The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-03-07
A CONVICT'S ROMANCE

A CONVICl'S ROMANCE
ODD WAY IN WHICH A LIFE PRISONER
WON Rls FREEDOM.
The Story Of the Construction of
tLe Old StatehouSe ut A1bany-The
Price OF Genius Who Saw and
Grasped His Opportunity.
Vouchel for by the late Henry Smith,
who said he learned the fact through
being speaker Of the assembly, there is
al interesting bit Of history connected
with the old statehouse at Albany,
where it has stood for years, the finest
example of pure Doric architecture in
this country, Oh the easterly side Of Ea-
Gle street, between Pine and Steuben
streets, its walls and partitions all Of
solid stone, very much as if its halls,
rooms and stairs had leen carved out
within huge block Of marble.
1t was completed in 1872, costing the
state about S350,OO0. 1t Is built entirely
of Sing Sing marble, Quarried and cut
within the prison walls.
The old capitol being inadequate to
accommodate the increasing business
Of the state, this :dditioual building
was planned and built and is still used
for the Offices Of the state comptroller,
the state engir .er and surveyor and the
state banking department.
In spirit Of economy it was decided
to have as much as possible OF the
work done by the prisoners from the
material found within the prison walls
at Sing Sing, fairly good material, too
but not the best, as it is soft marble,
as evidenced by the wear which now
shows so plainly in the steps and by the
crumbling Of some Of the stones from
exposure to the weather. AL the mate
rial was cut to completion within the
walls Of the prison under such plans
that when shipped to Albany there
would be no further work necessary
except practically to lay one stone up
on another, and so on until the whole
was assembled in the completed build
ing.
To accomplish this detailed plan
system OF marking the stones was nee
essary. The plans were carefully made
and a system Of marking elaborately
laid out by the architect in charge, who
found in the prison at Sing Sing life
prisoner whose record showed him to
be an engineer Of the highest ability
and who seemed as competent as any
man in the country to carry out the
work to be done in the prison, and nat
urally he was not unwilling to follow
his chosen profession in preference to
doing the manual labor Of cutting or
quarrylng stone. So, following the
spirit Of economy referred to above, the
plans il detail and the system Of mark
ing were turned over to him and the
whole work at that end given over to
his full superintendence and absolute
control.
In due time the stones in their vari-
Gus shapes and sizes and in quantity
for the whole building were delivered
in Albany ana the work Of construc-
ton commenced In accordance with the
plans and system Of marking original
ly furnished. With the very first stone
there was trouble. 1t not only did not
fit the place, but none of the stones
marked to adjoin it fitted it, and, fur
ther, it did not seem ever intended for
the place the number indicated. In
vestigation brought out that the stones
were not Of the sizes or shapes spec1-
sed and shown on the plans, and, as TO
the system of marking. it was quite
evident that the stones brought togeth-
er by it had no relation whatever to
each other.
The bewildered architect hardly knew
whether he was q candidate for the
asylum or possibly for Sing Sing. How
over, a careful veriication Of his plans
and his marking system proved their
correctness, and the blame fell square
" upon the civil engineer, the life prls-
oner. He was questioned, taken severe
IL to task and round,y rated for his IN
competence and threatened and abused.
He met 1t all calmly. 1T looks to me
like mighty good joke en- you fellows.
anyway 1t is the best joke have hearo
<.,,,o +o Cino Ci0ro
AS to their continued threats be said:
What can you do to life prison
err"
Finally, il answer to the abuse and
slurs as to his capabilities as: an en-
cineer, he said he had changed the
nlans both in dimension and shape
where they had diyerged from purity
of style, and the system Of marking
he had changed altogether, but If they
could find some one who understood
his system the building. would 80 up
complete and perfect, excelllng the
original plan. But" be added, with a
eriines"you can probably get out new
stone q good deal quicker than you
can work out my system. =
= Tssa the state officials said, I'VE WILL
taksyou to Albany and force you to
put up the building"
He said, "No."
They pointed out, the advantage OF
life in Albany for a time in preference
10 Sing Sing.
He said, NO"
They tried to bargain with him.
He said, Secure my pardon and l
will stand by you until the building IS
complete"
They offered to have him pardoned
after he had proved what be said by
finishing the building.
He said, No"
Then they said they would compel
him to do it anyway.
.o,,1l ho onppro11nH d,