The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-07-18
by THE MAILS.


NEw-yoRK, JUNE IL.
Nafhdnid Learnusd, OF whom notice hai
been taken Ia the Philadelphia papers, and d
the circumstance OF his pardon BY the Cover.
nor oil Penney lsan'a. is at present in prison ID
this CITY, on charge ofhaviny ielcniously taxi
en- from Mr.. Edward Free. of Philadelphia. u
horse snd gig Of the value Of three hundsed'
dollars. When brought up lie admitted a.
charge to be true, and declared himself VII.
ling 10 s, on TO Philadelphia, and take ~
trial for The offence whenever required. r.
was Committed on The 2alb Of last month, IA
the civil authorities Of PhisdeIphia were II.
formed of the felony and detention; and YES.
!erdsy morning one Of The high conslables %
rb''adelphia arrived aud presented the cxscu..
i've documents requiring him TO be taken 10
that city.
IN tree conversation with one Of the Pc..
lice Magistrates Of This city, Lsarnard stated
minutely the manaer in which he effected The
robbery Of lbe Bank OF Philadelphia. for which
ne had been convicted and lately psrdoneds
but decidedly Denied the charge recently
brought against lin in the Philadelphia pa.
peis, "s his having. 4 few days before be left
Philadelphia, again attempted, by entering 4
public sewer. to rob tina, or any other bank,
insisting that ahsi was Then told him was the
hssthe Knew or heard on The subject.
Learned is .hfewd and capable Of correct
observation. On the Magistrate remarklne,
bow il was possible thai a san Of his ander.
standing, and who had 81 recently been re.
leased ifo" prison, should again and SO soon
place himself ~ situation 10 he recomnii-
ted, anc IN al! probability as long as he hved,
to lhe same prison. (tor now certainly be
could not entertain any hope Of pardon HE
'ep'ied. " that some how Or other when
n'sn Is once in prison he readily gels there
agaIn." How do you account for that ? - He
becomes naufalized 10 the society Of The 9th.
er consicts--does not think them so bad as
the rest Of mankind believes them to be |; be
Is generally. when discharged from prison,
without accent. as was my case had 1, when
discharged, little money. should no: have
thought oi The horse aud chair" Then you
think thai the state prison system as il now is,
is not calculated 10 reform ~ dol am
certain it is not. II instead Of sentencing
nulnDer Of men for several years, and suffer
ing them to associate together, and 6psly
pafdoning them at the expiration of tsoo
three years, they were sentenced for year
or two 10 solitary confinement in cells, and
then discharged without being suffered to q.
sociaie together, am copvinced the effect
would be much more salutary--lhai very few
of them would ever again place themselyes
10 similar situation" Have you not known
eonvcs confined in solitary cells without lls
good effects you speak Of being produced ?
Il have. but Instead OF being discharged when
released from the cells, they have been turisd
loose into the prison with the other conyics'
to serve their times out, which association de-
stroys the effect produced oo their niods l"ns
betoIe they ate Gnally discharged The,
again become hardened and iisens;5le 70
shame"
Those OPTIONS, the result Of experience,
may DE deserving the notice OF Legislator
and Judges. |, will be recolected that ne
Governor OF this state, and other Ch'ei Mag
islrales, have recommended to The Ieslsls-
lures OF their respective states, Tie adoI'o,
OF this system OF solitary punishment, 50 vel
SPOKEN of by this intelligent criminal. Tan