The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-03
THE DESTRUCTION Of THE TOMBS PRISON
AN ANCIENT LANDMARK OF NEW
YORK

| 1OSh.
Many Noted Criminals Have Beor
Confined in Its Cells and Foul
Tales OF Crime Have Been Heard
by Its Walls-A Fine Sample or
Egyptian Architecture and u Se-
cure Prison.
New York Evening Post.
The demolition OF the Tombs will re-
move ono Of the city's most widely
known buildings. 1t is not too much
TO say that it was the most uniuur
structure in the city, and scarcely 40.
other was as impressive. 1t has been
described as the most perfect specimen
OF Egyptian architecture outside Of
Egypt. Interesting as it is IA u piece
ut architecture, and part as it is OF the
clty's history, no one sooms to desire to
pcrpetuate the existence Of an edifice
speaking from every stone Of crime and
suffering.
The Tombs has long been inadequate
ior It's objects, both in character and
r""ommodatiOns, and year after year
,nJrts have been made to secure its
condemnation and oreplacement by
modern prison, but the legislature
and the city officials have always un-
I'll last year found other public pro-
Jects more seductive Of Immediate at.
IGNITION. When something had to be
dono In the past to provide for the |
overiiowing prisoners they have pre-
terred the method of patching and
adding, as in 1885, when IL now wing
was bailt inside the walls. But not
only has it been inadequate, but It's
site according to competent testimony,
WAS III chosen. All that section of the
city was formerly a beautiful lake
with a navigable outlet into the North
river, and the Tombs stands In the
very middle of this region, which when
the lake was drained Off, was gradual
ly Tiled up with rubbish OF the CITY.
The building had to be erected on piles,
for the sounlings recently made could
discover no solid foundation even at a
depth OF $50 feet. More than one war
den has complained OF tho prevailing
dampness Of the place, and it has been
90 uncommon thing for cells to be ov-
erhowed with water which was forced
back through the drain pipes. The
| building has also on more than one oc-
| casion been pronounced unsafe.
Although the day Of its complete
erasement has only now arrived, the
years been diminishing. For a long
time after it replaced the OLD Bride.
we'll, the colonial jail-out Of the stones
oi which, by the way, il was largely
constructed-it was the city's sole place
VI confinement for prisoners, but grad
ual growth neccssitatcd tho erection OF
other prisons, and for many years now
it has divided Donors with these out
side prisons, notably that forming part
of the Jefferson Market building. Then
1t was not on a prison, but a Hall Of
JUSTICE and as such was, until the
last few years, one of the most fre.
quented and thronged OF tho public
| oul;dlngs. 1T contained the court OF
special sessions, the Tombs police
court, and one of the district civil
courts. When the new criminal court
building was occupied about three
years ago, tho court Of special sessions
was transferred there, and after de-
lay OF about 81 year tho police court
followed. Then the civil court migra-
ted, and these desertions divested the
place OF the greater part of It's busy
| aspect. An interesting history espe-
| clally h9d tho old Tombs police court.
1t was there that the legal oracles
whom Iammany placed upon the
bench displayed their wisdom, pun
| ed generally the interests of the great
organization which enabled them and
| thousands OF their ilk to fatten on the
public revenues.
During the long period since it's orec-
tiOn In 1888, the criminal annals OF the
growing city have contored in the
Tombs. and the records would epitom-
ize the darker side Of the city's life and
development Thousands upon thou
sands have been immured in It's dark
cells, and in it's yard many have been
hnnDn2 10 Fn1
OF the wardens are imperfect, unsum-
married., and at present inaccessible,
SO that exact figures may not be given,
but 1T is roughly estimated that some
thirty or forty persons have paid the
penalty OF their crimes within those
gloomy walls from 1888 down to 1889,
when executions there were discontln-
ued in consequence OF tho passage of
the law requiring tho death penalty to
be administered by electricity at the
State prisons. One Of the last cxccu-
tiOns was memorable on account OF
three criminals being hanged at the |
same time.
Ono of the earliest Of the most fa.
nous cases having tho Tombs as
background was that of John G.. Colt. |
II bookkeepor and teacher Of ornamen.
tai pcnmanshir, who, on September
II, 1871, in his Office at Cham bers |
street and Broadway, killed Samuel
Adams, printer, alter IL dispute. He
packed tho body in a box, salted it,
and tried TO ship it to New Orleans. |
The vessel was delayed, and the pres.
ence Of the body was discovered Colt
WAS arrested and thrown into the
Fomos. There, Us some Othor prison.
ers b, fore and since have done, he
lived luXuriOusiy. His Respectable and
wealthy relatives caused him to be an
immense sensation. Bc was the chief
topic OF the news epapera and town
talk. After trial lasting ten daye
Colt was convicted OF murder in the
first degree. Unusually strenuous ex-
ertiOns were made to save him, but in
vain. Thon he wrote one Of the most
artistic confessions ever penncd by
criminal, which made him moro than
ever tho subject OF all conversation.
Four hours before the time set for his
execution, he vas married to his mis-
tress, who wa5 accompanied to Colts
cell Dy John Howard pnvnp thu authnr