Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-07-20
A STATE PRISON ROMANCE.
A Mysterious Prisoner Pardoned oy
Tennessee's Governor.

A Mysterious Prisoner Pardoneu oy
Tennessee's Governor.
A recent Nashville letter says Gov.
Bate, Ia accordance with the custom 10
pardon a convict every Fourth OF jay
liberated a noted convict who has been
called Col. swallow. In November ls92,
he was arrested here for obtaining money
under false pretenses in five cases and
sentenced to the penitentiary for fifteen
wears. The man had many aliases, but
be gave that of "SwallOw' as his real
name. lie was mystery TO the oIHcefs
who arrested him. lie was evidently Il
man Of high culture, was refined 10 de-
gree in his utjerAuces and actl0nS' anu
gave every indication OF genuenAhly
breeding, He was calm under every CIR
cumstance OF bis trial. and, save Tor
pallOr. received his sentence stolldlY. HIS
main object seemed to be 10 avoid not0rle-
ty, and he FASTENED 20 the penltentlary
after his conviction without any attempt
at a reversal of the decision OF the court.
Since he has been within the PRISON wall
he has conducted himself with extreme
decurum. His superiority over his
striped associates was evident
to every officer, and to them'
too, he appeared man with
history he was anxious TO conceal IL
WAS noticed that the prisoner swallow
suent all his leisure hours in writing.
Presently articles under the nom de
plume OF ''SWalloW' found their way into
the public prints. The American con
tanned several They were written IN
classic English, with peculiar smooth
ness. and withal in a fine descriptive vein,
for they treated OF historical incidents
long passed. Swallow contributed ar
ticles TO the Century, Harper's and the
southern BlNOuac, which depicted IN mas
terly style many memorable cpocns In
the late civil war. Campaigns were
analyzed, and the motives which
controlled Southern Generals atimportant
stages of that unequalled warfare were
given, and events. personal and hlStOrl-
cal, connected with the strife related with
such accuracy and minuteneSs OF detall
that the wrIJGr was highly praised. 1t
was evident that he must have inquired IN
the scenes which he depicted. Little dld
editors and readers Of the foremost maya
zines which published the works OF
"SWallOw," dream that he was
felOn in the Tennessee penltentlary.
Not long since the Century sent
him check for 800 ior short
article. The proceeds were, it has been
learned, used in repaying DR.. Price and
Dr.. Ward the money taken three years
ago. Now, the rest OF the mystery which
had enveloped the silent man who wore
stripes and wrote history begins to be
lifted. Several weeks ago Capt. A. j.
Porter, of the Board Of Public Works and
Affairs, received letter from lady in
Missouri, stating that through a Masonic
lodge in that state she had received infOr-
nation which led her to believe that q
brother whom she had long thought dead
was ia the Tennessee prison under
the name Of Col. swallow. The
lady signed her name and gave
the real name of her brother, and
asked Capt. Porter to interest himself in
her brothers. behalf. Efforts 10 that effect
were made, and "A mass OF correspondence
with the Governor ensued. Pressure came
from high quarters to lnduce the Governor
to pardon the mysterious convict. Capt.
Porter went to see him in his cell and ad-
dressed him in his real name. Col. Swal-
low, for such he must be termed as yet,
was astOnished. He thought that his
name was buried. 1t was that OF a
high and honorable ancestry whose
dishonor he had thought to save.
lie begged secresy and his request
was granted. Gov. Bate, it is thought,
also knows the true name of the unfortu-
nate, but he will not dVulge it. Thus
much, however, is reliably known. The
l.
eral States, and the letter writer for the
Century, was born in Fredericksburg, Va,
sixty years ago. There are strong reasons
for believing that his true name is Stephen
G.. Porter, though no relative of Capt.
Alex. Porter, who so earnestly labored tor
his release. His family was wealthy and
arlstocratic. He went to Georgetown
College, Pa, and was class mate of
President Arthur and college mate of
Gen. Robert FoOmbs.
Az the opening of the war he entered
the Confederate service, he saw hard SER
vice, he was shot through the body once
and left for dead on the battle field OF
Fredericksburg. lie recovered, however,
and again enlisted, only to be shot again
through the leg. These scars remain to
tell OF his courage. He was on the staff
OF Gen. Jubal Early, and later on that OF
Gen. Breckinridge. Thus the mystery OF
his accurate acquaintance with the wal
aud the high merit of swallows" arti
cles, which attract the attention
OF veterans OF both sides, il
readily explained. The steps by
which the courageous and cultivated
southern soldier fell are as a sealed book
with his fortune swept away 10y the strife
in which he had so nearly offered up hit
/ life, may it not have been that the broken
spirited mercurial temperament in ont
temptation lost his high estate, and IrOm
/ evil To worse became another sad monu
ment to the ruin wrought by war. How
ever, SHINING grievously, he has grievous
! ly suffered. The aged man now only seeks Il
| hide his retreat from the gaze Of his fellow
men. lie has "a son in Florida, who think,
! htm ia Europe. aud he it Is to whom be
will probably turn. His form is now bent
! his locks are white and his step feeble
and he longs, as he wrote to the Governor
to pass his last days in rest. Countins
good time he had served five years OF III,
! fifteen allotted him, and few viii be fOunC
who will assert that the Chief Executive
OF Tennessee erred in granting liberty L
this suffering scion Of wronged house
hold.