The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1866-12-04
The Fir,t STATE ri oner.

+ i0NNE4 EN NHM 1HfH- n Aiii8ts tH8s aH
trade rough NAL maker n the 3d
wear 81 mx age Ih October following
ucntu uptothe parktosea maa huup
"a that lmo the Park was a. 3i town
and the population Wus only 6nn00
With ten thousand fools. SOME bigger
and some smaller than myscH ue stood
watching the vibrations of tao rope aud
the iron hook for two long hams Then
the sheriff stood on the soaa0ld and
read a rcpricye ] confess W8s very
much disappointed. expected to soc q
hanging hut no hahging was there
The man WIS Noah Gardner He
kept large shoe store in New York.
He committed forgery, which it that
time was death by tie laws Of these
United States. The State Prison m
New York was building a this time
TINS was the first prison erected in tho
world for the reform instead of hanging.
The society of Friends were the chief
promoters Of this humane system. One
room in the prison was nowready tore
eeiye criminals The Friends procured
from the governor d Communication from
death to prison for l.fc.
Being shoemaker BY trade, they gave
him a stool, wax, lasts and avis, and here
commenced the State prison mmulac-
tory. Next court, six yagabonds were
sent to keep him company; them he
taught to make shoes.
! visited the prison three years after
this In one large room sat three hun
dred shoemakers Noah was provost
marshal, walking through the ranks with
cane il hand, punishing 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 a man; now here
is a reformed member saved to society.
He received an unconditional pardon,
and came out The Friends found him
a store on Pearl street, found him mon
eg endorsed his notes, and gave him
their custom Immediately he was in a
thriving way. lie joined The society Of
Friends, and said the" aud thou
with the best Of them. lie had wife,
and children arrived at maturity.
His journeymen were chiefly men Of
families, and wrought in their own
homes. One day he gave u man q pair
Of boots. ''Now friend said he, Chico
must bring home these boots on tie
fourth day evening. Says The man.
You shall have them. The boots did
not come home till the fifth day evening.
Noah was wroth. He gave the man
long lecture on the evils OF disappoint-
ment and punctuality. When he drew
up to breathe, the man replied
Sir. | am a poor man; / have a wife
and three children, the youngest only
forty-eight hours old. / had to tend
my wife and cook for nay children, 1t
was not in my power to finish the boots
sooner. Noah still continued to mag
Nifty the horrors Of disappointment
The man grew angry his Scotch blood
boiled in his veins: he struck the coun-
ter with his fist like a sledge hammer.
1 know, said he, its a terrible thing to
be disappointed. ] remember going to
the Park to sec you hung, and ! never
was so disappointed III my life as when
saw the reprieye.
Now, this was a knock down argument.
as the Irislnman would say. II was /
ease in point, as they say in court, and 4
a fact beyond all controversy, as they
say in Congress. Noah was dumb; he
opened not his mouth He gave tie
man another pair TO make, kept him III
treated him kindly, but. rs /
the man said, he never heard The word .
disappointment come from his lips
thereafter
Noah went on prosperous and to pros /
per. One day he borrowed various sums
)i money and obtained anumber Of en-
Tie bills he changed for
money, the endorsements lie got shaved Z
IN Wall street That night he was of /
% parts unknown, taking with him d .
Z dear sister, the wife Of ayoung Friend, 7
70 cheer him on the way,
This story is true to the letter, and .
being the FIRST subject Of State prison
.eform, the day dreamers Of the present I
.nne may settle the question whether
hanging on State prison is the surcst .
way Of curing a c0nsummatc villain.
His family and friends never heard from
lim