The Washington times., 1905-12-31

pardon board, who was known to be
friendly. And for that unfortunate
absence the wretched woman had to
bear another disappointment, and
another six months in prison.
1t is to Miss Mary Philbrook. a
well-known practicing attorney of
Newark, more than to any one other
human being that the woman now
owes her release Miss Philbrook
became interested in the case some
three years ago and since then her
efforts have been unremitting and
unremunerated. Miss Philbrook told
the court that four wealthy women
Mrs. Caroline B. Alexander, a
member of the well-known Stevens
family of Hoboken; Mrs. Joanna
Hartshorn, of Short Hills; Mrs.
Emily F. Williamson, of Elizabeth.
president of the State Aid. and MRS.
Thomas Moore, of Passaic-had
agreed TO guarantee that Libbie
Garrabrant should never want for
the comforts of life The prisoner
has learned to do the finest needle
work while in prison. but she is al
most incapacitated for earning her
own living.
Libbie Garrabrant was a blooming
and lovely girl when she entered
prison. She left it an elderly wo-
man, her beauty faded, the best
period of her life spent. For two
years she has been in the hospital
ward with a weakness of the heart.
She leaned on her friends as she
came out the prison door As she
raised her head to take the first
breath of the free outside air she
showed a pair of fine black eyes,
white teeth and well-shaped face,
which suggested the charms that
were hers when, as a girl of ten,
she worked in the silk mills In Pater-
son.
When news was brought her that
at last her pardon had been granted
she was hysterical, laughing and cry
ing by turns, until Keeper Osborne
had to summon the prison physician
TO calm her. Then as quickly and
quietly as possible she was taken
away. She had asked TO be spared
newspaper interviews. and her wish
was granted She had suffered
enough.
There is still a Garrabraat in
Trenton prison Libbie's nephew,
John Garrabrant, was convicted in
1900 for the murder of a boy friend,
Henry Mas. and sentenced TO thirty
years. Strangely enough his crime,
like hers, was committed at the age
of seventeen. There was much talk
at the time about the influence OF
heredity in the case.
While her friends will not say
where they have taken her, it is
understood that she is visiting at
the home OF a Methodist minister
in Trenton. She has an aged mother.
a sister and a brother-in-law living
in Paterson.
And while they will not say where
she is they tell pathetic stories OF
her astonishment, and in some in
stances her fear of the strange new
world she has come into. Things
have changed greatly in those thirty
five years.
She went into Jail a girl, young
and pretty, impulsive-she emerges
an aged and broken down woman, to
whom half the mechanical wonders
of the day are totally unknown
Think of the New York of her youth
and that of today Think of the
autos. the monographs, the kineto-
scopes, the great new steamers, the
high buildings, all the hidden mar
vels OF thirty-five years OF feverish
10 view as the child views a mighty
concourse OF new and strange toys.
All her friends have died or aged
past any memory OF youth; streets
have changed, whole towns altered
their familiar geography and aspect
Even her old home town of Paterson
will be a new place 10 explore and
appreciate And she anticipates it
all, as eagerly as her broken cOndi-
tion will permit, anc says she wants
TO begin at once.