The Washington herald., 1913-10-19
Man, Pardoned by Governor
Of Ohio, Had Never Ridden
in Street Car or Elevator
or Seen Electric Light.

or Seen Electric Light.
One of the Emancipation Day pardons
granted by Gov. Cox of Ohio released
John Taborn, a Delaware County mu--
derer. and he became a free man for the
first time in forty-three years. During
his entire term in prison he was outside
the walls but once, and then only for a
little while.
John Taborn entered~the prison August
l6, $50. at the age Of twenty-three- He
comes out at sixty-six. Ito start all over
again." as he said. His shoulders are
bowed with the weight Of years and hard
labor. but his mind and eyes are clear.
He looked about him with wonder at a
world which long had been growing to-
ward a new development.
Living in the heart Of a city, he had
never ridden in a street car, never ridden
Ia an elevator, never seen a moving pic
ture or an arc light or a bicycle or an
automobile. He had never heard phon-
ograph. As for aeropianes and wireless
Ntelegraphy, he could not even imagine
them, he sail, though he had seen a
picture of an aero9lane in a book once.
From his seat in the prison yard
where he sat day by day after age pre-
vented him from doing the hard work
of the prison. the old prisoner had
watched the skyline change over the top
of the prison wall He saw skyscrapers
poke their tops over the edge Of the wall
and wondered at them. and the manner
of their construction. He wondered
often, he said, what kind of people were
doing these things, but guards told him
little, and about the only information he
received of the world outside care from
new prisoners. During his term he
watched S3,65S of them come and go.
After the first few years no friends came
to see him. though attempts had been
made to obtain--a pardon for him.
Afraid to Go Out Alone.
When Warden p E. Thomas carried
his pardon TO him the old prisoner re-
ceived the news stolidly, but he lost no
time IN donning the blue serge suit given
to each prisoner leaving the institution.
accepted a purse of so which prisoners
made up for him. and thanked them ana
the warden for the $50 given him by the
State. But as he started from the prison
his nerve failed. him. and he asked that
some one from the prison might go with
him and remain with him until he got
used to things"
Warden Thomas delegated his secre-
tary, Frank 0Bleness, to accompany
him. and together they rode up the
street In the prison automobile. 1t was
Taborn's first automobile ride, and in
the first one he had ever seen. As he
rode along the paved streets. new to
him, the old man leaned out Of the side
of the machine His eyes drank in
everything. He was so deeply interested
that he did not hear several remarks
addressed TO him. but he said little. He
asked to be taken to the Governor, that
he might thank him for his pardon be-
fore he did anything else.N
Gov. Cox received him with interest
and questioned him closely.
"You went to the penitentiary the same
year that 1 was born" the Governor
said.
In reply to the Governors questions
Taborn said he had no relatives living;
no personal property and no friends
whose whereabouts he knew, or, in fact,
whether they were living or dead He
thanked the Governor with tears in his
eyes, turned away and then returned
to thank him again.
Acted Like n Child.
Next he was taken for a walk about
the streets. He was like child. His
eyes wandered everywhere and he was
constantly in peoples way. Unaccus-
toned noises made him start with al
most catlike, quickness. He gazed in awe
at skyscrapers I'm the business section
and finally asked to be taken through
one Going in he became tangled up in
a revolving door and had to be extricated.
He got on an elevator and rode up sew
eral stories before being aware that il
had moved. He did not know how to
find his way out of the building
Taborn breathed a sigh OF relief when
he got on solid ground again. He had
been no higher in the air than the sec
ond story of building since his impris-
onment.
TITS hard to explain" he said.
Everything looks so strange People
seem to move about faster than when. I
went to prison. They move differently
and more businessliks My, how much
faster business must be conductedl There
are so many automobiles. and they travel
SO fast. That's what surprises me most
so many automobiles. When people got
around in my day IL was with horses and
only few people had them.
Now everybody seems to have aVtomo-
biles. 1 heard in prison that the world
was moving faster; now I know II.
People seem to be more particular
in their dress, and actions. The general
run of people look like they have more
sense than in my time. That Is. they
look more INTELLIGENT. especially the
women. Women look whole lot more
businesslike than when went TO prison.
| can't explain IL very well. but some
how It seems to be a different sort Of
world. doing things in a different way"
Fairyiaad for Him.
Taborn was taken through several
stores. and there everything in turn ex-
cited his wonder. 1t was fairyiand
for him. He said he was sure the world
had improved more than twice as much
In the forty-three years since he had
seen Il than in the twenty-three years