The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1918-12-17
JESSE POMEROY
MASTERS SPANISH
MASSACHUSETTS MOST WIDELY
KNOWN CONVICT HAS BEEN
IN PRISON AZ YEARS.
Was FIFTY-NINE YEARS OLD
ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 18th

Murderer Is Student of History and
Finds Poetry Refining Well
Posted, and Talks Interestingly of
Current Events.
BOSTON.-Jesse Harding Pome-
roy has been an inmate, or '"shut-in."
to use his own language, of the Mas
sachusetts state prison for about 46
years, says a writer in the Boston
Globe.
Numerous stories have been writ
ten concerning him, especially during
the 4 years he was in absolutely soil
tary confinement, when the writers,
to quote Jesse, ''never saw him and
gave the public more theories than
anything else about his personal APP
pearance, character and acts. Most
of these stories," added Jesse, "when-
ever l saw or heard of them, amused
me more than anything else, although
at times was pictured to be an en-
tlrely different human being from
what l am.
Il have always hoped and prayed
that IN time the press and the people
would understand me and not con-
tinue to judge me entirely by the
past"
There is an earnestness, mingled
with pathos, in everything that Pome-
roy says that deeply impresses a visi-
tor.
The writer had not seen Jesse
since about 1868, when both were
boys in Charlestown, Jesse being then
about seven years old, little, club
by youngster with curly hair, care
free and happy.
1t was by his invitation that the
writer called on Pomeroy at the in
stitutiOn. There was recognition in
Jesse's eye the minute he saw the
writer among the visitors in the ro-
tunda. His step was light and
springy and the grasp of his hand
cordial.
Pomeroy today is a little under
medium height, weighs LAP pounds
has a reddish mustache, a thin head
of hair, bright grayish eyes, firm
chin, no special pallor and a pleasant
mien. The plcCules OF MN chat have
been printed do not do him justice
now, for he is not rough-looking.
He was SO years old Friday, No
vember 20, and had two celebrations,
one Thanksgiving day and the other
Friday, so far as eatables are con-
cerned.
No one can talk with him long
without coming to the quick cOnclu-
sion that he is an optimist and con-
siderable of philosopher.
Fifty years is a long time to con-
template. yet in one hour S conversa- !
ton Jesse went first back to reminis-
cence5 Of his boyhood days, named |
persons and events with which his |
visitor was perfectl- familiar, and |
seemed to enjoy talking about old F.
Charlestown more tia anything else. !
He spoke warmly of the kindness
Of the warden and all the officers of /
the institution.
A. to what he did With hi time, |
he skipped details as To occupation
and said he liked the evenings and all
spare moments when he could read.
Reading and writing are his chief re-
creations and he also takes much
pleasure in all entertainments that
are given.
He branched off to the war, and
talked intelligenrly Of the principal
battles, and praised in the warmest
terms the bravery Of the American
soldiers and sailors. He had relatives
in the civil war.
What impressed him most, he said,
were the gigantic problems the war
produced.
There should be correction of the
idea some individuals have that Pom
eroy is not a fairly well-educated
man. He modestly disclaims high
scholarship, but declares he read and
studied a great deal during his soil
tary confinement of more than 40
years.
After spending two years on
Latin" he says, land then two years
on French. in October, 1880, l began
the study of Spanish. In those days
we did not have the correspondence
schools, which date, l think, from the
COS; and if there was a school here
in 1880 | knew nothing of it, al
though the schoolhouse on the south
wing was in use in 1889-90. l struck
out for myself, selecting Spanish.
81 a few months ! was able to
write and read correctly, and with
understanding, the Spanish language.
Apropos Of Pomeroy's reading, it
appears that he has always been fond
of history In an essay on "Some