Putnam patriot., 1921-08-05

the entrance to the mine These
buildings were surrounded with
wooden palisade mounted with iron
spikes. Twelve years later the pals
ade was torn down and a strong wall
of stone twelve feet high was built
in its place.
The prisoners helped build this wall
and when il was completed they were
/ invited 10 take part in the celebration
that was held in honor Of its compile +
ton.
At the celebration one prisoner
offered as his toast to the wall, May
it be like the walls of Jericho and
tumble down at the sound Of a rams
horn"
Several buildings Of brick and
stone were soon erected inside the
wall These contained apartments
for cells. a chapel. a hospital. kit
chen, cooper shop, a shoe shop,
wagon shop, blacksmith shop,
treadmill and quarters for the officers
and guards.
Here for the next quarter Of
century Connecticut confined her
couvicts Loaded with chains during
the day they toiled in the shops above
ground or trod the steps of the dread
ed treadmill At night in their clank-
ing letters they descended the shafts
to the dungeons below and there
awaited the return of day. There,
young and old, first offenders and
lifelong violators Of the law. congre-
, gated in the darkness TO invent mis-
chief. learn wee and plot crime 1t
is no wonder that they were more
, likely to become worse criminals than
, they were 70 be restored TO society
reformed and valued citizens. If
they neglected their work or their
duty or were offensive in their con-
duct they were hogged like beasts,
, confined in stocks, loaded with extra
chains, or suspended by the heels. Re
bellions, instructions, and breaks for
/, liberty were frequent. AT one time
thirty prisoners in the nail shop. at a
+ signal which had been previously
, agreed upon. unlocked their fetters
with keys that some of them had made
from pewter buttons upon their
, clothes, and without warning furious
/ ly attacked their guards. The swords
, and bullets of the guards we're too
, much for them Their leader was
killed and the rest soon surrendered.
In spite Of the supposed security
, many prisoners managed to escape.
, some of them in ways almost incredi-
Bile. One man actually dug his way to
liberty from the cellar of the guard
house by tunneline under the prison
: wall and coming 60 the surface out
. side at some distance away.
The unsatisfactory condition Of
the prison and It's bad reputation
, caused much criticism and aroused a
strong sentiment against IT, The peo-
pie Of Connecticut demanded that the
, prison should be abandoned and that
. the state should erect another Of a
! more modern and humane type. Con
] ssquently. prison Of this type was
/ built at Wethersheid In September
1927 the prisoners were transferred
. to their new home and the horrors Of
/, Newgate became a thing Of the past.
Abandoned to the weather the walls
, and workshops have since been slowly
I crumbling away. Their substantial
nature. however, viii cause them to
+ last for long years TO come While
the dark caverns below will change
. but little with the passing of the cen
turtles. the ruins will be an object Of
: interest and wonder To thousands Of
> visitors.
r Our Imagination and our sympathy
r for those who have suffered there
= cause US to shudder a. We descend the
= ladder into the gloom, and with torch
. in hand begin the further descent
, through long, damp, winding passages
/, into the chambers Of horrors, where
/ men once entered, not for a visit Of a
few brief minutes, but for months and
years. and perhaps for life. As our
, eyes seek 10 peer into the darkness
. around us and beyond a.. as we speak
and then listen 20 the hoarse and hol-
, low reverberations that come back 10
our ears from the rock walls OF the
caverns, as We think Of what those
walls would say IL they had tongues.
/ as our lungs All with the dank air Of
the pit, we wonder how men ever
, breathed il for years and lived. But
as we stand and think Of what took
place there a hundred years ago, We
, also feel a sense Of gratitude, and a
throb Of pride and JOY that such
scenes have passed from Nswgate and
, from Connecticut forever and that
they are no longer possible anywhere
: in our land.