The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-23
STRANGE SIGHTS
FOR OLD CONVICT
Man Freed in Ohio Had Never
Known Modern inventions

Columbus Ohio. oct. 23.-one of the
recent pardons granted by Governor
,oy released John Taborn, Delaware
.ountv murderer. and he became a
free man for the first time i'm 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, 1870, at the age OF twenty
three He came out at sixty six, Ito
start all over again" as he said. His
shoulders were bowed with the weight
If years and hard labor but his mind
and eyes were clear. He looked about
him with wonder at a world which
long had been growing toward new
development.
Living IN the heart of city, he had
never ridden in n street car, ncve~
talked over q telephone, never seen a
gkvscraper. never ridden In an eleya-
Tor never seen a moving picture or an
ar. light ~ a bicycle or an automo-
bile lie had never heard phono-
graph As for aeroplanes and wire
agine them he said. though nc had
seen a picture Of an aeroplane in a
book once.
During his term ne watched 1865
of them come and go After the first
.er wears few friends came to see
aim though attempts had been made
10 obtain q pardon for him.
-
When Warden T.. f. Thomas car
riod his pardon 10 him, the old pris-
once received the news stohdly but
ne iost no time in donning the blue
ser-e suit given 10 each prisoner leav-
iug the institution. accepted the purse
IT $50 which prisoners made up for
him, dld thanked the warden for the
$50 given Linn by the state. But as
lc started from the prison his nerve
failed him, and he asked that some
one from the prison might so with
him and remain with him until he
got used 10 things"
Warden Thomas delegated his see
.,tuy Frank OBlencss. 10 accom-
pan, MIN. and together they rode up
the street In the prison automobile.
u was Taborn's first automobile ride
md tho first machine he had cver
seen. AS nc rode along the paved
streets, new 20 him. the old man lean
ed out of the side of the machine He
asked 10 be taken to the governor
that he might thank him for his par
don before he did anything else
Governor Cox received him with in
tnrost and questioned him closely:
You went To tho peuitentiary the
same year that / was born the gov
.uor remarked
Ia reply To the governors questions,
Ia1orn said he had no relatives living
uo PERSONAL property and no friends
hose Whereabouts lie knew. OF, in
ast whether they were living or dead. !
fIe thanked the governor with tears
100 his eyes, turned away and returned
to thank him again.
\aN' he vas taken for n walk about
ipa streets. lie was like child. His
eyes wandered everywhere and he was
constantly in popl6s way. Unaccus- !
umrd noises made him start with al
moss catlikc uuicknoss. He gazed in
aE" at Sl<yscrapers and finally asked /
Co ur taken through one. Going IN he /
r'.tmr tangled up ia a revolving door
anH nad 10 be- o>tricatcd He cot on
900 elevator ANA rode up several stor-
rs hetorc being aware that it hal ,
moved
Stores Like Fairy Lard.
Ta5orn breathcd sigh os relief
when he got on solid ground again. lie
Dad been ~ higher in the air than the
second story of a building since hi,
Imprisonment.
us hard 10 explain" he said. "Ey-
ortulEs looks so strange People
seem To move about faster than when
{ Went To prison. They move differ
'1tI' and more business like. N.Y.
tioN much faster business must he
Conducted! There are SO many au-
l"mobilcs, and they travel So fast.
ih"'s what surprises me most-so
mHnN automobiles. When people got
around in ny day It was with horses
ana bug-ies, ana only a few people
mao Them. Now everybody seems to
have automobiles. heard In prison
That tho world was moving faster;
uoT know it is.
'"oplc seem 10 he more particular
" their dress and actions. The gem
'.'l run OF people look like they have
mote sense than in my time. That is,
'"'' look more intelligent, especially
'a' women. Women look a whole lot
moro business like than when | went
20 prison. can't explain IL very well,