New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-11-13
SET FREE FROM SING SING.
TIE LAST DAY OF a PRISONER WHO HAS
DONE HIS BIT
A PERIOD or NERVOUS STRAIN AND ANXIETY
TIE ROUTINE or THE PRISON IN
RELEASING J. CONVICT
RELEASING J. Convict.

H. oldcs 10 appreciate fully the valu, OF lib
srty one should he present when the prison
doors opened and convict who mas LOT
years been deprived Of his freedom, who mas
been housed II a narrow, cherries cen anu mas
worked and messed with other convicts, Is leo
out Of the prison officc free mar. II is scene
which few people except the prison officials wit
ness at Sing Sing, because the graduation
exercises always take place there early III the
morning
The man whose m,sdccds bring him hehind
the gray E.antc Wills % Sing Sing, II he IL
NOW man with no cxrcricnc. in the rite. goes
through the initiation IL Il da2ed manner lie
answers questions as t. his history IN a me
,hanical way, and when he reaches tho hands OF
The prison keepers he goes through the forms o
weighing bathing, having his beard shav'd
and his hair cropped with & childliko docllty,
and in most Instance he realizes his true posi-
tion only after the doc, Of con has closed upon
him and he looks upon Tho garments In which
he has been clothed and tic place which VIII
D.. home to hin until the weary years have
dragged away Then tn. bully becomes The
by and mon who have hravcd danger III the
pursuit Of spolls break down and The guards as
they pass the cells Of TIC nov mon do not stop
when they hear sobs anl even shricks Of despair
be ause the, come IL he r"gular ordci OF
things
Then comes assignment 10 such work ae She
convict uay b. htted for. and thu FIRST eNiden"e
that IN, now man is becoming accustomed &c
bis surroundings and in a measure roconciled tt
hI9 condition il when h" bcGne 90 figure how
much he VIII got of foI good conduit and
when bIs term VIII expire i matters htil'
whether the man comes fUI three ~ Toy thr
Teen years the calculation goes on Jusi lh'
same, il IS always the FIRST thing IN The n!Hd
of the prisoner, and a. The term. draws g. d
close months ave counted then week and
finally days anu the strain becomes Er at'i as
the day of liberation draws near Mcr who BAD
been apathctlc, who had acquired tn prison
Ianguor brace W thoy eat wei! Wort vel and
even ia the locr STEP WITH Their f'l"W' 10!
show the invigor1tiug effect q th' 80 "p 80
froodou winch j. coming no"rcr ':a'i'
FIRST SIGNS ~ FnErDuM
\ iCw weeks before tho expiration Of tho
term tao prison barber u Instructea To slir Tho
man THIS is usually done by order " Warden
Sage Who takes that means OF rcwardinr q
well-behavod inmate, and the privilege IS more
highly appreciated than glft Of money would
be On the night befor, his disc barge the prs-
oI.cr is locked up az usual and receives his
evening meal H. bie ccll At OclocI Tho
lights are turned out but Tho men who arc to
be discharged on the mex day are usually
awake long aftel tie other oeE occupants hsV'
gone TO sleep.
A. a rule the iast night ~ prisor - "a wake
ful as the first Tho first l. full Of anguish re-
morse, hOmesickness; tho last WITH ite visions
~ freedom home friends and the uncortalni y
~ 10 what Will await him "on the outside
makes the hours years ano ~ many instances
81 dose Of bromide rs prescribed by thc prison
physician foI the men who arc about to g out.
At last the dawn breaks on The last day. and
the prison pit is nearly done. As p,coau
ionary measure to proVent the man who goes
out from bearing letters messages from 1el-
lOW-COnVicts, h j. not allowed to leave his eel
ON his last day until the other conVicts have
been marched away TO their work, and from De
hind the iron cell door nc sees the Inc form
secs the striped figures linked closely one
TO the other moving aWay ike a great era.
aud black reptile, and hears the karlsruhe
halcstop echo through The vautCd corridors
while he nibhl"s at the breakfast which haI
been brought 50 the ool i.u' bootleg c"ncc'
ard other prison dcl;c2'rs have Ice; thci
cbarIoe ard IN" man STANDS close to thc ccl
door vita bundles all ready. The bundles CON
tain such tIiG's and tinkcts a. may ha -
ornalncn,rd nie ,cN ard The prison property
which ioust r. turned over TO the officials before
he may lcsvo thc place Excitement nervous
ness and stuffed emotion ar, written or eyer!
feature Of h mar
NJ last The supreme ~ .ncnt has como, ara {
bluc-c0ated keeper goes t. the coll door and
can. the name 81 che inmate lie step ont
into tie corridor. A; the same moment men il
other part Of the prison are going through th'