The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1880-04-09
A CONvICT's GENEROSITY.
A PRISONER IN THE EASTERN PENITESTIARY
SENDS FIVE DOLLARS TO IRE
LANDS POOR.

The Philadelphia Times SAYS that Warden
Townsend, Of the Eastern Penitentiary Of
Pennsylvania, was asked curious request
some few weeks ago by a prisoner under his
charge. Learning Of the terrible suferinCs
of the poor in Ireland, prisoner ''No. %"
as he Is known to the officials, inquired Of
the warden as TO the sum that stood 10 his
credit on the prison books for extra work.
He was told that a little over s. was the
amount and he requested Of the warden to
obtain for him a draft on Ireland for Il
payable to the order of Sister Mary Frances
Clare, the Nun Of Keumare This was done,
and in a letter written by the donor the
charitable gift was enclosed and mailed to
the country in which the poor fellow was
born. \ few weeks elapsed and the Nun Of
Kenmare's answer was received, which is as
follows
Convent OF Poor, CLAREs, EESsIARE, :
County Kerry, March g 1880.
NJ Dear Poor FeIr0lr. For a long time I did
not receive letter that affected me 50 deep
" as yours, written as it was from your
prison cell, and from there thinking Of the
Sufferings of others, furgetful Of your own,
and sending the sum of Il from your own
hard earnings to relieve the distress OF others.
All l can say is, that the head and heart that
has dOpe this generous act cannot be a bad
one and whatever act You have committed
TO Oblige the law 10 punish YOU must indeed
have been done in a tF0ughtleSS hour. May
our good and merciful God look down upon
you this day with the ewes of mercy and
compassion, comfort and console YOU, and
give You the great grace of resignation 10
l wish YOU would write again aud tell me
all about yourself, and thank the good kind
warden who has allowed you To write
l am sending you a little book by this post
" SR. NJ. F. CLARE.
Warden Townsend opened and read the
letter and then delivered it TO "No. "a"
for" said he, ''wheu once the iron doors Of
this place are opened to receive a convict,
the name by which he is known IN the out
side world is left behind him, and with the
clankinE of the prison gates all memory Of
his former position IN life Is forgotten and
the number Of the cell in which he is incar
cerated Is used to designate both the man
and the occupant When the generous fel-
low was handed the kind letter from the
ADMINISTRATOR country, he burst into tears
as soon as he had finished reading the mis-
sive. The man has been in prison now for
about eighteen months and he has two
months more to serve before his time is up.
himself with more than usual good behavior.
He was convicted Of burglary, committed in
the southern portion of this city. know it
was not his fault, as he was led into it by
evil associations for he Is young man, uu-
married, and about thirty years of age, and
as he says himself lie dates his downfall
from acquaintance picked up i'm bar-r0oms.
The way lie obtained the money which he
sent TO Ireland was 10y working extra. in
making shoes at night, while many Of the
other prisoners pass their spare time, from
ESQ to p. m, in reading or idling. 1t takes
a long while for q man TO earn s. hy extra
work, as the State only allows him from FIVE
to ten cents for the extra task which he Is
willing TO perform, and half of this goes To
the county as a sort of recompense, so the
poor fellow has had to work hard for his
gift. NO. ga Is q man I'm sure viii never
return to tliS place, and since he has been
here he mas won the confidence and uefited
the respect of all the keepers, for he is polite
and ObedieHt az all times, and does not be-
4 long to that criminal class which uecessitate
the keeping Of such an Institution as the
Eastern Penitcutiary.'