Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-25
THE OLDEST CONVICT.
JOHN ORRELL, OF RICHMOND, Is
SERVING HIS 10Th YEAR.
The WORLD HAS FORGOTTEN HIN.
He Does Not Want Efforts Made to
Secure His PardOn-More Than
Two-Thirds of His Life Spent In
Prison.
Prison.

Twenty-Five years ago John Orrel, Of
Richmond, heard the gates of the Vir
glnia Penitentiary clang behind him. anc
he has been outside only once since, and
then in the garb of a convict, and under
the muzzle of his guards pistol.
on September p. 1870, the Judge OF the
Circuit Court of the city Of Richmond
sentenced him to Imprisonment for the
rest OF his natural life His crime was
house-Dreaklng It was the third time q
jury had convicted him Of a felony. and
the third time the Judge had pronounced
upon him a penitentary sentence. Under
the laws Of Virginia the third term must
be for life
John Orrell has been longer IN the
State prison than any other inmate. For
more than a quarter of a century he has
worn the prison stripes and been under
the eyes OF guards and keepers.
HE Is \ DEAD" MAN.
He is truly dead to the world" though
not in the sense such term is usually
employed. Few people who knew him
once remember him now Probably some
Of his childhood companions remember
the gay boy. who used to be ringe
in their sports, but if they do, they think
of him as one dead.
He never writes letters He never sees
relatives. No scqualntances ever come
to the prison and ask for John Orren.
Everybody in the prison, officials and con-
victs. know him. But If any in the outside
world remember him. they give no sign.
He has written one letter since he has
been in the peniten,iary. When he had
served ten years Of his time a letter
came to him from relative saying that
there was an opinion among those fa-
miliar with the circumstances OF his case
that he had been I'm prison long enough,
and that an attempt to secure his par
don was about TO be made.
HE DOESN'T WANT A PARDON.
For the first time since he had entered
the prison ten years before, Orrell drew
paper upon which 10 write a letter When
he mad flushed it he brought it to the
office. unsealed of course. as all letters
have to be read by the guard. The letter
was very brief and 10 the point. In it
Orrell told his kinsman TO attend 10 his
cwn business, and to allow him TO do the
same.
Since then there have been no more let
ters for Orrell. He never talks Of the out
side world. Perchdnce he has forgotten
it. as he Is by it forgotten. All his
thought appears to be Of that watch is
going on about him. lie is a sweeper in
one Of the rooms Of the shOc-factory. lie
is much liked by his fellOw-cOnvlcts and
by the honest labor employed As me OF
the officials expressed IL. he IS a 'pet."
He has many idiosyncrases. His whlms
form the subject of much jocullrlty
among the officials. II may be that TWEEN
ty-nine years of penal sexitude has
changed his nature. He acts not Ike .
man whose character was so desperate
that he had 10 be banishel from society.
Orrel IS about fifty-seven years of age.
About two-thirds OF his life has
been spent in prison. His health is fairly
good, but he will die there. There - no
OF his being pardOned. lie does
not wish Il. In the prison he has enough
10 eat. bed. home. and, above all, ac-
quaintanccs, Were he freed he would
have none Of these. In all OF Richmond.
where he was born and grew 20 manhood,
there would not be a man or woman 10
recosn/ him did he walk along the
street He would know none OF them.
He would not know his old home, out on
Second street He would have nowhere
to lay his head, nor a bite TO cat nor the
money wherewith these are bought.
MAYBE HE DREAMS.
Stili. no man may know how he longs
for the free world, for the air that is not
filtered through iron bars. for clothes that
do not mark him a criminal for the
friends of innocent days-aye, for the days
OF his pure boyhood. ere vice had made
him an outcast In the prison he has no
name He Is No. l. His identity is swal-
lowed up in that mineral. He must feel
MS though his responsibility even 10 Cod
is lost. How sweet IL would be 70 have
his hand grasped by a friend and hear a
hearty "How are you, JohnT'
But he is convict. He must die como
night with the bars of the prison between
him and freedom. lie Is targotten. lilo
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