New-York tribune., 1915-03-24
By LEWIS WOOD.

The ashes Of Canada Blsckie, who
/ died in the warden's house at Sing Sing
Saturday, will reach the prison to-day.
But they will not stay long in this one
Of the prisons the man spent so much
OF his life in. 1t will only be a short
time before they are taken to Auburn
and buried in plot provided by Thorn
as Mott Osborne.
| met Blackie-John Murphy was his
name-when ! did a voluntary bit in
Sing Sing In January. NY impressions
of the man were lasting then. As
grew 10 know him better | was more
and more impressed with the mans
vivid personality. He had been in
prison-this twelve years, and he
had seventeen years ahead Of him. But
two things interviewed death and a
merciful pardon. tuberculosis had the
man in its grip for months. and it laid
him on his back a few weeks ago. 1t
was then Governor Whitman issued TO
him a pardon, of which he was rightly
proud.
The first time ! ever saw this man
was in the prison yard in Sing Sing.
He was in the hospital even then, but
he used to come out in the yard an
hour or two each day. He wanted TO
keep on his feet as long as he could.
Once Giant.
1t was in the middle Of January. Half
week later he went 10 bed for keeps.
Ever since then he had been dying by
inches. fighting death as IL il were
something you could grasp in your
hands.
He walked up that day great.
gaunt, raw -boned man. lie must have
stood we'll over feet before consump-
ton sank his head and bowed his
shoulders. He must have weighed 200
pounds before prison and disease broke
down his powerful physique
Steady eyes, as keen and sharp as
knives. looked out from beneath brows
masked with bushy iron-grsy hair. A
strong, frm-lipped mouth, a straight
nose and high cheekbones. their eleva-
tion accentuated by cheeks that had
begun to sink. made up TINS mans face.
There's a big traffic policeman in
Fourth Avenue that's Just Blackie's
type) When he shook hands the curve
between his thumb and forefnger went
hard up to the curve between mine, and
his long fingers closed strongly about
my hand
The mans whole note was dominant.
There was something electric about this
quality he had. He was purposeful and
leader Once he said when he was a
small boy his mother wanted him to be
priest. Well, he would have been a
strong one. | used 10 think some
times Blacke would have made a great
bank president if he had not been a
bank burglar.
Strong Of Mind and Body.
Il was this strength that enabled
him to lie night and day in the
deep woods with bullet hole through
his jaw. It was this strength that car
ried him through years of prison life
that would have wrecked the brain OF
weaker man.
He lived twenty months in a dark
cell at Dannemora. They slowed him
away in solitary confinement at Auburn
for five mortal years. He lived through
the hell of Joliet. But he never gave
in. He fought back. He would have
been fighting back to the day Of his
death against the brutal treatment and
injustice of the old prison system if
a man had not happened along and be-
gun to treat him as if ne were hu
man being.
He talked long time that night to
Mr. Johnson. the deputy warden, and
Donald Lowrie and me, and his nurse,
a sturdy, broad-shouldered chap with
a small waist and narrow, close hips
and a quick lifting walk, just like
middleweight prizefghter.
How He Made hey.
That was the first time Canada ever
told the story of how he made the key