Washington telegraph., 1859-03-30
THE FIRST STATE PRISONER.
81 nslxr rH0nurnx.

I landed in New York June, 1874, by
trade "a ROACH nail maker, in the I'D year
Of my age. In October following, (at
that time the Park was ont Of town, aud
only 10000 inhabitants with ten thuus-
aud fools, some bigger and sJue smaller
tHau myself, we stood Watching ti:p yIbra-
1igus Of the rape aud iron hook, duriug
two loug hours. Then the sheriff stood
ON the scatyII and read "a repric,e /
confess / was much disappointed; L ex-
per,ed O. see hanging, bat no hanging
was there
TIe u-an was Nosh GardEcr lie kept
a. lar-c shoe store Ia New York; he cuuI-
Iui.tcI forgery, which, at that time, WAS
death. hy tEe laws ol these United States.
The State prison Of New York was ln tie
course Of erection at this time; this was
tire first prison. erected In the world Tor
reform. instead Of hanging. The Society
oI Frieats were the chlci promoters oi
this lui.aue system Oac room IN the
prison was rcldy 20 receive cr.mIuais--
The Friends procured from the Governor
=. communication from death to thc Siute
prison Tor iie-
Bcia.. slaocu,akcr ly trade, they gave
him Il stool, wax, lasts, and avis, and here
commenced the State prison shoe m7nn-
factory. Next court, six vasobouds we're
sent tAkecp hiw company, whom ne Learn
I'd 10 make Shoes / visited TIE PRISON
three years .gficT this. Ia one iarge rooai
sat three hundred >hocmaSers- Aoah was
provost usa,>ha!. walking through the
ranks with caue Jn !.aud, Furnishing evil
Lscrs aud praisiu- them that did well
Seven wears having passed over him, the
Friends waited ou the Governor
Friend, said they, " seveEyears ago
Won would have hur.. this maa-nuw here
is reformed member saved to society
lie received an unconditional pardon
and came out The Friends found ham
store On Pearl street, found hin money
indpr~ed his notes, aud gave him theIr
custom. Immediately be Was ina thrN =
inc way. He. Joined the Society oi
Friends. and said thee and thou with the
best of them. He had a wife, and eLil-
drgu arrived at maturity.
Ills iourrcvuCa were chiefly u:cu oi
family. and wrought at their own houses.
One day he gave 20 nlan . DaIr ct ooo's.
"Ngy. friend" said he, "thec must
bring home these boots on the evening q
the fourth day" Says he, "yOu shall
have them .,
The boots did not come home until the
evening OF the fifth day. Noah was wroth'
ITs cave the man a long lecture ON the
Ill. of disappointment aud want OF pune
lit WSen he drew mp to breathe,
zhe man replied; ,...,
Sir. ] am poor man-nave my, t"Ie'
children, the youngest iorty-sisns l nout. S'ai
IA had to attend 10 my wite anu cooI '..
Tor ms children. 1t was no. IN my powg' wy,
"a finish the boots sooner. Noan III. S;-
[.,ntinged to magnify the horrors ot a,s
erpointment. The man grew angry tn'
Scotch blood boiled in his vein, he strue
tbe eoantcr with his fist ike s'eus'
hammer. and answered:
al know" said be, ." its terrible thine
10 be disappointed remember goinff
up to the Park to see you hung auu
never was so Disappointed IN ny INC d.
when saw the reprieve.
Now this was a knock down argument
nc an Trishman would say. 1t was c&st
In point. as they Eould say ~ court aho
n fact. beyond all controversy, as tney s@s
in Congress. Noah was dumb, ne opeIe.
not his mouth. He gave the man another
pair to make, kept him in his employ nen,i !,
treated him kindly, but as the man said
he never heard the word disappointment
drop from his lips thereafter.
Noah went on prosrering and to pros
per. One. day he borrowed various sum
Of monsy,&hd obtained number of in il
dorseme1ts.. The bills he changed To-
cold; the Endorsements he got shaved II
Wall street. That night he was Oh 10
parts unknown, taking with him dea
eistar. the wife of a young man, to ehee
him on ais way. The story is true % TN %.
letter. and being the first subject OF STAT
prison reform, the day dreamers Ot TN