Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1872-12-26

.he Story Of Dying Auk..uz Prisons

been paIdoned, he asserts his innocence
on the verge OF the grave. His story,
SIS told by Washington correspondent
Of the New York Iitratd, is indeed a
pitifnl one. We publish ii in full:
Reuben G. Y Young, the kuklux pris-
oner who has been pardoned by the
President, arrived here gin " ashingtonl
to-day from the Albany penitentialy
He was eli hisway home to Youngsvilie,
Ala, but missed the railroad connection,
and had to stay over. He will continue
his journey Tomorrow if h. has strength
enough to do So, 1or his lifes lamp is
fiickercing t;alntly, and will probably
give out before he can reach home. Mir
Y Dung was man Of property and good
social standing in the place named ;tter
him. He has ali interesting family, con-
sisling Of a wife, four daughters, and
two sons. One Of the latter was tried
on the charge Of being implicated iii the
kuklux outrages, and, like his father,
sentenced to ten years imprisonment in
the Albany penitentia1y, where he is
std confined. rs soon as Mr.. Young
arrived, q member Of Congress kindly
took charge OF him: His clothing was
too light and scant to protect him from
the bitter cold, and he has since been
provided with an overcoat and money
to pay his travelling expenses. The
gentleman who has befriended him con-
Quoted me to the cloak-Foom Of the
House of Rep esentatives, where | found
Mr.. Young asleep on sofa. l did not
wish to awake him, hut stood for two
or three minutes in silent contemplation
the feeble, emaciated form Of the poor
cd man, vino had broken down undar
tie grievous burden inflicted upon him
He appeared to slee p in Geath. His
face had a leaden, easily lock-, witt.
wrinkles deeply and rightly SIT, as ii
void OF sense and motion. My com
p MON touched him lightly. He raised
his head slowly and cast "a ianguid look
toward me. 1t seemed to me the look
of a galvanized corpse. He was dress
ed in suit OF homespun. His face was
thin and ashy, 18th d three weeks bean
upon it; his eyes and cheeks were sun
ken in, and thin gray hair struggled
down upon his forehead
''Have you been asleep, Mr. Young2'
/ inquired.
81 have been try ing, to sleep, but l
cannot. have not h;>d a nights sleep
Tor many weeks
NV hat is the cause of your sleepless-
ness?'
II have had terrible cough. My
lungs are all gone;gand thinking always
OF my home and family, / could not
sleep. l Was in pretty good health be
fore they took me to prison, but now
| fear shall never recover from this y
" no had you imprisoned?
at was the work of a man named
Barnes. He is lawyer. He hated
me, and wanted to have me put out
Of the way. For thi. purpose he went
to John u. Young, kukluk prisoner
now in 'ha Albany penitentiary, but Re
relation OF mine, and asked him to
turn States evidence against me, but
John refused. The next day he was
arrested and tried and like me, SEN
fenced to ten years. This man Barnes
was United States COMMISSIONER, and
had unlimited power in my comfy.
He was on the grand jury which found
an indictment against me. They want
ed to convict somebody, and they Sc
lected ME and my son Ringgold L.
Young There ale now six kulllux
prisoners in the Albany peniteuiary-
three from Tallapoosa, and three from
Randolph county. One Of them, Charles
Howard, is a perfect idiot; another
named Blanks, is boy"
These remarks l elected from the
old gentleman at lucid intervals, fer at
times he talked so incoherenly that it
was painfully evident he was On the
verge of insanity. He showed me the
pardon granted him by the President
Tor whi,h he expressed much gratitude
saying he would like to see General
Grant to thank him personally. When
l took leave of Mr.. Young he said,
with the impulse of hospitality, that
if ! should ever pass through Young
VILE he would be happy to entertain
me. Poor man 1t seems scarcely pos
sible that he will ever reach his home
alive. He is in the last stage Of con
sumption bodily and mentally com
plete wreck. 1t is singular decree of
Providence that this poor man should
after his return from prison, rest his
weary dying limbs in the same House
of Representatives which framed the
law that sent him to the Albany peni
Tertiary and laid him at deaths door
GLOW did they treat you in prison 2
'.All the officers treated me kindly
except one overseer, who was harsh to
me. When was too feeble to work
l had to remain in my cell, which was
very cold | sometimes asked him to
let me go to the stove in the corridor to
warm myself but he refused ''Dont
be hard oman old man." | would say,
but still he wouldn't let me out. | was
confined in the same cell with my son
Ringgold, who is still there He has to
workssin the shoe shop from daylight till
evening but he has been in good
health. Never missed day in the saoe
shop. If it had not beenfor him should
have been dead long before this. lie
took good care Of me-"
Here the old mans thoughts ram5le6l
away from the subject. He started out
on long story about the other pris-
oners, about the tobacco that was fur
nished him, about the vegetable soup he
had three times a week. He dilated
over the most trivial detail, and repeat