Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-01-04
The First State Prisoner.
BY GRANT THORBURNE.

i / landed in New York, June. 1884
: by trade a rough nail maker, in tn,
! 22d year Of my age. In October fol
lowing | went to New York to see {
, man hung-at thlt time the Park wa;
out of town, and the population wa,
only 10000. With ten thousand fools
some bigger and some smaller than
myself, we stood watching the vibra
tions of the rope and the iron hook
, for two long hours. Then the sheriff
stood on the scaffold and read a re-
prieve. confess [ was very much
disappointed. | expected to see a
hanging. but no hanging was there.
The man was Noah Gardner. He
kept large shOe-store in New York.
NlIe committed forgery, which at that
time was death by the laws of these
/ United States. The State Prison in
New York was building at this time.
This was the first prison erected in
the 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
now ready to receive criminals. The
Friends procured from the governor
a communication from death to prison
for life.
Being q shoemaker by trade, they
gave him a stool, wax lasts and avis,
and here commenced the State Prison
mandatory. Next court six vaga-
bonds were sent to keep him compa-
ny-them he taught to make shoes.
visited the prison three years af-
ter this. In one large room sat three
hundred shoemakers. Noah was pro-
vost marshal, walking through the
ranks with cane. in hand, Furnishing
evil docrs, and praising them that did
well. Seven years. having passed
over him, the Friends waited on the
governor. "Friend," said they, "sev-
en- years ago you would have hung a
man; now here is a reformed men,
Der saved to society"
He received an unconditional par
don and came out. The Friends found
him a store on Pearl street, found him
money, endorsed his notes. and gave
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 a wife, and children arrived
at maturity.
His iournevmen were chiefly men
Of families, and wrought in their own
homes. One day he gave a man
pair of boots. Now, friend" said
he, thee must bring home these boots
on the fourth day evening" Says the
man. ayou shall have them" The
boots did not come home till fifth day
evening. Noah was wroth. He gave
the man a long lecture on the evils of
disappointment an d punctuality.-
When he drew up to breathe the man
replied:
Sir, I ar a poor man; I have a
wife and three children, the Youngest
only forty-eieht hours old. | had to
tend my wife and cook for my chill
dren. 1t was not in my power to fin
ish the boots sooner" Noah still con
tinued to magnify the horrors of dis
appointment The man grew angry:
| his Scotch blood boiled in his veins:
he struck the counter with his fist like
/ a sledge hamme~. i know" said he
its a terrible thing to be disappoint-
ed. remember going to the Park to
/ see YOU hung. and never was so dis
appointed in my life as when | saw
the reprieve.' =
Now this was a knock down argu-
ment. as the Irishman would say. 1t
was a case in point, as they say in
court, and a fact beyond all contro-
versy, as they say in congress. Noah
was dumb, he opened not his mouth
He gave the man another pair to
make, kept him in employment, treat
ed him kindly-but, as the man said,
he never heard the word "disappoint-
ment" come from his lips thereafter.
Noah went on proSpering and to
prosper. One day he borrowed vari-
Gus sums Of money and obtained a
number of endorsements. The bills
he changed for money, the endorse
: mcnts he got shaved in Wall street
: That night he was off to parts IN
known, taking with him a dear sister
the wife of a young Friend, to cheer
; him on his way.
This story is true to the letter, and
being the first subject of State prison
reform. the day dreamers of the pres
: ent time may settle the question
/, whether hanging or State prison i;
; the surest way of curing a consumatt
: villain. His family and friends never
| heard from him.