The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1919-08-15
WOMEN PRISONERS ES-
CAPPED FROM SING SING

ID OTHER aOTORlOGs ElLEFAcI0Rs
HHOsE rRlHEs HERE exPILTED
THERE.
Sing Sing somen'a prison, where
Mrs. Henrietta Robinson. famed as
The beautiful .Yeiled m1rderess.s md
other notorious female criminals ez-
plated their crimes. iii soon be
gone Its passing recalls the aasen-
tares Of it besL-known prisoners md
the tragic occurrences within It's
marble walls. , sketch of which il
reprinted from the Nex York sun.
The old baalIle. which for 70 years
haH been precautionary located On the
erea4 OF the ridge overlooking the
mems prison and the Hudson river,
Ii slowly being Knocked TO pieces.
Warden Edward V. HEophy haz a
wrseking efeH tearing i down. Hut
the memories of it criminals aud
some OF their daring escapes vii
I've after It.
The temple Of tragedy" as Il vas
often called. must nuke way for Iha
neN Sing sIns prison which Il 10 -.
located on fhs hill. Built Of marble
from qnarTleH On the prison premises
In IE4o, II remained - solid auI m
tact until the demoliti0n squad
knocked out the first zIune the oInsr
daY as Il NaH when i received itH
fri prisoner % year, ago. Erected
b. eonvieta. ! was patterned after
\ Greek temple. with several large
Gothic pillars on the front. which
gave IL a pHIaIlal appearance.
Mra. Madeline FeruIa. convicted oi
murder in 80 in lH@ Bronx. aud
sentenced 10 be executed. was ne
la offender confined there. shs
was removed - Auburn prison alter
AZ months IN the old temple" shen
tie Governor 1ommufsI her senIHHt
to life imprisonment
The other women d4uIned 10 tho
electric chair we're ksul there. tut
onIx temporarily. While death house
W. being prepared foH Them II the
hospital inside the wall Of the nm
prison, Marie BarberI. Nho, Il as
charged, killed DomiuIeo Cataldo. her
sweetheart. n sew YurH city. as
rea.Ised there July l.. Iz95. by Warden
omHT. v. SAGE and stayed three HaYs.
Eventually Hhs got = nss trial and
-. freed.
~ Martha Place. no killed ner
ztapdaaEhter. Ida in brooklyn. ar
rived Inly :. 1895 znd after Ivo
dH.H IN the female prison was taken
10 ne msu.H hospital Eventually
sha Naa exeenIsa
sz.e for these three condemned
prisoners sing Sing - had no
wnuan offenders since the female
prison WIS abolished November II.
lg71. under : special law and 50
criminals. including : mnrdarazHas.
removed IL Crow III PenitenIIafy.
brooklyn
State Detective JaInsz Jackson. .ha
haz retired within . Year after IeIne
employed aI .Ing Sim moro lnan j.
year. for mpTe Than fUnT years I'M
de female offenders there when he
woznen's prison va running fnll
swing Detective jackson, xHnHs
faeIH gas HI best asset for year. IN
identifying nd recanIHTIng escaped
eoHxIets. yiYIdly remembers some af
them.
jackson oa August :. 1873. .ook
AHA# NEA#ZA IuMFHZHZZ#
from sing sing 10 Auburn tuHatIc
asylum after she had been ken IN
the temple more Ilan iG years
MaTy sharreF. another convict she
lozI her reason. vas transferred .Ith
her.
NTa. Robinson came If wealthy
and prominent Rensselaer, county
family and IN NJ o. jealousy aoin-
mIlIed murder there - - 10 en-
eeal her Identity from curiosity
seekers she kept her fsaIures screen
ed bahlnd a heavy veil during her ErIai
and always afterwn1d. Whenever
she left her eel I'm Sin Sing II eaf.
WORK or for ~ other cause she KnTe
her heavy xeII. Persons visiting he
female prison sho tried % get : look
al her were consequently frustrated
Long confinement axsrtAxed her
nerves and hef patience. and finally
her reason EHfe ont III she .0fe
tho veil on her way - the Insane
asylum. When she waHI there xsfn
still four muHdsresaea. three OF whom
were noisOneTH. left behind her. Tha
t0tal female population IF the prIHon
then was Is. which - below he
average of 10.
The most cunning IHIekster err
imprisoned there waa Mary Brown.
aliaa Frances Stanley. zhoplifter md
swInIler.
She arrived. securely handeuHed
June -. 1866. when Judge 8 H. Iahn.
son vas prison warden. The day
she Has sentenced, week previously.
a deputy zherlff was leading her
along the streets in NeH York Irnm
the courthouse 10 the al. 10 b re-
moved to Slng Sing Presently
man Iostled ana tripped him. A he
turned TO rehuEe him IIe officer Iefl
his female charge standing n the
curb. attired n ! blue dress and xeIl
While the deputy sheriff was wranz-
linz With the nasserby another woman
similarly dressed and yelled and
about the same statue u the prison
er exchanged places 18th her md
Mrs. Brown walked away. Finally
the deputy sheriff returned 70 he
veIIe1 woman and ordered her 10
Come along When they had walked
q feN yards. long enough TO enable
the Heal prisoner 10 ct away, he
bogus prisoner started across the
street. The deputy cautiously grabb-
ed her and started pulling her haek
Expressing indignation he woman he
Was .seortlnE lifted heE .eil and ne
depuI. sheriff vas dumlonnded. He
ran back, thinking he could cateh he
escaped swlnIler, but Hne had an
ished and he lost both n them.
MTs. Browns freedom. however.
wa short she was HGeaDtured n
four days in me home II Mrs. Iay
Little, a former Sing sing convict. On
Smith street. Yonkera. Mrs. Little