New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-12-07
Tor The Tntune.
Wrongs Done 10 Criminals and their Families

1t was the custom, few years ago, in our
village for the churches to hold meetings ia the Court
hou,o-not because the Judicial tribunal deemed
sanc,ihed by the administration Of justice, love
cy particularly but because villagers poor
somewhat, and churches were scarce, and they pre-
ferred holding gous worship IN the Court house to
running in debt for more sacred sanctuary. The
Court house, for convenience, stood in front of the
jail and the judges bench a rood from the
iron.bound door Of the gloomy looking, heavy, hewn
log buildings where crime and shame were kept and
lodged at the public expense.
The gentlemen las they usually do,) gave the beet
seats 70 the ladies' and the the bar In the jury
boxes and the witnesses stand all looked out at the
cheering PROJECT OF the old jail in the back yard. !
found myself one bright Sabbath morn, fifteen years
ago looking out Of the window at that Old jail, while
listened TO the impressive prayer Of the mniscf who
stood in the place where in the long late hours OF
the night before the Judge the Court had pronounced
the sentence OF imprisonment, for life and hard labor IN
tie penen,iary Of Ohio upon an errng brother man.
Farnestly he prayed Our Father who art in Heaven
halCwed be thy name, thy kingdom come, Thy VIII DC
done on earth NJ il ia Heaven. Give Ne ts day our
daily bread and forgive our debts a. we iorSse our
oeLtcrs Lead US not into ternptaion but GenVer us
lr n evil for thine il tie Kingdom the power ana the
elory-Am.np But while tue minister went on wtn
his sur pic alton, adding to 3nd mn&ng better ulAt so
md IMPRESSIVE atpeal e the Divine Mater, was
engIofsed with sight. and sounds at the door Of the od
all
slowly that door fwung back upon .ts old rusry
hinges. aud d group forth INFO the sunlight TINT
mace my heart IhrOb with sympathy. The vie OF inc
condemned criminal! with I'm infant Of three months
Old followed By .ous crhers the Oldest not apparently
over tsp had come that bbaih morn u LOOK her last
look and ray her lat farewell to the husband oi her
eirhooc-he tather Of her children. the woman wet,
flmost howled in her angulsh the Children soooed
wildly sud the inleLt upon her breast screamed with
horror ar che gra. ped conyulsycly " her breast
Wlas had the man done1 Ia nj OF frenzy he had
murdered bis own child. His wife said religious
citeruent poverty, and sad heart had crazed him.
NeiaLbors swear WIS liquor; and one, girl In the
louse that it only uginoss. Be the what Z
might lie was sentenced t. imprisonment for life AMI
the man who he'd sworn love, cherish and protecp
that woman the man who had taken upon himself the
oa ations Of father, T. be taken by the State oi
ONO from the performance Of all his home duties.
Hi sentence probably WAS just. HIS wife ms chill
Dire D. society demanded protection agairt his violence,
from tie State. Win the sentence itself we ind no
1rulr lot had the Of OHIO the right 10 rob that
wife ard those children Of the labor OF the husband and
fstheis right 20 compel that man 20 hard labor Tor
lie and appropriate ell his earnings u US own use,
thus depriying those 10 whom il eimately belonged
of al aid from this natural protectorf
7 watched that more than widowed woman as she
pseeed slowly from the jail with her little ones aud
wondered how one 20 weak aud trai. go bowed win
sorrow was to support them
Years wore on / asked now and then after the con-
vic,. wife In her lone cabin struggling with poverty
and shame she brought up her children She could not
eend them 70 school she too poor 20 furnish books
end clothes. She taught them that the world bad
wroDged their ater and through him the whole house