FULL TEXT: When the good woman of Ludlow street died last week the debtors in the county prison mourned. Two score of there are victims of their own mistakes or the vengeance of their ex-wives The warden’s wife, Mrs. Sullivan was a woman with a big heart. Her acquaintance with the prisoners consisted only of seeing them at exercise. In the hollow square made by old Ludlow’s walls. Sometimes prisoners fell ill and she sent dishes from her kitchen to them Now that there is no woman in the jail they miss the sight of her moving about in her dining room the windows of look out on the court
One-fourth
of the civil prisoners there have found
that there is one woman too many
for comfort in their worlds. These are the five alimony prisoners locked up
because they have failed to pay the weekly or monthly allowance which the court
has fixed for their divorced wives.
Each
of the five subject to three months’ imprisonment. Then he may go free. It
happens that the alimony due from each of the five is under $500. If it was
more than that sum he could be kept in custody for six months
The
debts for which a man may be put in prison for a limited period now may be
classed as follows:
For
alimony due being adjudged in con tempt of court for not having paid it.
For
breach of promise, of a debt of honor which has so often been paid by a wedding
in court of Ludlow Street Jail.
For a
debt shown by execution where a conversion of property or a charge of fraud is
involved
For
wages to a domestic servant.
For
fines imposed by National Guard on its members.
These
five classes of debtors constitute the little colony which occupies the cells
set aside for civil prisoners in Warden Sullivan’s gloomy household.
Most
of the prisoners remain in jail because they cannot got bail demanded or pay
the judgments them. Some really can pay but have sequestrated their property
and are content to stay out the time of their important as a matter of spite or
obstinacy. Serving the period of imprisonment does not release their property
from the execution that stands against it but a man cannot be made to serve
more than six months at the outside for a debt if an ex-wife waits until the
alimony exceeds $500 she can imprison her former husband for six months. If the
amount be under $500 she can only put him away for three months.
The
life of the civil prisoner differs from that of prisoners accused or convicted
of crimes They are expected to pay for their own sustenance if they are able.
In order to get his meals at the expense of the county the civil prisoner must
make affidavit that he is unable to support himself during his imprisonment. If
he has money of his own or his friends have some at his command he may have as
many luxuries as he wants to buy; that is everything but liquor. The law says
that only cider and that quality of beer called table beer may be brought into
a jail for the use of a person confined therein, unless on the prescription of
a physician who declares that other liquor is necessary to the health of the
prisoner.
All
the civil prisoners now in Ludlow Street Jail are county fed. They have made
oath that they cannot support themselves, and just now the jail has not a
single star boarder of the type it has held to often. But they have some
luxuries bought with money sent to them by friends. Jars of preserves and
jellies are found in some of the cells. One of the prisoners is very fond of
potted chicken and always has several cans of it. Another has a friend who
indulges his taste in good cigars and keeps the Havana article in hermetically
sealed jars, in which the cigars retain their moisture and freshness.
Selling
liquor to the civil prisoners was common not so long ago. The saloon-keeper who
did the bulk of the business made a very clear trail for the officials to
follow when they discovered what was going on. For advertising purposes this
saloonkeeper had his name blown into the glass of the flasks which he supplied
to the prisoners. When the cells were ransacked all those bottles were
witnesses against him. At present the rule against liquor is strictly enforced.
A conviction of permitting it to be smuggled in would be equivalent to the
forfeiture of the Sheriff’s office.
The dean of the prisoners’ corps at present is William Real
de Krafft, who has been there since there since June 20, 1903. He is an
exceptional case. The action against him has not been brought to trial. As a
charge of fraud is involved in the civil suit he was required to give ball for
his appearance The bond was fixed at $1,000 but he has been unable to get it
and has stayed in custody. If judgment should be taken against him in the
action he can be kept in jail for not more than six months. Krafft is 62 years
old. He wants to get his case to trial oven if he loses it, because that will limit the time of the
imprisonment. The plaintiff is Otto F. Besse of Jersey City who says he
entrusted $50 to Krafft to invest in stocks for him.
Mr.
Krafft tried to get out a while ago and made a letter which he got from the
plaintiff the basis of an appeal to the court. Mr. Besse’s niece was about to
be married and he sent an invitation to Krafft. Krafft was hurt at this method
of exulting over his loss of liberty. But he didn’t succeed in winning the
decision of the court.
Krafft
is chairman of the committee which welcomes newcomers to the prison. The
alimony crew flock by themselves, as they have common sympathy to
exchange. Vincenzo Golletti is the
senior of three. He has been in since Dec. for falling to pay $120. Then came
William J. Shaw to join the colony row Years was just over when William T.
Mealy arrived Paul A. Perry came next. The latest arrival was John W. Ball who
has in just a month.
Of
those are in because of executions unsatisfied by their property and for which
there are E. Cosgrove has the largest sum against his name. He is related to an
influential Tammany politician but an the judgment was for a $15,000 was
demanded and in lieu of it He is serving
six months. He’ll get out time for the Saratoga season.
A
slender boy of 22, who is raising a black beard during confinement is James A
Garfield a nephew of the late President Garfield a fortune. One of his
transactions with Benjamin L. Turner resulted in an execution against him for
$2,500. Friends have been to get him out. If they do not succeed he will not be
liberated until Aug. 17.
The
soldiers might called transient guests are usually out in three days at the
longest arrests am to failure to fine imposed for delinquencies. Last week
Warden Sullivan entertained two soldiers from the Ninth Regiment and one from
the Twelfth.
In former administrations it was extraordinary for the star
boarders who could afford to pay their way to eat at the warden’s table. The
rate of board was pretty big sometimes, the prisoners was mulcted for all he
could pay. Amendments to the code and a stricter enforcement of rules have done
away with the table. A warden may not charge any fee for sending for food which
a self-supporting prisoner may want.
[Theodore Roberts, “Ludlow St. Jail as I saw It From the
Inside,” The World (New York, N.Y.), Jul. 6, 1913, magazine section, p. 5?]
[463-7/26/21]
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