The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-06-21

STATE PRISON CHARACTERS.
A correspondent, Of tho Boston Mail,
having visited the Massachusetts, State
Prison, gives the following brief notices Of
characters no then encountcred:--
That sober looking old man, with the
sharp grey eyes, aud the insipid smile on
his countenance, who walks along from one
side Of tho yard 10 the other, and who eel
dom can muster courage to liit his eyes to
n ssranger's face, 10 Seth Perry, who some
three years ago, was sentenced to death for
tho murder Of three men st Dartmouth,
Plymouth CO., but whose sentence was
commuicd 10 incarceration for life. He 10
out taking M airing in the yard, and car
ries his pass-ticket in his hand. Tho ex-
iernal world has closed its portals against
him; but il has not taken away from him
the power Of repentance for bis crime
Would legal retaliatory murder, in this
instance, have constituted such lasting
example % his presence has done during
his confinement herei Would tho violent
impnlsions Of an unrepsntant spirit into tho
presence Of the Great Judge have yielded
more satisfaction to the feelings Of IN In
jured commonwealth, than the knowledge
which time has elected, that repentance
has been expressed, and every hope favored
that the feeling 10 genuinc2-Lct the I'd.
vocstes Of capital punishment answer these
questions. This man 10 . cooper in the
prison. and good workman. Phisiogno-
mist. land phrcaologist, 10 opioc,) would
each find thcir theories put severely 10 the
test in the case Of Scth Perry.
When looking over the polishing depart
ment. in connection with the cabinet ma
king business in tho prison, we were IT.
tracted BY the appearance ola young man,
apparently about twenty-six years Of sge,
who was employed in polishing On arm
chair. Here NO find him in tho yard,
walking up and down with rapid stride,
his eyes bent towards the ground. What
finc, muscular erect form he has got! il
seems perfect combination Of strength
md agility. There are the media for in
tclliccncc visible On his finely developed
forehead, which directed away from crime
might have constituted him . wise end
honorable citizen. That 10 Albert j. Tir-
rel, the once suspected murderer Of tho un-
fortunate bnt frail Mary Ann Dickford, but
who was declare gnil,iess Of the crime By
tho verdict Of a jury Of his countrymen.-
lie suffers the penalty Of the adultery
which wns supposed 10 have led him, in q
iii If jcnlousy, 10 commit tho fearful act,
and has one vcar ont Of three 10 serve be-
fore the expiry Of his sentence. There is
evidently a nervousness about his motions
TINT does not bespeak peace Of mind. lie
walks rapidly up 70 the wall-movcs few
steps 10 the righs--whecls around abruptly
--progresses 10 tho left, then rapidly turns
half around, and crosses tho yard with =
hurried step. Al the other eide, he goea
through the same manGuvres land, half
way acrors. he suddenly stops and moves
slowly and msiesticslly fos . moment,
when his broken movements recommence
in tho manner described. There 10 q
heavy burden Of thought manifest ia bis
visagc, amounting almost in its expression
To morosencss. How terribly does even
the impnta,ion of crime de(sce the "noblesi
work Of Godr'
That little old man, whose lack lustrc
eve. and vacuous stnrs, bespeak mental alb
erration 10 great degree, and Who stands
Al the corner Of the shed counting and re-
counting his fingers, - . Nova Scotian
named lie Britain. He has been impris-
oued eight ar ten ycars, and remains here
for life, or the murder at q young girl in
The aims house At Cambridge, with chr.
wing knife. Al tho timo the crime Vas
committed lie Drit'.in was m old man,
and Tell deeply IN Ioss with his victim, 10
whom he had made oversmses of marriage.
These werc rejected. and the demon disap-
pointment prompted tho awful idea Of 'nur-
der. He seems 10 be happy enough, il
euddy with robust health, and 10 believe,
comporis himselfas welT ~ can b expected,
taking bis mental defects into considera-
ton; but this denid Of sound Judgment in
his case constitutes The reason Why he sp-
pears happy. No sase man could coniem-
plato IN earthly 'seterniiy Of bondsge, and
bid HE mind 10 II peace.
That fine looking man wbo crosses The
yard with roll q paper ia his hand, end
enters the email wnndeo epectioo adpining
the stone sheds, l. B. c. Taylor, lie pris-
"ner. He 10 msa Of gigantic mind, end
the most exemplary IN manner and-cooduct
of oil the SO7 0n6ossSastss whose fate has
made thsm inmates ofshs prison. We have
prepared brief notice AZ this man, prepsf-
a.ory TO m address delivered by him on
Thanksgiving day, which 10 hope will
create such interest among tho public -
will ultimately cooducs o his relesse. He
10 hero for lie. tor highway robbery. with.
out any peculiar agessvsiioss attached IN
it-has hsss siws ysan in eon6nsmsnt,
snd i nov only 30 years Of aes.
We nov ester the smithy. and observe
)ielDo otout man. nn0apeanflv shout Is