at Sing Sing, near New York. 147 



readily make himself heard by all the prisoners on that side 

 of the building, that is to say, by 400, or one half of the 

 number confined. The turnkeys now open the doors, and a 

 word of command being given, each of the prisoners steps 

 out of his cell into the gallery. They are then fonned into 

 close line, and made to march with what is called the lock 

 step, with their eyes turned towards their keeper, along the 

 passages to the work-shops. On leaving the building, the 

 different divisions or gangs under the several turnkeys, make 

 a short halt in the outer-yard to wash their hands and faces, 

 and also to deposit their tubs and water-cans, which are taken 

 up by another set of prisoners, whose duty it is to attend to 

 the cleansing department of the household. Another party of 

 the prisoners attend to the cooking ; another to washing 

 clothes ; in short, the whole work is done by the convicts. 

 The main body of the prisoners are then marched to their 

 fixed tasks ; some to hew stones, or to saw marble, some to 

 forge iron, some to weave cloth ; while others are employed. 

 as taylors, shoemakers, coopers, and in various other trades. 

 Each shop is under the charge of a turnkey, of course not a 

 convict, but a man of character, and known to be trustworthy, 

 who, besides other qualifications, is required to be master of 

 the business there taught ; for his duty is not only to enforce 

 the closest attention to the rules of the prison, and in parti- 

 cular that of the most rigorous silence, but he has to instruct 

 the men under his charge in some trade. The prisoners 

 when in these work-shops, are placed in rows with their faces 

 all turned in one direction, so that they cannot communicate 

 by looks or signs. Each turnkey has not less than twenty, 

 nor more than thirty men under his charge ; and it is found 

 that one man, stimulated by a good salary, or by other 

 adequate motives to do his duty, and who is duly supported, 

 can perfectly well enforce the3e regulations upon that number 

 of persons. 



The general superintendent of the prison has a most 

 ingenious method of watching not only the prisoners, but also 

 the turnkeys. A narrow dark passage runs along the back 

 part of all the work-shops, from whence the convicts, sitting 

 at their tasks, as well as their turnkeys, can be distinctly seen 

 through narrow slits in the wall, half an inch wide, and 

 covered with glass, while the superintendent himself can 

 neither be seen nor heard by the prisoners, or by their keepers. 

 The consciousness that a vigilent eye may at any given 

 moment be fixed upon them, is described as being singularly 

 efficacious in keeping the attention of all parties awake, to an 

 extent which no visible and permanent scrutiny, I am told, 

 has the power of commanding- 



At a fixed hour, eight I believe, a bell is rung, upon v 



