Читать книгу The New York Tombs Inside and Out! - John Josiah Munro - Страница 14

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After many years of agitation the plans for the new Tombs Prison were prepared and approved during the Strong administration, which went into power on a reform wave in 1894.

The new City Prison contains three hundred and twenty steel cells arranged in four tiers in the men’s and four in the boys’ prison, with parallel corridors. There are forty large cells on each tier, arranged back to back, with all the recent improvements, which consist of running water, electric light, toilet, wash basin, hung table and cot. The new building is said to have cost over one million dollars.

On September 30th, 1902, the old offices on Leonard Street which had been in use since the front building on Centre Street had been torn down to make room for the new structure, were abandoned and the books and other important documents removed to the offices in the new building. This new building, however, was not entirely ready for use, but the first step had been taken and the occasion was hailed with joy. The second step in the entire occupation of the new City Prison took place Tuesday, January 6th, 1903, when the contractors handed over the entire structure to the City authorities and it was formally opened to the public by Mayor Seth Low and Commissioner Thomas W. Hynes in the presence of a number of invited guests. A few days afterwards the prisoners were transferred from the old prison to the new, and the work of demolishing the old Tombs was begun.

When the new Tombs was opened in 1901, John E. Van De Carr was Warden. And a kinder and more obliging man never lived than he. Both under the administrations of Mayors Strong and Low he was the official head of the city prison, and cared for the inmates of the prison as if they were his own family.

For many years the city prison has been noted for some of its semi-official inmates, who lived on perquisites and tips, and one of this class was old John Curran, the official guide of the prison. Old John had served in this capacity for many years, and knew every nook and cranny of the old structure. Roland B. Molineaux had a good opportunity of seeing old John at his best, and has kindly spoken of him in his book, “The Room with the Little Door.” Whenever John waxed eloquent, in describing the places of interest within the Tombs yard, he revealed a strong Irish brogue, that made his descriptions witty. You could not help smiling when you heard John, as he was wont to do, point out the last remaining beam of the old Tombs gallows, on which a score or more of persons were hung. “Gintlemens, thems th’ last and true part of old galleys of New Yark, on which so many famous chaps wint to death.” As he turned toward “Bummers’ Hall” with his visitors in the rear, he would exclaim, “Gints, thems the way to the exodus” as he would point to the back door of the new prison.

Soon after the opening of the new prison John disappeared from history as if the earth had opened its mouth and swallowed him out of sight. Where did he go? No person seemed to know. Mr. Sullivan, who was known as the Captain of the Bum Brigade, and was known as John’s confidential adviser, said that as soon as the old fellow secured his “pile” he vanished. I afterwards learned that John had a daughter living in Maine, and without communicating his plans to any one in the prison, removed thither, where he purchased a farm and now resides, happy and contented, ever and anon dreaming, how he had lived so long in the old Tombs and how he had so long fooled the visitors with his “Corkonian eloquence.”

After John’s disappearance the redoubtable Billy Gallagher added to his already onerous duties of prison messenger, that of official prison guide. After a while Billy learned the “lingo” and became as proficient as a “Bowery drummer” or a Coney Island “barker.” When the Commissioner had learned that John Curran had made a fortune as Tombs guide, he prohibited Billy Gallagher from asking fees for his services. Billy was a favorite with everybody, and could always be depended on for his veracity. Apple Mary who knew Billy for many years used to say, “God bless Billy Gallagher,” to which everybody would say Amen.

Billy Gallagher devoted more time to the Bowery bums who so often infested the ten-day house, and they took advantage of his generosity.

They frequently palmed off on him a lot of “fake” jewelry on the strength of which he paid their fines. After a time Billy had a carpet bag full of tin watches and paste diamonds, on which he had made small loans. Charley Sheridan, who was one of Frank Lantry’s district captains, was “boss” of the ten-day house for several seasons. He was tender hearted and often talked to the fellows from the Bowery and Mulberry Bend in a fatherly way and more than once paid their fines. Of course they “beat” him in the end as they do everybody who trusts them. They go on the principle that they have everything to gain and nothing to lose by a lie.