Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-08-07
Sel&tt aGliisteaang.
THE FIRST STATE PRISONER.
" GRANT THORBURN.

THE FIRST STATE PRISONER.
BY GRANT THoRBURN.
landed in New York, June, 1854, by
trade rough nailmaker, in the 22d year of
my age. In October following, I went up
to the Park to see man hung, Cat that time
the Park was out of town, and only $4,000
inhabitants) With ten thousand fools, some
bigger and some smaller THAI myself, we
stood watching the vibrations of the rope and
the iron hook, during two long hours. Then
the sheriff stood on the scatfold and read a
reprieve confess was very much disap-
pointed I expected to see hanging, but
no hanging was there.
The man was Noah Gardner. He kept a
large shoe store in New York. He commit
ted forgery, which, at that time, was death
by the laws of the United States. The State
prison in New York was building at this time;
this was the first prison erected in the world
for reform, instead of hanging. The Socie-
ty of Friends were the chief promoters of
this humane system. One room in the pris-
on was now ready to receive criminals. The
Friends procured from the governor COM
mutation from death to the State prison for
life.
Being a shoemaker by trade, they gave
him stool, lasts and avis, and here COM
menced the State prison mandatory Next
court, six vagabonds were sent to keep him
company them he learned to make shoes.
l visited the prison three years after this
In one large room sat three hundred shoe
makers Noah was provost marshall, walk
ing through the ranks with cane in hand,
furnishing evil-doers and praising them that
did we'll. Seven years having passed over
him, the Friends waited on the governor
"Friend," said they, "seven years ago you
would have hung this man now here is a
reformed member saved to society" ..
He received an unconditional pardon, and
came out The Friends found him store on
Pearl Street, found him money, endorsed
his notes, and gave him their custom. I'm
medately he was in thriving way. He
joined the Society of Friends, and said thee
and thou with the best of them He had
wife, and, children arrived at maturity.
His journeymen were chiefly men of fam
lilies, and wrought in-their own houses. One
day he gave man 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 home till fifth day evening"
Noah was wroth. He gave the man long
lecture on the evils of disappointment and
want of punctuaity. When he drew up to
breathe, the man replied.
"Sir, I am poor man have wife and
three children, the youngest only forty eight
hours old. I had to tend to my wife and
cook for my children. 1t was not in my
power to finish the boots sooner Noah still
continued to magnify the horrors of disap-
pointment. The man grew angry; his Scotch
blood boiled in bis veins he struck the
counter with his fist like sledge-hammer.
81 know" says he otis terrible thing to be
disappointed. I remember going to the Park
to see you hung, and L never was so disap-
pointed in my life when l saw the reprieve!"
Now this was knock-down argument, as
an Irishmau would say. 1t was case in
point, as they say in court; and fact be-
yond all controversy, as they sayin Congress.
Noah was dumb; he opened not his 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 dis
appoint from his lips thereafter
Noah went on prospering and to prosper.
One day he borrowed various sums of mon
ey, and obtained a number of endorsements.
The bills he changed for gold the endorse
ments he got shaved in Wall street. That
night he was off for parts unknown, taking
with him dear sister, the wife of young
Friend, to'cheerhim on the way. This story
is true to the letter, and being the first SUBJ
ject of State prison reform, the day dream
ers of the present time may settle the ques-
ton whether hanging or State prison is the
surest way of curing a consummate william.
His familvan friends never heard from him.
JIarerIy Magazine.