The New York herald., 1869-11-19
I THANKSGIVING In HE MA3sACgUSETTS is
STATE PRISON.

Couple Of innocent Prisoncrs Unexpectedly
Pardoncd-Interesting and Impressive Ccre-
monies--The Inconsistency of Massachusetts
Laws and Judges--A Merited Criticism by
the Prison Warden.
BosToN, Nov. ls, 1869.
The New England festival OF Thanksgiving is
always Of peculiar interest 10 the
State Prison. Upon the annual recurrence OF the
OCCASION oil restraint is removed from the prisoners
and they are provided with genuine Thanksgiving
dinner accompanied BY all the desserts and after
parts which go 10 make up FIRST class repast.
Another custom. more interesting than all the
Others, has been the granting Of several pardons
each Thanksgiving to such OF the inmates as seemed
to merit mercy, the number selected each year vary
ing lrom two TO ive
The customary privileges and dinner were granted
to-day, but preceding them there were religious ex.
erclses inside the chapel Rev. Mr.. Carlton the
chaplain, conducted the ceremonies, and after
PRAYER and singing by the prlsou choir there we're
brief ana interesting addresses ny various dstin.
gu,shed gentlemen present. CoiOnei Char es H..
Taylor private secretary LO Governor Clafiln. was
the first speaker Rev. Joseph Story, Of Boston, fol-
lowed IN Drief remarks. and after he had dnished o
MISS Swan OF CharestoSn, rsal a patriotic poem
anu also the celebrated Lady leazie dialogue vita
GIDEON HAYNES, the Warden Of the prison. then
address ID the nmares. He said that h,s remarks
would be chiefly confined TO the matter OF pafdons.
lie did not believe par1ols but the laws of Mas
sachu5efts and many otBer states were sucn that
they were desirable II not absolutely necessary. AS
1t fs however the necessity Of pardons was ear to
all who woud give the matter serious conside-
RATION. But 10 decide WHO were the most de-
serving or Cr-rreiicy was very diineult. All
who had been parJoued from the institution on
THANKSGIVING 0vatonS mad been deserving OF mercy
and their conIuct after gaming freedom had uni
formy been such as to JUSTIFY their release. There
were two he sa,d. TO be pardoned toJav, and he
hoped tnt their conduct in alter llfe would be such
as 10 render them good and useful citizena At this
Wns a A( ofll u0nft
painful, ior none bat the Wardea knew upon whom
toe mantle OF freedom was 10 fall and nearly cry
prisoner noped, II he did not expect, that
he would be the favored one SIR. HAYNES
hes1tatef couple 0i seconds and then MI
nounced the names OF John Long ana John Hayes.
their fellow prisoners and a. thev stood up ia
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS or their sudden and unexpected
reeasc they shed tears Of JOY The scene was one
OF great euooD, and among the 800 or 400 prisoners
there was scarcely Q dry eve. Mr.. Haynes
when the excitement had subsded, went on
men lone twenty two and the 0tner twenty three
years OF agci were convicted Of highway robbery.
ana that they were sentenced 10 twenty-five and
twenty years hard labor IN the prison. the heaviest
sentence falling on Long Now, after haying served
four years OF their time the fact had been Cstab.
shed beyond doubt that they were innocent of
the crime charged upon them. and II was but Just
that they should be gwen their liberty, and that
STAN should rest uEOn their character.
The exercises were closed soon after, and the two
emancipated men were furnished with citizens'
Clothes, upon receiving which they proceeded to
tneir homes IN Boston 10 partuke OF thanksgiving
turkey with the Old folks. The other prisoners were
given season OF recreation In the yard and In the
middle OF TIE afternoon they united In tne,f Thanks
giving repasL