The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-30

The EccentrIcielc8 or Peuffcuftary
Convict or ThIrGy.nve Tears service
"A Venerable COnvaet That BSn't
want OUt-IHnaEinaFy Wealth and
Dominion.
The Portsmouth Times OF a recent date
contained the followingp4 Graph concern
ing historic character - ne penitentia.
ry
"John uull, of Stark county, was sen
tenced.to the penitsntiary for life October
81, 1886, his crime being murder in the
second degree. Hs is now ssventy-two
years of age, and nearly half of which has
been spent in epenitentiary. In accord
with other papers Of the State, We are in
favor of his release. His. age would prob
ably be sufficient guarantee ior his good
conduct during the brief remnant Of his
natural life He would not recognize the
world he left thrty-fve years ago.
Probably without a full acquaintance
With the circumstances of the case, the
Times makes q recommendation suggest
ed by mistaken humanitarianism. 1t
would be absolute cruelty to discharge
John Gull from the prison, even If the
terms Of his sentence had been fulfilled.
He is one of the established characters
of the institution, and probably wouldn't
Yamose if rendered liberty indeed, his
confinement is merely nominal, his mental
faculty beng so impaired that he cannot
appreciate discipline, and his physical dis
abilities being such that he is not valua-
bic IN the workshops. His lunacy is not
of the kind requiring restraint, and he is
permitted to wander around the yard at
will apparently happy in imaginary
wealth and dominion. Il requires walk
of several minutes through the yard, in
company with one Of the prison officers
before we found the venerable prisoner,
leaning on his cane and complacently
viewing the busy scenes in the workshops,
sll of which he believes heoWns. In his
estimation the riches of Croesus are but as
drop IN the bucket TO the enormity of
his possessions and pecuniary transactions;
he could easily pay the national debt and
relieve Boss Tweed Of. his little difficulties
without drawing on his banker, and could
settle the vexed question of revenue IN a
twinkling. He has long since superseded
the State of Ohio in the proprietorship of
the prison grounds, and does an outside
banking business which be counts in hun
dreds Of tons Of dollars The most singu-
lar part Of his hallucination is his belief
that he prosecu!es his immense transac-
tions outside of the walls at nieht.
Nearly every morning he has stories to
tell of the fabulous quantities of money
gained the night before, through his own
enterprise or that of his numerous agents
Wien asked yesterday morning if he
had been out Monday night, he replied
that he had not, but had sent some Of his
men; he himself had been below (point-
ing to the ground) the profits Of the
nights operations he did not regard as
amounting to mueh-only few tons of
silver and a cart load or two Of gold had
been collected. In consequence of this
meagre business Gull was in bad hu-
NOR, and not disposed to converse freely,
restlessly moving about and exhibiting a
desire To move TO some other part Of the
yard to superintend some OF bis manifold
business operations.
This singular man has been in this de-
mented condition for more than ten years;
although too feeble to work, he looks as
though he might survive ten years more
If turned out.upon the world he would
be completely lost. In his own imaginR-
tjon he has the most unboundsd liberty,
and possesses what the world mainly
strives for, wealth without knit he
would regard the freedom that the Cover
nor could bestow with the most lively
contempt-Oh,o Statesmqn