The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-06-02
The First State Prisoner.

Ianded IN New YORK, June, 1884, By
trade rough nail maker, in the 23d yea
of my age. In October following, (at the
time the Park was out of town, and onl,
some 10000 inhabitants) with ten THOUSAND
fools, some smaller than myself, we stood
watching the vibrations of the rope and hook
during two long hours. Then the sheriff
stood on the scaffold and read reprieve.-
| confess I was much disappointed. / ex
pected to see hanging, but no hanging wa,
there. u-,,.r.... .....r ...
The man was Noah Gardner. He KEEP
large shoe store in New York he com
mitted forgery, which, at that time was death
by the laws OF these United States. The
State prison OF New York was in course O.
erection at this time this was the first pris
on erected in the world for reform, insteat
Of hanging. The Society of Friends were
the chief promoters of this humane system
One room in the prison was nearly ready tc
receive criminals. The Friends procured
from the Governor commutation from death
to the State prison for life.
Being shoe maker by trade, they gave
him stool, wax, lasts, and avis, and here
commenced the State prison shoe manufac-
tory. Next court, six vagabonds were sen,
to keep him company, whom he learned to
make shoes. Visited the prison three years
after this. In one large room sat three hun
dred shoe. akers-Noah was provost mar
shal, walking through the ranks with his
cane in his hand, punishing evil doers and
praising them that did we'll. Several years
had passed over him, the Friends waited on
the Governor. "Friend," said they, "seven
years ago you would have hung this man
now here he is a reformed member of socie.
ty."
He received an unconditional pardon, and
came out. The Friends found him q store
on Pearl street, found him money, endorsed
his notes, and gave him their custom. I'm.
mediately he was in thriving way. He
joined the Society Of Friends, and said thee
and thou with the best of them. He had q
wife, and children arrived at maturity.
His journeymen were chiefly men Of fam.
lily and wrought at their own houses. One
day he gave to man pair of boots. "Now
friend" said he, "thee must bring home
these boots on the fourth day." Says he,
"You shall have them"
The boots did not come home until the
evening of the fifth day. Nosh was wroth
He gave the man long lecture on the evil
of disappointment and want Of punctuality.
When he drew up to breathe the mon replied
"Sir, am poor man-have three chill
dren-the youngest forty eight hours Old
had to tend to my wife and cook for my
children. 1t was not in my power TO fnisE
the boots sooner" Noah still continued t.
magnify the horror of ppointment. The
man grew angry +; the Scotch blood boiled
in his veins he struck the counter with his
fist like sledge hammer and answered:
II know" said he, sits terrible thing to
be disappointed. remember going up to
the Park to see you hung and was never
so disappointed in my life when I saw the
reprieve."
Now this was knock down argument, al
an Irishman would say. 1t was case il
point, as they would say in court a fact be-
yond all controversy, as they would say il
Congress. Noah was dumb. he opened no
his mouth. He gave the man another pail
to make, kept him in his employ, treated hin
kindly, but, as the mon said, he never heart
the word disappointment drop from his lips
thereafter.
Noah went on prospering and to prosper
One day he borrowed various sums of mon
ey, and obtained number of endorsements
The bills he charged 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 cheer him on his way. The story
is true to the letter, and being the first sub.
ject of State Prison reform, the philanthro.
pists of the present time may settle the ques
tion, whether hanging or State Prison re-
form is the surest way OF curing consum
mate william. His family and friends never
heard from him.
/