New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-03
BUSY BEHIND JAIL BARS.
PRISONERS AT THE HOTEL LUDLOW"
ALLOWED TO EARN MONEY.

MRS. LowEII.s ADVICE FOLLOWED. THE WARDEN
sAYs-MEMBERs OF THE FIRM OF WILLIAMS
STOKES SAY THEIR BUSINESS CARD
WAS JOKE AN ARTIST AT
WORK IN THE PRISON
Sheriff Hansen yesterday gave orders to War
den Roe. of the Ludlow Street Jail, TO let news
paper men get information about the firm OF
"a G. Williams and Stokes ladies' tailors ana
dressmakers" in view Of the published reports
that the firm had been transacting thriving
business in the Jail. At the same time the
Sheriff said he understood that the wife o. a. w.
Stokes had been imposed when she was ieu
70 make the affidavit that her husband was
s'coinng money" In the jail
81 guess 1t was mostly a joke ne SAID
When a Tribune reporter went tc the place
which was mentioned in the business cards Oh
Williams & Stokes the Hotel Luoio"' lie
was again Informed that at was mostly Joke
He was allowed to talk with Williams. member
Of the firm. who was shut up in the Jail severai
weeks ago because he was not able 10 sa'isiy q
Judgment amounting to 50 o.
That was all joke about our dong business
In the iau" Williams said. stokes and oc-
cupied the same room for time a1ter lie came
here. and | tried to patch up truce between
him and his wife. She had got divorce ana
an order for him to pay alimony, and he swore
no wouldn't pay. | thought 1t would be Gooo
thing II they would make up and help me 10 se'
ont Stokes offered to teach me MS me'hou Vi
making patterns for ladies' dresses, ana con-
sented. because my sisters are IN thal ou'iii''
] thought il would be a good thing Tor Us 10 10
IN partnership and travel around the country
teaching Stokess method
"A JOKE ON MRS. STOKES"
81 wrote some letters to Mrs. Stokes and saw
her several times when she came 10 'he jan
Everything would have come out right II he'
lawyer had not interfered. l learned stokes
method by drawings which he made mere. we
had no shears to cut patterns With ana there 10
no truth in the story about customers coiihs
here Stokes has not made any money since he
came to the Jail, and neither have l. a frlehu
of Stokes had those cards printed as JOKE
and sent some of them to Mrs. Stokes just 10
fool her. We did not have boys hired 10 dis
tribute therl l was with Stokes when MS vile
saw him here in the Jail. and ne ola not eNh'pi'
q roll of money. Excuse me. as have iad!
friend here and she is waiting to talk to me.
Williams who is dapper little man, left the
reporter and went to talk to young woman VINO
VAS sitting on one Of the chairs in the general
view had been sent to Stokes but ne sent word
hack from his room that he was busy and would
not talk to the reporter Warden Roe volun-
teered a little information.
Some time ago. said the warden MITE
Josephine Shaw Lowell came here TO inspect the
dail and she suggested that II would be well 10
allow the prisoners to have employment to make
their time pass more pleasantly said that II
the prisoners could occupy their time IN quiet
work would have no objection since then
number Of the prisoners have worked al some
thing in their cells. and some or them nave
made money by their work. We don't allow
regular business to be carried and the prison.
ers who make things for sale are not alloW s 20
sci them here. They allowed TO send things
to other persons for sale, and receive the peneH'
in the shape of clothing or extra food There
is one man here who Is an artist, and he mas
heen making crayon drawings in his cell. BY
the sale Of his drawings he has supported MS
mother and daughter since he has been In the
Jail. ,,,
ing dress patterns. and l said that they might
do work Of that kind In their rooms II they dia
It quietly. They drew patterns on paper with
pencils. but they had no means OF cutting out
the patterns here. They sent the patterns out by
friends who came to see them Three weeks ago
] saw one of the cards. and went at once to
Stokes and Williams and asked what they meant
by having such cards printed. They said 1t was
only Joke but told them that kind OF joke
would cast discredt on the jail told them
would put them in dark cells II that kind OF
Joking was not stopped"
THE JAIL STUDIO.
The Warden took the reporter up to cell
which had been transformed into a studio by the
artist prisoner, whose name was withheld. The
occupant Of the cell. swarthy, wiry little man
who was sent to the Jail for term Of months
after conviction charge made by Anthony
Comstock had the walls of the cell covered with
crayon drawings which he made. He was ap-
parently more happy at his work than were
dozen men who were lounging in their cells OF
talking together in the corridor He had abou'
finished large drawing Of two little girls. the
daughters Of Franklin Pischon, and the work
was apparently we'll DONE Franklin Bschoff
has been prisoner in the jail for many months
The Warden said that the artist had not received
any Of the money for his pictures. preferring 10
have his mother and daughter get the benefit OF
his work in the Jail.
When the reporter left the jail Williams was
still talking to the young woman in the visitors
room and apparently explaining something
with care. Possibly she pupil in the al
Of dressmaking. Sheriff Tamsen paid visit to
the Jail yesterday and later he said:
I'll Is true that Stokes did some pattern draw
ing which he has much right TO sell as II he
wrote a newspaper story about the Jail and sold
It. ! saw both men to-day and they denied any
knowledge OF the game Of poker, how could
casino and surely there is no harm in their play
ing a simple game like that in their cell The
prisoners must have some pastime. but any
charge that there was poker playing IN jail is
absolutely false.