The Washington times., 1905-12-31

strong life-life in the sun-
shine, with the blood run
ming strong and hot and
Tree; then the curtain was drawn.
Followed thirty-five years of gray
twilight monotony in a world bound
ed by the four bare walls of a prison
CELL Then, some ten days ago, par
don, the emergencefrom the Trenton
penitentiary of an enfeebled old wo-
man-old at fifty-three, when hap
pier women are yet in the prime of
their usefulness-free to live the re-
mainder of her days among her
friends, who, as a matter of fact. are
nearly all strangers. That is the
pitiful tale of Libbie Garrabrant.
AT seventeen Libbie Garrabrant
was found guilty of murder and con-
demned TO be hanged But the feel
ing against hanging a woman was
strong and the sentence was COM
muted to life Imprisonment. She is
the first and only life prisoner New
Jersey has never had, and during the
last seventeen or eighteen years of
her term petitions for her release
have averaged something over two a
year. 1t is the fortieth petition that
has finally won.
At seventeen, Libbie Garrabrant
was handsome, headstrong girl. a
belle among the Paterson factory
girls. The restraints of home were
not to her taste She quarreled with
her parents when they upbraided her
for staying out late at night, and
finally left home and took I'D her
abode with Ransom F. Burroughs, a
bridge tender, close upon fifty years
old, whose wife had been sent 10
States prison for keeping disorder
ly house when he installed pretty
seventeen-year-old Libbie In her
place
He was insanely jealous of the
girl and would not allow her to have
any callers Meanwhile Libbie had
fallen in love with one Van Wrinkle
Bogart, who, enraged because the old
man would not let him come any,
where near the house. suggested TO
her that she poison him, and that
they take anything of value that he
might own and go off together. She
did it by sprinkiing arsenic in a
dish Of rice he was to eat. So IT
came to pass that one wintry day in
1871. a constable, -hc L: ....,: .-,,,,,, IN
Burroughs house in Franklin street.
Paterson, to serve him with a dis
possess notice. found him dead. He
had apparently been dead for several
days, for the body was frozen.
On his person was found a note
signed, Charles F. Burroughs" say
ing that he intended TO commit sui
eide, because his wife was in prison
and Libbie GaIrabrant, who had been
his housekeeper, was going TO leave
him. Suspicion was first drawn TO
Liboie by that signature. The mans
front name was Ransom, not
Charles; but i was known that Lib
bic Garrabrant always called him
Charley.
She was induced by members of
he Bogart family to take the blame ,
md shield young Bogart. For this $
hey were to stand by her, but they {
leyer did. The trial, although short,
vas sensational, and the girl was |
onvicted of murder in the first de- $
'ree and sentenced 10 be hanged. T
Ter case was brought TO the court of Z
ardons and the sentence of death t
1as commuted to life imprisonment. h
'oung Bogart had been In hiding 7
ince the murder. but after the Gar S
abrant girl was taken TO prison he II
eturned to Paterson, gave himself f
p to the police and was tried as b
n accessory, but Libbie, having con- d
dence in the promises of Bogart's e
sPily, testified at, the trial ard ex-