of agony at the gallows.

Watson, in his "Annals of New York," says that Cunningham glutted his
vengence by hanging five or six of his prisoners every night, until
the women who lived in the neighborhood petitioned Howe to have the
practice discontinued.

A pamphlet called "The Old Martyrs' Prison," says of Cunningham: "His
hatred of the Americans found vent in torture by searing irons and
secret scourges to those who fell under the ban of his displeasure.
The prisoners were crowded together so closely that many fell ill from
partial asphyxiation, and starved to death for want of the food which
he sold to enrich himself."

They were given muddy and impure water to drink, and that not in
sufficient quantities to sustain life. Their allowance was,
nominally, two pounds of hard tack and two of pork _per week_,
and this was often uncooked, while either the pork, or the biscuit, or
both, were usually spoiled and most unwholesome.

Cunningham's quarters were in the Provost Prison, and on the right
hand of the main door of entry. On the left of the hall was the guard
room. Within the first barricade was the apartment of his assistant,
Sergeant O'Keefe. Two sentinels guarded the entrance day and night;
two more were stationed at the first and second barricades, which were
grated, barred, and chained.

"When a prisoner was led into the hall the whole guard was paraded,
and he was delivered over to Captain Cunningham or his deputy, and
questioned as to his name, age, size, rank, etc., all of which was