Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-14

AN INTERESTING IRISOR SCENE
The exercises at the Massachusetts, States
Prison Thursday were rendered more
than usually impressive by an incident
attendant upon the occasion, which will
be long remembered by those who were
present. At half-past ten o'clock exer-
cises appropriate to the day were delivered
in the chapel, conducted by Chaplain
Carleton, after which Rev. Mr.. Cook, of
the Bethel, made few brief remarks
Warden Haynes then arose, holding in
his hand an official-looking document, to-
ward which many eyes were anxiously
and curiously directed. In beginning, he
reverted to the past history of the prison,
and INDUCED in many interesting remi-
niscences connected with those who had
been its inmates, both as officers and pris-
oners. At the conclusion of his remarks,
he turned to one of the convicts, an elder
Unlocking, grey-headed man of sixty, and
addressing him by name, babe him step
forward. He did so, and the Warden
again addressing him, said, George Hun
newell, after twenty-five years imprison-
ment in this institution, you are par
doned by His Excellency, the Governor
of the State of Massachusetts,, and
from this day henceforth are a free
man. May the remnant OF your life
show how thoroughly you have repented
of the faults of the past" For full two
minutes Hunnewel stood like a man de-
prived of sense and motion. He was ut
terly stunned with the suddenness and
unexpectedness of the news. Shut out
from the outside world for SO many years,
he had lost almost all hone of ever breath
ing the free air again, and looked to die
where so many of the best years of his life
had been spent When he had been mad e
to understand that he was no longer Il
convict, that he stood again with all the
rights and privileges of man, and that
the prison gate was no longer bar be-
tween him and liberty, he returned his
thanks to the warden in voice whose IN
steadiness showed how deeply his heart
was touched by what had passed. He
was then warmly congratulated by the
officers of the prison, and by none more
warmly than by the well known clerk oi
the prison, William Pierce, to whose per-
sistent efforts his release was in a great
measure due. Many of his fellow prison
ers also expressed their congratulations.
In the course of some additional re-
marks the Warden asked all who had
come to the prison since Hunnewelis in
generation to rise, when over half rose
to their feet. He then asked all who
were born after that date to rise, IA re-
quest which was responded to by the
rising of over one hundred.
Hunnewell, it will be remembered. was
tried on a charge of of arson committed in
Cambridge in 1S47, found guilty aud SEN
fenced to death. He was committed
meanwhile to the prison, Frederick Robin
son teen being Warden. His sentt nee
was afterward committed to Imprisonment
for life. At that time Geo. n. Briggs was
Governor and William B Calhoun S sore
tary of State.
Since the day of his Imprisonment until
yesterday Hunnewell has had but d sin
gle glimpse OF the outside world. A lit
tie more Than year ago, while the cupola
of the prison was being spainted, he asked
permission of Warden Haynes to go TO the
top of the prison and look out, request
which was at once granted, and field
glass handed him. After a long and
searching look III the direction Of his old
home, he shut the glass, and with a mel
ancholy shake of the head, descended to
the granite floor, which looked harder and
the walls drearier from the sight he had
just had of the sunny sky, the trees and
green fields where he had played when a
boy.
He evinced an almost boyish eagerness
to get out, and, after dinner, accom- panied
by Mr.. Pierce, went to the square and
took the horse cars for Cambridge to visit
his home. He seemed utterly astonished
and lost the entire distance. 1t was like
new world. The fields and pastures of
twenty years ago were now covered with
compact masses of brick and mortar, with
strange streets with strange names
In the neighborhood where he was born
and bred he found no face that he knew,
though many-ehildren when he was first
imprisoned-remembered him. A crowd
gathered around, melted by curiosity, but
there was not one among all with whom
he could claim any bond Of relationship
His father and mother both died after his
conviction, and his brother was burned to
death in the fire which he had kindled.
and for which he was convicted. He was
utterly alone in the world.
For four hours he wandered about the
old familiar places-no longer familiar