The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-29

adopted the eabalistio "forty-nye" as their
contained the following item:
Yesterday. the forthwith day Of the year,
and the glorious cause of American liberty. went
in decent procession to the New Gaol, and dined
y Tish n a Su HS 5CT ~ foTty. ppS. mo 9t Se eIs,s cut
It was directly In front OF the New Jail that
the famous liberty pole tights took place and
OF Liberty. after two days Of hard fighting,
planted the pole.
tho notorious Capt. William Cunningham was
appointed British Provost Marshal. of New
o YsT = Pa GSo si, ,h he sG Ssd change Ssars t of tS the , s6', nsa
during tho whole Revolution n more cold
blooded william did not come to the front He
was appointed by Gen. Gage. and. while some
for his crimes. others-Bancrott among them
say they were unable to IND any such name on
any of the prison records.
Cunningham was particularly bitter against
Americans, because he was in some of the liber-
" pole fights and was severely handled by, the
patriots. He turned out to be a monster. There
were humorous places of confinement for the
Liberty street. the new or Middle Dutch. Church.
ut Cedar and Nassau streets; the North Dutch
Church; and other places. but tho new jail was
reserved for conspicuous men who fell Into
Cunninghan's clutches: and most persons who
when II was the New Jail. left hope behind.
Cunningham had his own quarters on the right
of the main door, or The guard room was on o., the
the first barricade. Keefe. the deputy. was an
other rascal. The entrance to the new Jail was
guarded day and night by two armed sentinels,
the first and second barricades. grated. barred,
and chained. " ere similarly guarded and so was
the bnck door. Sentinels were stationed on the
platform In front of the grated door at the foot
OF tho second flight OF stairs leading to the
rooms and cells in the second and third stories.
There was no such thing AS escape from tho
New Jail in CunninEham's time. Often tho
prisoners snccumb bed to the %tortures he devised
for them. The chief prisoners. in the northeast
chamber on the second floor, which was called
Congress Hall. were packed in small space in
such numbers that many died of sufocation.
1t was in the New Jail that Ethan Allen was
confined for eight months. Allen had been car
ried to England a prisoner. but was brought
back and placed on. parole in New York. lie
declined to be bribed by Gen. Howe and was ar
rested and handed over to Cunningham, who
kept him in n cell without even bread or water
for three days ind then gave him n bit OF fat
pork and a hard biscuit. Allen was exchanged
finally for nm English prisoner and thus got out
of Cunningham's hands alive. In his own mar
rative Col. Ethan Allen mentions as having
been prisoners In the New Jail with him Capt.
Travis OF Virginia. Judge John Fell Of Bergen
county, n. j.: William Miller Of Wesrchester
county, ". V: Coils. Ohio Hall and Williams.
Major Rrinton PAYNE. Major Levi Wells. and
Carts. Van Zandt. Randolph. and Flahaven.
In 1881 the New Jail was converted into tho
Hall OF Records and set apart for the
dalton OF various officials. The bell was re-
moved and nlaced over the Bridewell. which
then stood in the park, and the building was re-
modelled into its present shape.