News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-11-15
INGENUITY OF A CONVICT.
Wonderful Piece of Mechanism
Turned Out of Board.

A few days after Charles Fry was sent
to the local Jail lie found piece of
board in the yard and took it to his cell.
At the time he intended to whittle out
few small trinkets, but decided to make
an effort and whittle something of which
he would be proud. The board was Of
white pine, three feet six inches long,
twelve inches wide, and two inches
thick.
Fry is ship-carpenter by trade and
understands the nature of wood and
what can be done with it under the cir
cumstances. He had no tools, and all
he possessed that would cut was n small
wooden handled knife. Knowing that
this would not perform tho task he had
set before him, he tore steel shank
from an old shoe, wrapped a wooden
handle about it, sharpened it and began
to look for something else. There was
an old worn out mop in the jail, and
from this he cut piece of one-quarter
inch wire. He put handle on it, wore
it down to the thinness of blade, and
few days later he found the rib of an
umbrella, which he fixed in the same
way.
Being now fully prepared, he began
the task OF turning out what he had pic
tured in his mind. He worked mostly
at night, and often remained at his work
until three o'clock i'll the morning.
While Mt work he Stunned the other
prisoners and did not let them know
what was going on In his cell until few
weeks ago, when he emerged with the
work of art on which he mad spent all his
time and energies for three months.
Looking at the production as it hangs
between two cells, one can hardly be-
lieve that from the small piece of board
only two inches thick and three and O
half feet long such chain of connected
links and swivels could be wrought. 1t
is an endless chain of 234 links, thirteen
swivels or revolving links, two pair of
rlasped hands, and six carvings which
explain themselves to the observer.
The Liberty Bell, az true represen-
tation as a picture, is four and half
inches high and five and half inches
across the rim, and has the crack, letter
ing and tongue and all else belonging
to the beloved Revolutionary relic. Fry
has pictured it as it stood on exhibition
at the Worlds Fair in New Orleans in
1884, when new beam was given it and
while it was garlanded with living
wreath of green. Instead of the green
leaves he has made chain of wooden
links which coil gracefully around the
bell and add feature to the marvellous
piece of work. The bell seems fastened
to tho beam with wooden stirrups, but
they are part of the bell and beam, and
the screw, bits and bolts are given in
perfect exlctness to the original. The
beam is held to the chain by two bands,
beautifully carved, and represent, as
Fry says, ''The North and South up
holding their united liberty" Above
this again are clasped hands similarly
carved, which Fry says sis the North
and South, and is meant as an emblem
of peace" All these carvings are con-
nected to the chain 10y swivels, a most
difficult piece of carving in wood, even
with the latest improved machinery, but
of these the prisoner has made thirteen,
and all of them were made with the ribs
of On umbrella.
Following the chain from the south
side to the bell, the first carving met Is q
bronzed gothic pillar on which is carved
'sIn God We Trust Next is Chinese
tower on the corners of which are touI
pillars, and inside these pillars is bal
of wood, too large to be taken out or pu
in without breaking one OF the conhnlht
pillars. a., Al
said Fry, as he pointed to a decorate
block on which are carved IN ralse'
letters, blackened at the top, est. Loui
Jail, June A." being on side.
The most amusing piece follows, an
is q square block, on one side of whic
is a harp of Erin, and in corner th
first two notes of "Come Back to Erin.
On the other three sides are respectivel..
an Irish Flag, with q sunburst, roun'
! tower painted fzrecn. mud a sE'ray {"
! shamrock. a., .s---s q,
| Next in order, and the bost hutshod
of all the carvings, Is IA scroll headed,
ssT-I,. E,,,o,,,,;,,a ti,tI d" and at t4--sfi5a Di
the scroll are pair Of shaok1ess7-s15
rings of which are broken, and, as the
carver says, "The Slave is Set Free
fJL0be- De1pOcYdt