was ex-Policeman
Terry, who was sent up last July a wear
ago for three years for shooting Willis
Washington, young colored man, during
the Jack the Slasher" scare He looked
tiersman.
The first shop visited was the laundry
and there a little dried-up negro was nh.
served working in a 1fstless way. and neer-
ing about now and then with a Frightened
look. The reporter did not need to he tofd
that he was Jack the Siast1er." the man
who had for months terrorized the peop4e
of the whole District, and whose capture
brought relief to thousands OF trembling
women and children. Jack was sentenced