The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-07-28
BY LEWIS E. LANES

When accepted Walters invitation to do some of his work, l didn't quite know how to start this column: However, as a reader of his works" for many years, I remember ed that some of his articles were headed: Things Never Knew Till Now Perhaps that gave me the idea to call this masterpiece Things Win chell Should Know About Sing Sing.
 Recent tests showed Sing Sing officers have a much higher @. than the inmates. Only one guard at Sing Sing was ever sentenced to serve a term there. He was bribed and aided two bank burglers to es- cape. The following day he was under arrest. and discovered that the convicts had paid him off with counterfeit bills.
 One man, James Dunn, literally "ducked" out of Sing Sing. Some years ago, he secretly constructed a box-like diving helmet made of wood. Then he fastened one end of a hose to it and the other end to a wooden duck, painted to look genuine. He managed to get outside the iron fence and plunged into the Hudson river, with his head in the helmet. The duck kept the hose above the water and enabled the escaping prisoner to breathe while he swan to the opposite shore. The guard observed nothing strange be- cause he had frequently seen real ducks swim past the prison.
 When woman is brought here for execution 1t means that the state is subjected to an added ex- pense of approximately four thou sand dollars. Three matrons must be hired for a period of about nine months to guard the murderess whc is placed in a special wing of the Death House. The expense was much greater in the cases of Ruth Snyder and Anna Antonio, because their final appeals were not dis posed of until about two years af- their their conviction.
 Melinda and Alex Hoag were the only married couple ever imprisoned at Sing Sing. That was about 75 years ago, when women offenders were uuartered here regardless of the offense they committed. Me- linda, a woman of exceptional beauty and charm, was petite and dainty. Her husband was coarse and possessed herculean strength He was quite capable of battering most anyone to pulp. The Hoags used those qualities to good ad- vantage for a time. She would in- vie an apparently wealthy man te her apartment, and at scheduled time Alex Hoag would enter, play ing the role of an outraged hus. band. The guest. usually desirou' of avoiding scandal and perhaps beating, would straighten out tht matter for large sum. The Hoag; were finally arrested when Ale, almost killed man who had origin ally told Melinda he was 8 mil lionaire. yet had no more than ; few dollars with which to settle"
 Many years ago. John A. Cantor an inmate,< peddled pardons il Sing Sing In his heyday, he wa one of the most notorious forger in the United States. When h came to prison he obtained a posi- ton in the record room because h. was an expert penman. For a con sideration he would forge the gov ernor's signature to a pardon ant secure the release of the prisoner His forgeries were so perfect tha officials were easily deceived. Can tor later tried to write his way ou of prison but was detected ant placed in solitary confinement. Sooi thereafter, a politician interviewet him and promised communication for an enormous fee. Cantor turnet over every penny he made iron prisoners whose release he had SC cured. But, in the end, he foun' that he, too, had been duped.
 At one time, prisoners could b received at Sing Sing only if thei terms ended during the summe months. The law decreed that n