The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-12-21
TESTIMONY IN PRISON LINGO
ACtt SEQ AND WITNESSES iIL
SING SING CONIIJTS.


WHITE PLAINS. Dec 20 1t developed
to-day at the trial before County Judge
Plat Of John Clark, John d. Lucca
and Arthur lyons. Convicts in Sing
Sing prison. who were tried Jointly
for a murdprous assault on Herman
Miller. also convict, that the attack
worked n reform in the imprisoned man.
Miller who is serving twenty year
sentence for killing one man and wound
ing another in Manhattan. had his skull
fractured bv hammer blow and
one effect of this injury was change
for the better in the prisoners nature.
lie was tho prosecuting witness IN the
trial TO-DAY
II also Developed that Clark de lucca
and Lyons had got legal advice from
Albert r Patrick. who was convicted of
numbering Ric" IN" ihrc" prisoners
frequently suggNuci questions for their
two lawyers to ash the witnesses.
Tn" court room presented strange
appearance whom sixteen conviCts. all
heavily -harklcd shuf1'cd into tho room
under guard Of Warden John 8 KENNEDY.
state Detective jackson. and "A squad Of
Ncpp"rs to testify "iih"r for or against
the defendants Th" couvicts wore ordi-
nay cloth". aud n va. noticed that their
| hair prisoners har j. not cropped
! CLOSELY nowadays wa comhrd IN various
-'vl"-
Miller testified that the attack ON him
! had been brought about by quarrel fol
! lowing he attcnpt of de Iucca to have the
/ DAYS for shaving the prisoners changed
/ De l.urra wanted the shaving dCne on
/ Mondays and Thursdays instead ot Tues
! davA and McGur.davs. The witness said
I that dc Iucca and Louis An'rolld. ccllmate
! of Miller. Gudrrcl"d and that Autrolla
/ seized an trol bar white working IN the
I brush factory and tried TO get Il, ii" luCca.
Miller said he '"Ip"d the keeper to- take
the tar frumhi- Crilmatc. In the struggle
Mllcrwds nit ON the head with a hammer.
! Dr Harry M"irn"s, of the prison tc~ii-
3 fed that Miller now wears silver plat"
to cover np the hole ia his skull
Nuch of the prison lingo used 10y The
convict- was revealed IN tn" testimony
Of the witnesses for the state. For eV-
ample, the prison physician Is lUown ~
4 H." stir CruaNrr." the principal deeper
as the "P Is. Warden Kennedy as the
man screw" and the keeper a. the
I screw.
Joseph kallos. who Is serving time for
grand larceny. testified that after Miller
! was knocked unconscious de l.ucCa
} kicked him IN the face
! George Davis, Il negro serving lilo
eontrpC" for murder, swOrC that Clark
ran up to Miller and Cracked him on the
/ top Of his head with IA claw haminc".
James Wilson. Colored IT, fuy highway
robh"ry. testified that he had learned thnt
/ the fricud- of the three couvIct> on trial
had formed a conspiracy to xiii him ii
ne took the witness stand against tn, III.
I II saw de luCca and Miller cllnCh. the wit
ness said, and tn'u Clark went to "a drawer
/ IN IN" shop and getting "A hammer struck
Miller on the head. He fen to tn" floor
and Clark thrcw the hammer at him.
] turned my back.
"Why did You turn your back" ASSIST
ant District Attorney Davis asked
Wilson rolled his eyes and answered
"ReCause II was such a cruel cowardly
act
DO You know Albert 7. Patrick"
/ counsel for the defendants asked
81 sure do" the negro replied.
I De l.ucca took the stand IN his own de
! fence, hut his examination was not ended
! when Judge Plat adjourned the trial
until Friday. DE LuCCa said that Miller
! tried 20 stab hIm aud that Clark struck
him with the hammer To save him and
restore discipline.
/ Tho evidence showed that there are
different convict circles in Sing Sing
prison and that there was bitter feeling
between the Miller gang and the men of
whom clark was the leader Clark will
! testify that he and DE IucCa were trying
/ To make better men of the ConviCtS and
to keep the first termers from the bad in
, iu'nce of the hardened criminals. Clark
' - serving four Years for larceny. De
I.uoCd was sentenced in February. 1875.
To serve fifteen years for highway rob
Dr-V
ne trial of the convicts il con-
ductcd inst the same AZ If they were free
men. If convicted they may have fif-
, teen years added To the terms they are
INC