The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-07-02
The First States Prison Bird.
BY GRANT THoRBURN.

l landed in New York, June, 1884,
by trade rough nailmaker, in the 22d
year Of my age. In October following,
l went up to the Park to see a man
hung, lat that time the Park was out of
town, and only so 900 inhabitants).
With ten thousand fools, some bigger and
some smaller than myself, we stood
watching the vibrations of the rope and
the iron hook, during two long hours.
Then the sheriff stood on the scaffold
and read repriove. l confess I was
very much disappointed; I expected to
see hanging, but no hanging was there
The man was Noah Gardner. He
kept large shoe store in New York
He committed forgery,w which at that time.
was death by the laws of these United
States The state prison in New York
was building at this time; this was the
first prison erected in the world for re.
form. instead of hanging. The Society
Of Friends we're tho chief promoters of
this humane system. One room in tho
prison was now ready to receive crimi-
mails. The Friends procured from the
governor Communication from death to
the state prison for life.
Being shoemaker by trade, they gave
him a stool, wax, last and avis, and here
commenced the state prison shoe manu-
factory. Next court, six vagabond' were
sent to keep him company, them be learn
ed to make shoes. I visited the prison
three years after this In one large room
sat three hundred sboemakcrs. Noah
was provost marshal, walking through
the ranks with can in hand, furnishing
evildoers and praising them that did
we'll. Seven years having passed over
him, the Friends waited on the governor
Friend" said they, "sevcn years ago
you would have hung this man now
here is a reformed member saved to so.
ciety"
He received an unconditional pardon,
and came out. The Friends found him
a store in Pearl Street. lent him money.
endorsed his notes and gave him their
custom. Immediately he was in very
thriving way He joined the Society Of
Friends, and said thee and thou with the
best of them. He had wife, and chill
His journoymen were chiefly mon of
families, aud wrought in their own hous.
es. Que day he gave a man a pair Of
boots. Now, friend" says he, thee
must bring home these boots on fourth
day evening" Says the man, You
shall have them" The boots did not
come homo till the fifth day evening
Noah was wtoth. lie gave tie man a
long lecture on the evils of disappoint.
mept and want OF punctuality. When
hc drew up to breathe, the man replied ::
y Sir, am poor man have a wife
and three children, the youngest only
forty eight hours old | had 20 attend
on my wife and cook Cor my childen. 1t
was not in my power to finish the boots
sooner" Noah still continued to mag
nifty the horrors of disappointment The
man grew angry his Scotch blood boil
ed III his veinr he struck the counter
with his fist like sledge,hammer. Il
know" says he, it's terrible thing to
be disappointed remember going up
to the Park to see you hung, and | nev.
er was so disappointed in my life when
l saw the reprieve r
Now this was knock down argument,
as an Irishman would say. Ii was a
case in point, as they say in court aud
fact beyond all controversy. as they
say iu Congress. Noah was dumb; be
opened not h mouth. He gave the
man another pair to make, kept him in
employment, treated him kindly, but. as
the man said, he never heard the word
d'soRpoint drop from his lips thereafter.
Noah went "n prosperirg aud 10 pros.
per. One day he borrowed various sums
of money, and obtained number of en-.
dorsements. The bills he changed for
gold the endorsements he go, shaved in
Wall Street That night he was off fol
parts unknown, taking with him dear
sister, the wife Oft young friend, to cheer
him on tie way. This story is true to
the lettor, and being he first subject Of
state prison reform, the day drcamers of
tho present time may settle the question
whether hanging or state prison reform
is the surest mode of curing consum-
mate villain. His family and friends
never heard from him