Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-12
NUMBER 6.
The First State Prison.
BY GRANT THORBURN.

BY GRANT THORBURN.
I landed in New York. June, 1854, BIZ
trade rough nailmaker, in the 22d year Of
my age. In October following, Cat that
time the Park was out of town, and only
80, 600 Inhabitants, J with ten thousand fools
some bigger and some smaller than myself,
we stood watching the vibrations of the rope
and iron hook, during two long hours .--
Then the sheriff stood on the scaffold and
read repsieve. I confess was much dis
appointed | expected to see hanging, but
no hanging was there. 49,,
The man was Noah Gardner. He kent
a 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 the
course Of erection at this time this was the
first prison erected in the world for reform.
instead of hanging. The Society of Friends
were the chief promoters of the humane
system. One room in the prison was near
ready to receive criminals. The Friends
procured from the Governor Communication
from death to the State prison for life.
Being shoemaker by trade. thew gave
him stool, wax, lasts, and here connenc.
ed the State prison shoe mandatory
Next court, six yagabonds were sent to keep
him company, whom he learned to make
shoes. / visited the prison three years af-
ter this. In one large room sat three hun
dred shoemakers-Noah was provost mar
shall, walking through the ranks with cane
in hand, furnishing evil doers and praising
them that did well. Seven years having
passed over him, the Friends waited on the
Governor. Friend said they, .'seven
years ago you would have hung the man
now here is reformed member saved to
society," 'ss re 1853 lseF
He received an unconditional pardon, and
came out. The Friends found him store
on Pearl street, found him money, endors-
ed his notes, and give him their custom
Immediately 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
| lily, and wrought at their own houses
One day he gave to man pair of boots
tNow friend" said he, ssthee must bring
home these boots on the evening of 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
He gave the man a long lecture on the evils
Of disappointment and want of punctuality
| When he drew up to breathe, the man re-
Piled:
''Sir, l am poor man-have three chill
dren-the youngest forty eight hours DID,
I had to tend to my wife and cook for my
children. It was not in my power to finish
the boots sooner" Noah still continued to
magnify the horrors Of disappointment.
The man grew angry; the Scotch blood
boiled in his veins he struck the counter
with bis fist like sledge hammer and an
swered: F..s..
II know" said he ''it's terrible thing
to be disappointed / remember going to
the Park to see you hung, and never was
so disappointed in my life when saw the
reprieve.'' a.t
Now this was knock down, as an Irish
man would say. 1t was case in point, as
they would say in court and fact beyond
all controversy, as they say in Congress.
Noah was dumb, he opened not his mouth
He gave the man another pair to make, kept
him in his employment, treated him kindly !:
but as the man said, he never heard the
word disappointment drop from his lips
thereafter
Noah went on prospecting and to prosper.
One day he borrowed various sums of mon
ey. and obtained number of endorsements.
Tho bills he changed for gold the endorse
ments he got shaved in Wall street. That
night be was off for parts unknown, taking
with him dear sister, the wife of Young
friend to cheer him on the way. The story
is true to the letter. and being the first sub
ject OF state prison reform, the day dream
ers Of the present time may settle the ques-
ton, whether hanging Oh state prison re-
form is the surest way of curing a consum-
mate william. His family and friends new
er heard from him.
IHE SULTAN AND HIS CREDITORS. A
Constantinople letter in the NoureNiste, of
Marseilles, says A demonstration took
place few days ago. on the part of the
persons who supply the palace, and whose
accounts still remain unpaid. The Sultan
was on his way from Top Hane, where he
| had breakfasted, to the palace of Dolma
Baktche, when he was met by an assem-
blage of nearly three hundred creditors.
who crowded around the imperial corteec
calling for justice. The first movement Of
the Sultan, at finding himself surrounded
by this crowd, who were utterine loud
cries, was to lay hold of the hilt of his sa-
bre but. soon discovering the pacific char
acter of the demonstration, he ordered that
three of the creditors should be delegated
to call on Haki Bey. who should that verv
evening receive the necessary orders on th.
subject of the claims. The following day
three OF the creditors waited on Haki Bey.
who sent them to Rizza Pasha, the presi,
dent OF the commission formed for the set.
tlement of the accounts of the civil list.
but which only held one or two sittings for
forms sake. Rizza assured them that all
their accounts should be paid, but at pres
ent funds were wanting. Meantime, many
OF these unfortunate men, who were press
ed by their own creditors, have been oblecl
TO suspend payment, and several of them
have been completely ruined. A similar
demonstration was made two days after, by
the Workmen of the imperial buildings,