The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1914-07-22
And Is Surrounded BY Ev-
cry Luxury.
NOW UNDER SENTENCE TO DIE
Sing Sings First Female
Prisoner Lives Elegant.
ly In ID Rooms.
WARDEN At LOSS WHAT TO DO

has revealed that Mrs Madeline Fee
rola, condemned to death in the
electric chair for the murder of a
faithless sweetheart, is living in a
palace connected with Sing Sing
prison. literally with "vassals and
serfs by her side" This is no dream
by the young woman-it is only too
painfully true for the pleasure of
the Bronx taxpayers.
The investigation shows that Mrs.
| Ferola has fourteen-room house.
with three bath rooms, a cook, two
matrons, three keepers and gard
ner at her command. Until Mrs.
Ferola came to Sing Sing she had
lived in the most modest circum-
stances.
Justice Vernon NJ. Davis of the
| Supreme Court sentenced Mrs. Fero-
la to death for having fatally stab
bed the man who had failed to mar
ry-her after promising to do so. 1t
| the new Bronx county, and was the
! first instance of a woman being con-
victed of first degree murder and
the first in that young county of a
convicted murderer being commit
ted to prison to be put to death.
Apparently the clerk of the new
l Il, IA hot
has no provision for women prison.
ers, that women cannot be kept in
the death-house, and that all women
convicts are sent to Auburn prison,
where there is woman's depart
ment.
James NJ. Clancy was warden of
Sing Sing month ago when Mrs.
Ferola arrived there in the custody
of two guards. The law specifically
states that no woman shall be har-
bored in Sing Sing prison. Mr.. Clan
cy, however, felt he must obey the
courts order that he keep Mrs. Fee
rola and put her to death the first
week in August.
Not long before this, 'P. X" Con-
naughton, famous old principal
keeper of Sing Sing, had died. For
many years he had occupied a resi-
dence of fourteen rooms and three
baths across the road from the main
entrance to the prison. 1t was sup
Mr.. Clancy decided that was the
only place in which, under the law,
he could keep Mrs. Ferola. He had
to purchase furniture for the big
house, including table linen and sill
yer and bedding. AS keepers, or
guards, work only s hours a day, he
had to assign three guards to see
that the prisoner did not escape.
The State law stipulates that only
matrons shall come in contact with
women prisoners. and as the law
permits prison matrons to work
twelve hours a day, Mr.. Clancy had
to employ two matrons.
Matrons are not supposed to cook,
and therefore the warden had to
employ cook for Mrs. Ferola. This
meant cook stove, refrigerator and
full kitchen equipment. Then two
or three men prisoners. known as
TRUSTEES" We're assigned to keep
the large lawn, the fence and the
outside of the house in order.
When Mr.. Clancy voluntarily re-
signed as warden his successor
could find nothing else to do with
Mrs. Ferola In fact. the investiga-
ton shows that convicts do most of
the housework i'm the old COnnaugh-
ton house, even waiting on the la
BILE, at which Mrs. Ferola. under
sentence of death. dimes in state.
Another convict Is said to have been
assigned to do the laundry work.
The efforts and time of the cooks
are limited to preparing dishes that
appeal to the palate of the only
woman prisoner of Sing Sing. One
OF the matrons has been with Mrs.
Ferola constantly to see that no
harmful influence touches her. The
one on the day shift eats with her.
The one on the night shift prepares
her bed and bath for her.
The three keepers are supposed
to patrol the large lawn to see that
Mrs. Ferola does not try to escape.
SO far she has made no effort to get
away from the large sirloin steaks.
the chickens and the fresh vegeta-
bles that the investigators say are
being served in the connaughton
house.
As Mrs. Ferola has appealed her
case II seems that she has a lease
on this high life" with multitude
of earvants for nj least A WAR and a