Within Prison Walls: being a narrative during a week of voluntary confinement in the state prison at Auburn, New YorkOsborne, Thomas Mott
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Within Prison Walls: being a narrative during a week of voluntary confinement in the state prison at Auburn, New York
Osborne, Thomas Mott
Auburn Prison; Prisoners -- New York (State); Prisons -- New York (State)
Each man grasps with his left hand the handle of his heavy iron bucket
filled with the slops and sewage of the night. I do the same; and steady
my steps by running my right hand along the iron rail as I hurry down the
gallery after the others. It is a long journey to the farther stairs, but
it is made cheerful by the smiles on the upturned faces of the prisoners
in the corridor below. When I have taken my place in line at the foot of
the iron stairs, I find further satisfaction in the nods and winks of
encouragement from the men gathered about the doorway, at whom I glance as
much as I can without turning my head. I rest my heavy bucket on the
ground while waiting for the company to complete its formation, taking
meanwhile deep breaths of the refreshing morning air. It is another
beautiful, sunny autumn day as we look out into the yard.
A sharp rap of the Captain's stick on the stone pavement, and we stand at
attention, the handle of each man's bucket in his right hand. Two more
quick raps, and we "short-step" out of the building and then "full-step"
down the yard. Our route is the same as that of yesterday afternoon. We
meet many other companies returning. We march down to the extreme
southwest corner of the prison inclosure where is the small brick
building which serves as a sewage disposal plant. It seems to be very well
arranged for its purpose. As we reach there our ranks divide, entering by
two doors, and we march through almost at full speed. I watch my comrades
and do exactly as they do; remove the bucket cover upon entering the
building; empty the contents into a large circular stone basin, or hopper,
into which a stream of water is constantly pouring; pass on quickly to a
second basin and fill my bucket at its stream of water; rinse the bucket
as I walk along and discharge the contents into a third stone basin with
its third stream of running water. It must be confessed that there is a
minimum of smell and nastiness; but what a medieval system! The sewage of
1,400 men simply dumped into the river, which flows just outside the
walls, and carried along to poison all the towns and villages downstream.
After thus emptying and rinsing the buckets we leave them to be
disinfected, aired and dried, upon some wooden racks where each company
has its allotted place. Then we march back up the yard, meeting many other
companies laden with their buckets on the way down. The march back is very
pleasant and I wish it were longer, as exercise in the fresh air and
sunlight seems to soothe the tired nerves. By the time we are back at the
north wing I am feeling in good condition and ravenously hungry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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