The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-12-26
LIBBIE GARRABRAN'i FREE
New Jersey Murderess ParoIed After
Thirty-Fiya Years il Prison.
WOMAN LAWYER WON HER FIGHT


OnIy Seventeen, She LEAVES Trenton
Prison Gray-HaIroa wreek--Three
Wealthy Women VIII Care For Her
In tho Future
Trenton, NJ When Libbie Cara
brant, who has served nearly thirty
i've Of the fifty-two years Of her life
in prison for a murder which she says
was prompted by a man she loved, was
told that she had been pardoned, she
sank upon her knees and uttered
fervent prayer Of thanks to the Al
mighty.
Then lifting her pale, tear-stained
face, and gazing steadily at those who
stood about her. she said, Thank God!
Thank Cod This win be the happiest
Christmas Of all my miserable life!''
Following her first outbuFst Of graf
itude to Divine Providence the woman
broke down and sobbed Historically
for many minutes before she could ex-
press her thanks to the Court of Par
dons, which authorized her release. and
the hundreds Of men and women who
have so long labored in her behalf.
Several hours later she became COM
paratively quiet and could talk with a
degree of calmness of the future
George O, Osborne, head keeper OF
the prison, broke the news Of the par
don to her. He went to the prison
hospital, where she has long been an
inmate, and by an effort concealed from
his manner any indication of the news
be bore. She knew that the court had
been considering her case and tried to
read her fate in the face Of the keeper.
Are you ready for good or bad
neWs?" he asked
sOh, Mr.. Osborne ] am ready for
either. for anything"
She tried to- be brave, but her lips
trembled and her face paled even be-
yond its prison pallor.
BE ready for good news" said Mr..
Osborne, as gently as possible, while
the prison matrOn and a nurse stood
near lest the good news be too much
for her After moment there came
into the face of the woman a look al
most of doubt, Of suspicion that her
ears were deceiving her, and then she
bent her head in prayer. The others
stood back in respectful silence while
she prayed
Then at signal from Mr. Osborne
the nurse gave her stimulant and
she was led away to a bed, where she
was told TO sleep. Sleep however, was
out of the question She could only
smile and sigh and laugh and sob by
turns
1T seems almost too good to be true"
she said, "tosthink; that after all these
years. am to go out into the world
again free woman-into the world
which seems to me almost like a
dream. And TO think that all my
friends are strangers; everybody has
been so good to me- ] only want to do
whateversI can to prove to the world
that am worthy Of the sympathy that
has been bestowed upon me- l feel
that cannot be grateful enough"
Her removal from the prison was
arranged by Miss Mary Philbrook, a
Newark lawyer and probation officer of
Essex County. Miss Philbrook has
long been interested in the woman's
case. Those of the Pardon Court who
voted against Libbie Garraprants re-
lease were: Chancellor Magic, Judge
Green and Judge Bogert. Those who
favored it were: Governor Stokes,
Judges Vroom, Vredenberg, Din and
Grey.
At a late hour at night friends Of
the woman took her away from the
prison, driving her in closed carriage
through a rear gate This deceived all
watchers, and no one except her friends
know where she is.
Libbie Garrabrant's crime was the
poisoning of Charles Burroughs, of
Paterson, for whom she kept house at
a time his wife was serving prison
term She says the crime was prompt
ed by Van Wrinkle Bogart, who was
Jealous of Burroughs Bogart was
tried as an accomplice, but he was ac-
quilted. The girl, who was pretty
then and only about seventeen years
old, was convicted and sentenced to be
hanged. The sentence was commuted.
Imprisonment for life was imposed,
and for nearly thirty-five years she has
not been outside the prison walls.
She was born in Williamsburg, N. T..
in 1858, and few years later moved
with her parents TO Paterson. Her
family was poor and she was put to.
work in one of the silk mills at the
ageAo of ten, There she BECAME ac-
quainted with Bogart, and it was he,
she says, who prompted the murder Of