The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-28
DEBTORS PRISON.
Two Men Of Note
Who Were Thrown
Into Jail,
ONE WAS RELEASED by DETH.'
The Other Formed a Plan to
Bring Napoleon to Wor-
cester County.
One WAS RELEASED by DETH. !"
q 1ET71 '1aI q y -.
., LBy Franklin P. Rice. I

tyr and victim to the creditors ra
pacityc cruelty and injustice.
2 The creditor is generally conceived t.
be hard-hearted and interruptions, anC
Shylock and the pound of flesh involun
tarny come to mind whenever he at
.tempts to claim his own. The exercise
of SO much oppression, and the abuse OF
power in the legal enforcement of the
recovery of debts in the past, justi1es
the survival of this impression.
In Europe the laws controlling these
matters in force until within a recent
period have been rightly characterized
as iuhuman, and only in late years have
they been so modified as to render them
tolerable in this advanced age.
Dickens has, through his own recol-
lections and observations, given a vivid
picture of the condition of the inmates
of English debtors prisons during the
early part of this century, in PickWick
Little Dorrit and David Copperfeld.
ria
In America, while the subject of i'm
prisonment for debt has more COM
nonplace aspect the laws sustaining
the methods applied in the early period
were a, disgrace to the statute book.
A person could be deprived of his OF
her liberty by mesne process in default
.of the payment of any sum, however
small and subjected to all the hard
ships, horrors and associations of Grim
inal Incarceration az the will or caprice
of. the creditor. After a time women
were exempted from arrest in such
cases, and in 1881 imprisonment for
debt was abolished in New York In
1886 in Massachusetts, it was decreed
that no one could be deprived Of liberty
for debt Of less than five dollars, and
1T is probable that before this the law in
its enforcement, had been gradually
modified.
1t was not until 1857, however, that
imprisonment for debt was abolished
in this state. Fraudulent conversion,
concealment or evasion still operate to
deprive a debtor of his liberty, and he
may be restrained if he attempts to
leave the commonwealth.
''7The debtors prison has claimed some
distinguished victims in this country:
Robert Morris, the finaneier of the rev.
olution; Simon Kenton, the active pat
riot and pioneer of the west; General
William Barton the captor of Prescott;
and others.
Worcester the Shire town in which
the jail is, and always has, since the
formation of the county, been located
can contribute her portion to the sad
story of this class of unfortunates. The
daifI records disclose many long buried
unpleasant facts in the history of sew
eral prominent families and once
wealthy and influential individuals of
this region
IN the large number from first to last
confined here for debt, all classes from
high to low were represented; rich and
poor, knaves and honest men, came to-
gether in the most democratic associa-
ton. Many were designated gentle
men, and not few belonging to the
learned professions are noticed
Even lawyers, through some incon-
ceivable turn Of fortune were once in
a while found on the wrong side of the
bars undoubtedly much to their dis
gust as in the case of Pelatiah Hitch
cock, who accosted in the jail corridor
by visitor with the inquiry Are you
the jailor3" indignantlyrespond mo,
I'm the jailee"
Not all of those found in the debtors
prison were deserving of sympathy;
some were Justly there on account of
rascality and intention to defraud,
others in consequence of eontumacy
and spite against their creditor, who
was compelled to pay his debtors
board.
A large proportion, however, were
really honest, but unfortunate, and
among. this class, a society for mutual
relief, known as the Worcester Honor
able Society" was maintained for sew
eral years The provision Of the law
which allowed those prisoners for debt
who gave bonds, their freedom during
the cay within certain prescribed
bounds known as "jail limits anchor
lated considerably the rigors of their
imprisonment.
Lincoln square, where the jail was
many years located was Familiarity
called Liberty square, numbers of
these parole prisoners usually being
gathered there.
Among the subjects of the appliea-
zion, of the law against debtors in Wor-
cester. jail two cases of peculiar and
extraordinary interest attract attention
Eihe first, that Of Col. Timothy BigeloW,
lVorcesters revolutionary patriot and
hero, IS one of singular significance in
illustrating popular Indifference to the
claims of personal service and sacrifice
for the public good
Timothy Bigclaw was a remarkable
Character Bred to mechanical occu-
patton at a period when such an eXpe-
rienee was considered bar TO lntel-
leetuaL advancement he elevated him
self aboveehis surroundings and became
sa.leading man in the community.
An ardent son of liberty. his self
training enabled him to cope success
fully in debate with the ablest ana
most eloquent of the advocates OF the
lroval cause in worcester. The young
blacksmith was chosen and served as
a delegate to the two provincial coii-
crosses which held their sessions pIe
Vi0ns tng.tfie breaking out OF actual
= -.
material preparations for the coIililo0
(which he was certain would follow;
ssf ON the 18th of April, 1llo, he led the
van Of the Worcester contingent 40
Cambridge. and from that time to the
end Of the Revolution was in constant
and arduous service for his country =
serving illy-requited as time ana
events proved. After the close OF ne
1Nar=he obtained the grant OF tract Oh
land in Vermont. but this venture was
. not a fortunate one.
Finally he returned to Worcester, ana
q, his forge for time, but his vital
forces Welding to the effects OF expos
ure and hardships while in the army
his life reached its end at the early age
of so, March 81, 1880
IN the 10th of April. 1861, a monu-
ment erected by kindred hands on
xzTorcester's common was dedicated 70
The - memory of Timothy Bigelow:;
ol,,ost At fhe very hour that the blood
~. ssach,1setts soldiers fastening 10
tbe defense Of the national capitol was
being shed by a disloyai MOB n me
streets Of Baltimore on ms r ny es-
nlsih,;- decoration by the
RRs U,.i of the Revolution the com
a. Memorial day. are engraved tne
ZINES IA Quebec. Saratoga, Valley Forge;
ponmo,ith and Yorktown-nanes OF