The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-27
How the Girl Received the News Of Her
Communication Of Sentence.
What She Has to Say About Herself and
What She Thinks Of Her Prison
Life That Is To Be.
"PUT UNDER THE BEAM"
Van Wrinkle Bogert Confident and
Not Afraid of the Future.

| PATERSON, N. j., June 20, 1872
Paterson, at least that very large and 1t must be
confessed, respectable portion oft which worked so
strenuousy to save Libbe Garrabrant from the gal
| lows during the past few weeks, was in ecstasies
yesterday over the result OF their pettonng labors
| by which the poor girl was saved from an ignomin-
tous death. The decision OF the Court OF Pardons
was not generally known in the town on Tuesday
| night, although few persons managed to get
''posted" late in the evening" and at once hurried
| to the home OF the Garrabrants to give them the
glad tidIngs. Yesterday morning Mr.. futile,
Libbie's counsel. called at the Jail, and on meeting
Mr. Goodwch, the jailer, and his wife, told them he
wanted to see Libbie at once, as he had some ex-
ceedingly
to communicate. Mr. Goodrich, who had worked
night and day to bring every possible influence to
bear to induce the Court of Pardons to commute
the death sentence impending over the girl to i'm
prisonment for life, was naturally enough extremely
anxious to learn from Mr.. Tuttle whether the news
was bad or good. The latter refused to tell any,
body what he had to say before seeing Libbie, and
the three therefore hurried In together to the CORR
dor adjoining the tier Of cells preserved" for females
where Libble was at the time. SWELL Libbie.n
said Mr.. futile, II came to tell you something
about the way the Court Of Pardons has treated
your case" Mrs. Goodrich became deadly pale at
this announcement and even Mr.. Goodrich turned
about and walked to one Of the windows to hide
mis- emotion. 1t was moment OF fearful suspense
for them, for they have, learn, become quite fond
Of the young GIRL and the uncertainty of what the
Court Of Pardons had done filed them with a half
fear, half hope no words can fully express. Libbe
showed no outward sign Of
HOPE OR FEAR
and simply replied to Mr.. Tuttle's announcement
with smile, as though she had no idea what he was
talking about. "The Court" he finally said as he
took her by the hand, "has committed your SEN
tence to Imprisonment for life,n slight tinge OF
color swept over the upturned face of the girl as
the lawyer uttered the words, and the lips half
parted as II tOgve utterances to the pent up bless
fngs OF her heart; but not sound escaped
them, and FOR few seconds she sat gazing
In half absent-minded way up into
the lawyers face without moving muscle or CIV
ing the slightest sign to indicate how grateful the
news was to her. She finally recovered sufficiently
to turn towards Mrs. Goodrich who stood trem-
bling like an aspen leaf by her side, and taking
ner Dy the hand, motioned towards Mr.. futile
with her mead as much as to say, ssTell him how
thankful am, for cannot find words to do it,"
The fact is, that for the first time In great while
the girl had fully realized the peril she had stood
her trial she has ever had any true con-
ception of the terrible fate that was in store for
her; but strange to say, once the news was broken
to her that she was saved from death she an
peared to feel fully what terrible risk she had rum
Shortly after arriving from New York this morning
/ called in to see her, and was conrteously shown
into the jail by the jaers wife, Mrs. Goodrich.
is small structure, in little street. inst Off Main
street, few blocks from the railroad depot. An
attractive grass plot separated from the street by
neat iron railing, gives the front portion of the
building the appearance of quiet private mansion,
instead of that of lookup with cells and prisoners,
occupants is reached after one enters
aiiers ONCE when heavily boted ap1 bar rae
door is reached The jailer's wife, with the aid of
an immense key, made this ponderous door swing
as gently back on its hinges as though 1t were q
mere toy, but when it closed behind us it did so
with crash that must be suggestivey startling to
prisoner the first time she gets put behind the
bars. The w0men's apartment contains about
twelve cells, lower and an upper tier. AS en-
tered the apartment my attention was attracted to
its few inmates and its simple furniture In the
first place here was huge stove in the middle Of
the room, and, of course, no fire in it; bench
| an elderly woman busily engaged in sewing and on
low stool near the stove a girl apparently about
was also sewing. She wore her hair combed hack
from the forehead and caught up on either side Of
the head by pink ribbon, which was neatly tied at
| the top, so as to make a small bow. The hair was
not very long, but 1t was sufficiently so to hang
considerably down over the girls shoulders in care
| less profusion. She was attred in long dressing
gown OF calico, and altogether presented an appear
ance Of extreme neatness. She was pale with rather
| good forehead, perhaps made more noticeable by
the way the hair was thrown back from it. Her
| eyes were small dark and bright, and deep-sunken
IN the head; the mouth small, and the nose rather
broad and pressed down at the middle, as II from
| some accident. All this took in at glance as /
entered the apartment and quietly seated myself
politely on seeing me. The young girl was Libbie
Garrabrant. greeted her as l advanced toward
her with, III dare say you feel
to-day9n
She simply contented herself with looking up at
me rather shyly and saying Eyes, SIR" after glanc-
ing flrtvely at the elderly woman. who found to
be one of the prison attendants, and as though she
wasn't sure whether she had given proper an
| swer or not 1t did not take me long to see what
! kind Of a person had to deal with and fairly
shrunk within myself at the horror Of the idea
ever, seriously contemplated hanging such a
simple creature. o, In fact her every action
| years rather than the young woman Of nineteen as
she is and her smallness of form goes very far to
make this deluson complete to the visitor The
longer conversed with her-and that cannot be
said to be long, for she simply contents herself
%itn answering any Questions ana volunteering no
! does not even now fully realize the awful fate she
has been snatched from.
"Do you not" asked her after had entered
into conversation with the elderly woman purposely
to study Libbies countenance In repose the more
eiiectually; 'do you not realize that you have been
yes, sir" was the reply, and she smiled
means painful to talk about.
"Didn't the fact OF your being under sentencesOf
death give you great deal of anxiety day and
| nightY"
| The girl looked about her for moment and then
| inquiringly at Mrs. Goodrich who sat near me. She
| either did not care to talk or did not understand
my meaning, 80 repeated my question In as simple
! form as could. However, it was received with
| the same awkward pause as before, and the same
/ inquiring look, but after while she looked up and
/ exclaimed, with half laugh, half gigge -
Eyes, did feel troubled sometimes, but tried to
| forget oil about It,"
Indeed, she feels happy to-day y here broke In the
elderly woman, ''and it's that Is glad she is not to
| be put under the beam out there y and the woman
| pointed to the prison yard. which could be seen
| rom the open window. This cool ausion about
| Libbies being