Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-02-14

Jas. A. GREW.
CLEyELANp, Feb. o, 1862.
jams CRAw, Esqs-DrAR SIR:-As 1
cannot obtain en- interview with you, wish
70 address you By letter. feel called oE to
give public statement Of the matter sbeut
rhieh have fallen 30 deeply under your dis.
pleasure. Bot wish first to address you -
An can DO is TO simply state the facts and
motives Of ny eOufse. When Mr. DAven-
roFt was brought first 70 my room, I was dis
trtH1ed, and felt shocked az the idea Of hav-
ing to room with a iorger. Acquaintance
coon removed thia ! found him q man of
fine intelligence, amiAble disposition, child
Of very pious parents and Of many prayers, a
husband and father, and devotsdly attached
40 bis wife and child. he frankly confessed
The forgery, said be was under the influence
Of liquor or be would not have done it. At
ter some days be pledged me that be would
never touch ardent spirits again. This was
seemingly 90 sincere that believed It. BE
hoped to get out and replace the money and
got of. The hope of this was daily fading.
The PenitentiRry, with its horrors, rose be-
fore him. he sighed deeply over his fate,
and especially over his family. Need l say
was deeply moved for him, greatly pitied
him, and would have trusted bis honor with
the needed sum, could have given it,
Ny theory Of punishment is, first pro-
teot society, then, il possible, reform the
criminal. have felt as much confidence
in the probability Of his reform as in any man
in his circumstances. knew be felt dis
posed to ges away, if be could, and had no
heart to hinder him. To see him 60 three
years 70 the Penitentlary, seemed to me
hard, and told him / could give him no
aid, but would not hinder him if he could
do It. did not suppose was responsible
for the keeping Of the prisoners. Had any
one likely TO iDjure society been trying 10
escape, l would have felt differently, but it
seemed to me his escape would hurt no one,
and perhaps save him from ruin. knew
DR.. Everett did not wish him to 90 TO Co
lumbus, and whilst I never doubted your
faithfulnesss as an officer, knew he had no
bribes to offer a corrupt officer if he had had
sueh. did not suppose if he could escape
by his talents, that you would be the worse
man or Sheriff. To do you an injury 1
never con 1emplated; now do nov believe,
if be had escaped, you would be severely
blamed. When / said / would not have in
formed had | noticed him go out it puts me
in Just the same position as if had done it.
In this now feel, and freely confess, was
wrong. Had it been any body else's COM
pany would not, in his case, have felt so.
As it was my company. and let in on my ao-
count 1t lald me under obligations to save
your prisoner from escape. had not real
/ ly thought OF that till since the occurrence,
and now confess it, and will repair it if you
permit This is all any man can do.
Now, what ask and propose is this Mr..
0dell said the cost of catching him (D.) was
some $50; ifyou will let me leave this aw-
full place and go back to my room, will
pay the bill. ! will cheerfnlly take the
common prison fare, and will publish, In my
article, request that my friends forbear fu-
ture visits: then no such thing will occur
again. had q hundred times rather stay
my few months at my books and desk, and
not see human face, than remain here amid
coarse and vulgar blasphemy one week. If
you desire to punish me, it is already done
severely, and will it benefit anybody to con-
tinue it2 Win it hurt any one to remeve
i2 Whatever may have occurred between
Mr.. 0deI and myself, have always spok-
ed well of you and felt well towards you.
- MNAA ~ ANiSANAlO " AA0 NlAGSo Vi AuF
imprisonment: Two men, the one who ad-
ministered the oath, and the one who trim
med the mems heads, were here last week,
and each let of with $40 fine. lam glad of
their release. But why should be so Sc
Eerely dealt With2 Ny imprisonment up
stairs was closer than any similar case on
record. Hassack and Stout, In Chicago, had
very large Jail bounds. The oberlin men the
same, and | know no exception. But was
fully satisfied with my lot before, and would
be with less now. Ny error really resulted
from the benevslence of my nature toward
a prisoner. To injure you could have no
motive, nor had l the slightest idea of the
kind. To err is human. OF Mr.. Dsvenports
case need say no more. viii publish an
explanation, and, hope, satisfy the public
Should prevail on you to return me to my
room, would prefer to say nothing about
coming down here. Now, will you, at least,
send me an answer, however short, if you re-
luse2 Davenport will soon be tried. Ny
time, If am to remain here, will exceed any
sane man in the Jail in length, and to me the
prospect is awful
Yours truly, G. GORDON: