Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-17

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city prison Of New York, better
known as the Tombs, have drawn a
picture OF the institution in their
minds and imagine, in most cases, 1t
is a reproduction OF the famous old
Bastile OF France. The To lbs, as 1t
looms up before the eye of the imag-
NATIVE one is a massive structure,
gloomy and cold In appea rance, and
whose castellated top is its crown OF
terror. Their imagination which Is
kindled simply by the morbid word
"Tombs," Tortrays the famous Bridge
of Signs on the n ,rth and murderers
row on the south. Percons who have
never visited the prison naturally liken
1t to q great mausoleum, where the
inmates are kept in semi darkness,
simply because the name is awe-in'
spring. Strangers naturally sup
pose, after they have read that Harry
Kendall Thaw is incarcerated i'm MUIR
derers' row." near the Bridge of
Sighs," in the "Tombs," that the
wealthy young PittsDurger is Kept
apart from all mankind, These imag-
NATIVE pictures are daubs that cannot
be obliterated from the minds canvas
save by visit t. the prison. The
Tombs Is the most modern and best
constructed prison in the world. The
great, massive pile of white stone,
with its towers. from an archi ectural
standpoint. can be surpassed only by
Il few structures in the city The
Tombs is really a CHEEKY place, well
lighted an ventilated, and persons
possessed of wealth may obtain any
reasonable luxury and comfort while
in prison. The Bridge of Sighs," over
which Thaw walks from the prison to
the supreme court building twice a
day, does not strike terror to the hearts
of persons. The exterior of the bridge
Ia painted a brilliant white and con-
tains four large windows on either
side Its interior is bright and cheer
full and but for the absence of a box
office uninitiated pNrsons while passing
over it's mosaic tiled floor would read
lily take it for an entrance to first
class theater. Thaw has the coziest
cell in "murderers' row." Thaw reads
the paper before breakfasting each
day. About the time he has finished
dressing his breakfa-t arrives from
the Broadway Central hotel. After
partaking of the meal the prisoner
takes his morning exercise by pacing
the upper range keeping this up until
time to enter court. At noon he eats
a luncheon, and after court adjourns
in the afternoon takes shower bath,
after which he is prepared to eat
good dinner that is sent from Delmon-
ico's.
Some Strange Choices
They make queer selections of officers
in New York clubs. For example, the
secretary of the Pen and Brush club
is a drygoods buyer for out-of-town
people. The president Of the Women's
Press club is a doctor and the president
of the Pleiades club, club of literary
theatrical and musical people, is an
insurance agent.
Station Houses Up to Date
Many novel features are embodied in
the plans for the new Tenderloin pre-
cinct station house. 1t is intended to
be a model building, after the style of
which all the station houses In the city
will be constructed in the future. The
entrance is through a driveway to
large central court, from which all
parts of the building may be entered.
In this respect the plan of construc-
ton of station houses in Paris has
been followed. Among the new fea-
lures are a kitchen, dining room and
reading room. A garage has been
planned, with the idea that the auto
mobile will soon take the place of the
old style patrol wagon. There are also
ii 3 y 1llO OSbeAAS'
Pulpit Architecture
Everybody comes to New York to buy
things, and there is nothing on earth
that anybody wants for any use that
can't be found here. A city designer
and builder of church furniture has
now in course Of construction in his
shops two pulpits, one of these, costly
in materials and workmanship, for
church in New Orleans, and the other,
somewhat less expensive, for church
in North Carolina. Pulpits or reading
desks Of ecclesiastical design that may
serve as such can be found in stock in
some variety of styles, but commonly
the pulpit is designed and built to order
for the church in which it is to be set
up. Most commonly the pulpit Is de-
signed by the architect of the church,
though sometimes the designing, as well
as the construction of the pulpit, falls
to the builder of the church furniture,
which is also likely to be the case when
the donor gives the old church new
pulpit. Reading desks of appropriate
designs that may serve as pulplts can
be bought in some styles for less than
800. The most costly and elaborate pull
pits are built Of marble and metals,
the metals used being brass and bronze,
and such pulpits may range up to s2500
and over.
My, What Cutup!
"A friend Of mine who, with his wife,
dwells in a front sixth story apart
ment in Harlem's most fashionable
district, had been greatly puzzled for
two weeks at the appearance Of a
mysterious woman near a fifth-story
window across the street. The woman,
who was apparently in abject misery,
worked and worked at the window al
most night and day. The early hours
of the morning found her there going
through peculiar maneuYers and in
variably her head was bound with
what looked to be a towel. OF course,
everybody in the precinct began to
talk about the woman. Housewives,
Of course, jumped at the conclusion
that her husband had given her a
drubbing such as a New York hubby
sometimes does. My friend unable ia
/ longer stand the awful suspense,
walked across the street the other
/ afternoon and asked the colored jan
itor: "Who occupies the fifth story
front room ?" "An artist boss wa c