The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-05
Effect of New Law on
New York COnvictS.
Those at Sing Sing Formed
Into Gangs and Marched.
Some Pathetic Appeals for Employ
ment Made by Prisoners.

/
Sing Sing. The workshops were closed
and their beEcres deserted. The cloth
ing. shoe snd brush industries had come
to an end with the enforcement OF the
| recently passed constitutional amen dmeIt
| preventing manufactores in the State
| prisons which come into competition
with outside labor.
Fully one thousand men, the labor of
whose hands had heretofore banisbed re-
morse and viciouspess from their brains,
were thrown into idlenss'. Under the
plea OF giving them exercise they were
marched about the prison yardali day.
The yard presented an unusual and
lively scene. Gangs of from IS 10 70 men,
each gang in charge of keeper, marched
and contermarched past the deserted
workshops until the place presented a
iabyriutn Of gray striped uniforms.
ine cow ct5 grinned as tbey marched to
and fro la the iocksiep. Work had made
them sturdy. aud they enjoyed their day
of freedom. As the day wore on however,
the faces under gray cars grew suIlen and
weary as the monotonons tramp con-
ii.ued. Toe keepers seemen somewh hat
uueasy.
What IL an iusurrection should break
out now?" observed one of them, as ne
watched the columns of gray garted
figures. "They're good-natured enough
toIay,' said another keeper. "It's some
thing new fsr them, and they like
novelty. hut wait unil q month from
now, and these fellows will be wasting
away physically and thoroughly discou-
tented. You'll see lots of them on the
sick list.'
A curious phase of the new law Is that
the consicts nave for. months viewed It's
emf rcement with dreid. Warden Omas
V. Sage said that during the last three or
four months he had received fully one
thousand letters from prisoners, Uezging
that they may be given work-work Of any
kinu. He showed these samples:
SIsa SING PRISON, Dec. 10. 1896.
Dear Warden IL would like TO have an
interview with you In regard to getting
into the stone shed, hearing thst tho
taller shop will soon shut down, where 1
am work+e% at present.
CELL No. 1874.
ENG SING PRIsoN, Nov. 0. 1895.
Cclon,l q. V. SaGe:-As the clothing
department will be shut down very soon
j would like TO have an interview with
you regarding somc Kind Of WORK. lam
very much troubled with hoadache and
would not like to lg the rest CT my time
In the cell. CELL No. 1l09
Many OF the letters are extremely pat he
tic. No starving miSer would view
lockout with greater dread than do these
convicts view enforced idleness In their
cells. One man sent in a commun ioation
today, saying that be had heard that the
sentence Of Frank Ellison would be CON-
mnted, and begged that he be given bis
place. Ellison is known as a State waiter. |
"This is the first day of the laws per-
n'ion," said Warden Sage, "and, of
course, / cannot pre1ict what the result
will ultimately be. We will do the best
we can, but we are confronted by seri- |
Gus problem. Melanchoia, insanity and |
nll ills that man Is afflicted with will |
flourish under enforced confinement"
The warden then gave facts and figures |
TO show the exact condition Of affairs in |
tie prison. There are confined Ia Sing
Sing 1870 convicts. The labor Of about 300 |
of them is net aisot,d by the new laws.
The corvic;s employed in cleaning and
WITHDRAWING the cells and corridors
,umber about 90. Forty prepare and
serve the food In the mess hall. Fifty
more ful6ll the duties of ,aundrymon and
bakers. About 100 men are employed in
he joDting shop as steam and gas filters
md mechanics. In tie State shop, which
= now termed the State Institutions.
industry, there are employed 50 nen.
They manufacture tre boots, shoes and
used in Sing Sing and
'thor penal institutions OF this state.
From the 1000 other men all employ
nent has been taken way. Thtss men
vero employed as follows:-2oo In the
lotbiug Industry, l5o in the brush fibre
nd curled hair industry, 100 in the shoe
$50 in the rag cutting and pick
NC Industry, 150 In the brass and iron
oundry and about 20 in two otn nor minor
industries. Citizens were employed todey
n clearing cut the workshops Of these in-
usrties.
|
'st Thursday" snid the wsrden, "the
rivilege Of supplying all the other penal
lstituiions In the state with shoes and
lcthing. / would like to widen out this
ranch of work and employ all our men
I IL, bui, unfortunately, the other insti-
1iions are In the same predicament and
ill undoubtedly provide for most OF
heir own wants.
"With our machines we have such facil-
les to manufacture that In 10 days We
ould turn out shoes and clothing sufii-
ent for sll the penal institutions In the
ate. But now, to limit production and
rep the men employed, We will probably
o only hand work. Where by q machine
man could formerly turn out a shoe in
minutes we will engage him to spend
whole Gay In cutting and sewing Ii by
md.
"At present ] have oil my hopes based
,on tho stone cutting industry. We
I've good blue ana white lime ammo