The New York herald., 1874-11-27
A DAY OF MERCY.

Pardon OF Convtcts BY the Governor
+ OF Massachusetts-Libert Gran 20
One Fifteen Year and Three Life
Prisoners-Thriiiings scene ON Prcsenta-
tt0n OF the Papers.
BOSTON, Nov 26 1874.
There are very few places in New England or In
the country where the Puritan festival OF Thanks
giv;ag Is more positively observed than In the
Massachusetts, State Prison. II does not follow
from hehhearty manner In which the occasion Ia
noticed that the inmates are specially
thankful for being where they are. but
the TACT that the occasion II set
apart for the granting OF sundry
pardons to o few or the most mertortous con-
spires to render the occasion one OF very special
interest to all concerned. None OF the prisoners
are aware upon whom the lucky acts of executive
clemency Will fall until the names are read in the
presence OF all of them, and hence the anxiety
which all feel is more easily imagined than de-
scribed Out OF the TOO or 800 convicts the prize OF
liberty to-day was granted to iour OF their num-
ber. At halEpast ten IN the morning all the
prisoners were assembled in the chapel, and there
were also gathered q few prominent citizens
or Boston and vicinity, who were present
at the invitation Oh Warden Chamberlain. The
Chaplain OF the institution first read the pr0cama-
ttOn Tor the day OF gratitude ana praise and then
with fervent prayer the devotional exercises Of
the day were concluded. subsequently u glee
club from the Boston Musical Conservatory lur-
nished some very choice gems OF vocal and lnstru.
mental music, which was such happy relief to the
tedlousness OF prison lie, that the c0nvlcts could
not restrain themselves from frequent bursts OF
applause. Before announcing the pard0ns the War
den made brief address 10 the men in his charge,
comphmenting them on their exemplary conduct
during the year. and expressing regret that the
boon OF liberty could NOT fall upon more OF them.
The dull times ne said, had Deen felt IN the prison
the same outside, and the contracts for their
labor now did not AFFORD work for more than one
half OF their number. on account OF this he had
established day school, selecting the instructors
from among their number, and the experiment
had been so emlnently successful that he had no
doubt but that hereafter the school would be con-
tinued as a regular feature OF the prison. His
discipline ne said. nad always been strict and i'm
partial. and by this system he mad found that
causes for punishment had been very percepttbly
diminished. Coming then to
THE MATTER or PARDONS,
the warden SAID he presumed Lnat was the mat
ter uppermost IN the minds OF the prisoners, and
the ConWcts cOncurred Dy q burst OF applause.
he said that he had received an envelope from the
had not yet broken the seal and he did not know
how many there were or who we're the lucky ones
to be liberated by them. He then took the mys-
ter0us and valuable package from his pocket, an
act which was the signal for the most profound
and anxious silence. The anxiety OF . man on
jury could not have been more In
tense and painful than was manifested
by every one OF the seven or eight hundred prs-
0ners. Taking up one OF the documents the War
den smiled and remarked, ''Well, l like that
narrowing; but Mr.. Chamberlain soon interrupted
1t by announcing the name OF 'TimOtHy CrOnin."
AS the words fell from his lips there went up
loud and Simultaneous shout OF approval IRON all
his fellow prisoners. Rising from his seat.
an old gray-halred man, ne attempted 70
make his way from the middle OF the
chapel to the forward platform, but
the other convcts gathered around him IN such
numbe that II was impossible Tor him to proceed
until the officers OF the prison restored order.
Cronn was sentenced from Boston Tor life, in 1862
for the crime OF rape, and Is now fty.two years Of
age. During his twelve years OF prison lie his
wife has ever been faithful friend, and during
furnish modest house. She was at the
granted. The other pardons iell respectively upon
William McGrath, Michael Ryan and John Ryan,
whose good luck was warmly applauded by the
who Is ftty-two years OF age was sentenced Tor
second degree, and he has only been imprisoned
to escort % MIN Inm nome o, to Thanssglving
Lille, Tor highway robbery in Boston, had
Ryan, who was sentenced Tor fifteen years for
granddaughter in Boston, had served nine years OF
his time In all these cases there were mitigating
circumstances In the offences committed, and the
conduct OF the men during imprisonment has been
unexceptlonabe. Following these exercises and
granting oil pardOns the prisoners were given an
hour 10 mlngle together in the yard, and after
ward they were furnished with sumptuous
THANKSGIVING least.