New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-28
STORIES OF THE T0MBS.
THE OLD CITY PRISON AND,
THE NEW ONE.
ABRAHAM H HUMMELS REMlNlS-
CENCES OF THE HISTORIC TOMBS
AND ITS TRADITIONS.

The now city prison, for which the plans were
made bv Withers & Dickson and approved in April,
7sas e practically completed, and Will be occu-
pied. The administration departments viii be the
first 10 vacate the old building because the wall on
The west side must be taken down TO make room
for the rapid transit improvements. The lighting
and heating plants have not Yet been Installed IN
The new building but when these have been COM
f,leted the old cells will be abandoned and the
prisoners will be taken to the new building, which
: luxurious in comparison with the dngy. badly
lighted and poorly ventilated place which is now
in
The building" said Mr.. Dickson is prison.
and there has been no attempt TO conceal the fact
by giving it the appearance OF something else No
one who il Will have any doubt as to the char
acter Of the structure But it is modern prison.
and the who to it from the place where
they are now confined Will appreciate its supe-
riority.
There are 80 cells. arranged in two corridors
tending the whole length Of the building. In each
Of these corridors there four tiers of forty
cells each The cells are arranged back to back.
and a steel grating surrounds the galleries. which
will prevent prisoners from leaping into the space
below as many have done in the old prison. The
cells are large and the walls light color.
The prisoner walk erect through the massive
doorway Of a CELL and need not stoop he
must to enter City Prison cell. Every cell
has a cot. a hinged table. wash basin and toilet.
and is furnished also with a sixteen candle power
-
ridor locks the cells. forty time The end cells
Of each tier arranged with shower baths where
the prisoners must take at least baths a week.
Besides these. there is also plunge bath where
the newcomers compelled to undergo the process
of scrubbng.
On the administration side OF the building are
rooms where prisoners may meet their counsel,
several large hospital cells. a search room and
roon1y and well arranged offices novel feature
of the prison is the roof garden This is
as the would imDly a here
VILE shows will be given for the entertainment OF
the prisoners. but a place the roof where the
prisoners may take daily exercise. There has been
some objection raised this plan because by its
operation the prison population is brought closely
together and first offenders and prisoners
are forced to associate with the hardened male
factor On the other hand, it has been urged that
the supervision will be close that the dangers
from mination will be overcome
The yellow brick building which contains the
sixty-eight women's cells will be down.
will the boys prison. with its eighty cells be
disturbed. but with these exceptions the old
VIII be demolished and the whole block will
he enclosed by high granite wall with hand
some gates. which. with the sidewalks will
cost about sI75.oo0
John E Van De Carr. Warden OF the City Prison.
showed the cells a proud landlord would
exhibit an improved apartment and said that.
thanks Commissioner Hynes and the architects,
the prisoners would have accommodations
superior in many respects TO those in their homes
The first building used for fail in this city
built in 1912 Pearl-st. and Coenties Slip. II
IF and three stories high. The money TO \
build il furnished by the West India Com
pany and for that reason II was called the Com
pany's Tavern Other names for the jail were |
the 'Stedt Herberge'' srd City Tavern This /
also the 'Stadt Hung when court was held. |
When the structure became Inadequate new |
Jail built the fields the present City Hall /
Park. and this the city prison until 1775 when
The new Brdewel was erected In 1885, when the |
population Of this city 2S.5n the old city /
Prison, or Brdewell. just west Of City Hall. had
become dlapidated and was pronounced a nuis |
ance The old Collect Grounds which had been |
made on the site Of pond, selected for the /
Site Of a prison The pond occupied the entire /
space, bounded by White-st- the north. by |
North-st south and by Baxter-st. and |
Elm The outlet Of the pond was at the /
northerly end. about where Centre and White SITS
intersect The pond drained. but the collect |
remained nuisance. When IT was finally hlieo /
IN Il was chosen as site for the prison
John l. Stevens. Of Hoboken. had published a |
book entitled 'tStevens's Travels" in which he |
gave account Of his trip through Asia and the
Holy Land Among the illustrations was one OF
ancient Egyptian tomb This illustration SO
impressed the committee which had the matter Of
new prison under considerable that il reported
in favor Of building for that purpose in the plan
Of the Egyptian tomb and suggested the name
The Tombs." The building was completed ana
ready for OCCUPANCY in 1895 One of the first in
kullzsn q professional criminal who was visited
often while he was in the City Prison by hand-
some woman whom he married in the prison hall
q few hours before he was sent 10 Sing Sing The
wedding tour was made in smoking car to sing
Sing
The next man OF Importance to enter the pIisoh
John . Colt the murderer Of Samuel Adams
His trial lasteC days and in That TIME MS
friend Caroline Henshaw, attracted as rnuch al
tention as the well to do murderer IL was 'ne
doomed mans desire that ne be allowed TO marry
her before hanged. and, agreeable 10 MS
wish. the ceremony was performed at NOUN 'h
the fatal day-the execution being fixed four hours
later. The bride was attired. according to an &C
count published a that time, in a straw bonnet
green shawl claret colored cloak, trimmed Win
red and a man She was accompanied Dg
Colts brother and John Howard Payne, the author
OF Home Sweet Home. The Rev MI arthur
performed the CEREMONY When the honeymoon o.
one hour was over the woman went away and the
prisoner asked TO left alone until his time was
up His wish respected Just as the cioch