Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-01-31
A CONVICT'S ROMANCE
ODD WAY N WHICH 4 LIFE PRISONER
WON MS FREGpoM.

pvAo said he learned the fact throug
being speaker Of ne assembly. there
an interesting bit Of history connscte'
With ths oH statehouss at Albany
where Il has stood for years, the nnes
example OF pure Doric architecture II
this country. On the eastsrly side Of Ea
gle street, between Pine and Stsubel
streets, It's walls and partitions all o
solid stone, very much as II its balls
rooms and stairs had been carved ou
within huge block Of marble.
1t was completed in 1912, costing th'
state about $4,000. 1t is built entirely
of Sing Sing marble, Quar1ed and cu
within the prison walls.
The old capitol being inadequate tC
accommodate the increasing business
Of the state, this additional building
was planned and built and Is still used
for the offices Of the state comptroller
the state engineer and surveyor and the
state banking department
In a 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 a 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. All 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 50 on until the whole
was assembled in the completed build
Ing
To accomplish this detailed plan a
system Of marking the stones was nee
essaEy. The plans were carefully made
and 4 system of marking elaborataly
laid ont 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 - competent as any
man IN the country to carry out hs
wosk - b doos In tho prison. and nat
usauy - wa not unwilling to follow
has eA>ssa profession In preference to
doing ~ manuel Abog q cutting or
QsAsFytng steoA d. following he
spirit of economy referred TO shove. the |
plans In detail and the system Of marx.
ing were turned Over 10 him and he
whole work at that end given over to
hi full supezanssalease and sbsoluts
control
In due time the stones In tbear vari-
Gus shapes and slices and In quantity
for the whole building were delivered
In Albany and the work Of eonstruc-
ton commenced In accordance with the
plans and system Of marking original
~ 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 1t fitted n, and, fur
ther. 1t 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 speci-
fed and shown on the plans, and, as to
the system of marking. 1t was quite
evident that the stones brought togeth-
er by It had no relation whatever 10
ench other.
The bewildered architect hardly knew
whether he was a candidate for the
asylum or possibly for Sing Sing How.
oven a careful verihcation OF bis plans
and bis marking system proved their
and the blame fell square
" upon the civfl engineer, the life pris-
onsr. he was questioned, taken severe
ly to task and roundly rated for bis in-
and threatsned and abused.
He Hs< h all calmly. TT locks to me
Ike mighty good joke on you fellows.
It is the best joke have heard
since I came to Sing Sling"
AZ 10 their continued threats be said:
What oan you do to a life prison
err
Finally, In answer 10 the abuse and
slurs as to his capabilities as an en-
glneer, he said he had changed the
plans both In dimension and shape
where they had diverged from purity
Of style, and the system of marking
he had changed altogether, but If they
,ould find some one who understood
his system the building would go up
and perfect, excelling the
original plan. But" he added, with a p
grin, you can probably get out new !
stone a good deal quicker than You
AN work out MY system"
Then the state officials said, "We viii p
axe yov 10 Albany and force you TO e
,ut up the building" a
lie sad, "No." ~
They pointed out the advantage or !,
.fe i'll Albany for a time i'll preference Il
0 Sing Sing. -
He said, No"
They tried 70 bargain with him
Ee said, Secure NJ pardon ald
I'll stand b. You until the building IS
oIrplete.'
They offered 10 have him pardoned
ftcr be had proved what he said By =.
nishing the building. -.
he said. No"
Then they said they would compel q
In to do It anyway.
He said he could be compelled 70 I
ork in prison, but not in Albany. and
lat even n prison they could compel
= to 10 only manual labor unless he
lose and that the price Of his genius
Cr-aEuiug the OurgrtlIuftv that had l