The sun., 1919-07-20


w. as the beautiful "veiled muir
deress," and other notorious fe-
male criminals expiated their crimes,
will soon be gone. Its passing recalls
the adventures of its best known
. prisoners and the tragic occurrences
within its marble walls.
The old bastile, which for seventy
nine years has been pretentiously To-
sicated on the crest Of the ridge over
looking the mems prison and the Hud-
lson River, is slowly being knocked to
lpieces. Warden Edward V. Brophy
has wrecking crew tearing 1t down.
jBut the memories of its criminals,
lind some Of their daring escapes, will
live after it.
The temple of tragedy" as 1t was
hften called. must make way for the
J hew Sing Sing prison which is to be
located on the hill. Built of marble
from quarries on the prison premises
in 1870, 1t remained as solid and In
tact until the demolition squad
knocked out the first stone the other
day as 1t was when 1t received It's
first prisoner seventy-nine years ago.
Erected by convicts, 1t was patterned
after a Greek temple, with several
large Gothic pillars on the front,
which gave it palatial appearance.
] In fact It was q model OF architec-
ture. Conspicuously located on the
river front, for generations persons
passing up and down the Hudson
| have mistaken 1t for an attractive
country residence.
The Last Inmate.
Mrs. Madeline Ferola, convicted Of
murder in 1915 in The Bronx, and
sentenced to be executed, was the last
offender confined there. She was re-
moved TO Auburn prison after six
months in the old temple" when the
Governor commuted her sentence to
life imprisonment.
Two other momen doomed to the
electric chair were kept there, but
only temporarily. while q death house
was being prepared for them in the
hospital inside the walls Of the mems
prison. Marie Barberi, who, 1t was
charged, killed Dominica Cataldo. her
sweetheart, In New York city, was
received there July is. 1895. by Warden
Omar v. Sage end stayed three days.
Eventually she got a new trial and
was freed.
Mrs. Martha Place who killed her
stepdaughter, Ida, in Brooklyn, arrived
July IL, 1898, and after two days in
the female prison was taken to the
mems hospital. Eventually she was
executed.
Save for these three condemned
prisoners Sing Sing has had no women
l.A faNn1 In VartG 10
abolished November 16. 1877. under a
special law and sixty-six criminals. In
GLIDING seven murderesses, removed
to Crow Hill penitentiary, Brooklyn.
State Detective James jackson, who
has retired within a year after being
employed at Sing Sing more than
forty-five years. for more than four
years handled female offenders there
when the womens prison was running
full swing. Before his time A. C
Youmans. who is living and active
until this day. was a keeper and re-
calls some OF the feminine malefactors
and the Capers they cut. Detective
Jackson, whose marvellous memory
for faces and facts s'as his best asset
for years In Identifying and recap
turing escaped convicts, wildly re-
members more Of them.
The Yelled Murderess.
Jackson on August 2s, 1873. took the
distinguished "veiled murderess" from
Sing Sing to Auburn lunatic asylum
after she had been kept in the
temple" more than sixteen years
Mary Sharpey, another convict who
lost her reason, was transferred with
her.
Mrs. Robinson came of a wealthy
and prominent Rensselaer, county
family and In a At of jealousy com
mitted murder there. So as to concea
her identity from curiosity seekers sh,
kept her features screened behind 4
heavy veil during her trial and al
ways afterward. Whenever she lief
her cell in Sing Sing to eat. work o
for any other cause she wore he
heavy veil. Persons visiting the fe
male prison who tried to get a looi
at her were consequently frustrated
Long confinement overtaxed he
nerves and her patience and finas!
her reason gave out. But she wor
the veil on her way to the insane
asylum. When she went there wer
stili four murderesses. three OF whom
were prisoners, left behind her. tn
totsi female population OF the prisol