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CLUSTERING MEMORIESDf Startling Events Marking By-Gone DaysAt the Old State Prison in the Bunker Hill District.RetlinUcences Recalled by a Stroll Throufth Dung-con Halil* .formerly used a* a place of solitary cont lie went In, and after several fruiUeMvarious an I the let as a board-Co.TheHutWhosoever enters the Manhalsoa place. savs Dickens In bis preface to •« Little Dorrltt, will stand among tho crowding ghosts of many miserable year*. And wlut the great novelist aald of the poor debtors' prison la equally true of every penal Institution which has attained a veneraMo age. Tbe passage waa brought powerfully to tho mind of tho writer on a bright June dav not long ago. as, in company with tho former warden of the place, he pa.««ed In at the entrance of the now aeacrted State prison at Charlestown, and the great door, swinging on Its hinges, closed with nn echoing clang behind him. Passing across the stone pavement of the central building, down a narrow Uight of iron steps and alone a passageway, it soon 1-ecarae apparently the sudden transit from light to gloom, that the bright and airy chambers of the modern building* had been exchanged for those of the old and original structuro which, begun In 1803 and completed in 1805, still stands, at least a portion of It, Inst rlxing contrast to Its younger and larger additions. ••This, said Warden Haynes, pausing befoie a gap in the solid granite, bevond which was impenetrable blackness. I suppose vou have heard of. It is tho lower arch,r confinement. efforts l.e succeeded In lighting a candle. Th® r ceding before its le*Me gleam, a short corr.d-.r disclosed Itself, opening off from which on either sldo appeared other dark gaps similar to the one which bnd been first entered. These were the doors of the old colls, following me light the writer entered ono of these hole*. A close, damp dungeon, waded In on every side with solid stone, without a break except whore tin- aperture for the door was-wlth not even a cn vico to let in tho llght-snch was tne ancient ••solitary. Not within bis recollection, however, said tne warden, bad these gloomy sepulcbrss been used for the purpose* Tor which they had been constructed. Passing out of this relic of an ancient barbarity Into the newer portions of the prison, everything wa* found at light, as airy, as clean and as fresh as if the structure had been finished but yesterday. The former cook-room is now used as a norehou-e by tho manufacturers who occupy the premises former roddence of tho warden Is * — Ing-house, butKo Other C'hnngs I* Apparent.In the workshops In the yard, too, are to be found many of tbe old contractors still carrying on the samo business, though with a different class of workmen. The old foundry and chaln-shop Is still run by Mr. Fearing: Roblnaou « Co. occupy the whole of the west block; the Tucker Manufacturing Company still retains the lower story of tne north shop, the upper floor of which Is occupied by the Dlatlte Company. Katcheldcr ai*o utilize a portion of the premises. I value of the whole property which still remains In possession of the State is about •800,000, and those who ought to know say that a* It stands it Is one of the bent prisons In the world. In the light of this fact, there arc many people who can-uot see the wisdom of the removal three years ago to Concord. By adding another story to ono or the wings seventy-six cells might be annexed, which would bring tho capacity of the prison almost to that of Concord. Here in Hoston labor Is much more valuable man It is there, of course. But nevertheless the fact remains that the old prison at Charlestown stands empty and Idle, a .'llent monument of past Iniquity. If those could speak out who have long mingled with the dust, what a history we might have concerning it! Hut those who knew It in its younger days bare L-one: the newly-whitewashed walls boar on their surface no names, no dab s, no inscriptions, once in a while somebody remember* relates an Interesting reminiscence con Ing it. fcueb aro those which follow: There Is one cell In the old portion of the Charlestown State prison to which clings a remarkable set of association*. At one tiuio George W alters, w ho was sentenced to twenty years Imprisonment for felonious assault, was confined here. It I* built ol solid granite, and the light comes In through two narrow chink* on either side of an immense stone, weighing certainly a ton. rhrotigh these narrow silts, which open directly Into the outer air, a mar. might easily thrust an arm: but more than this be could not do. From this mas-sively built dungeon one would say escape w.« in possible.It Was Considered Perfectly Becnre.tout what man bas made man can unmake sometime*. and that fearful thirst for liberty which. as Victor Hugo so graphically says, -changes precipices Into ditches, Iron grating* into osier screens, stupidity into intelligence, and intelligence into genius, inspired also this poor wretch, and some time between a Saturday night and Sun-uay morning he moved the huge block or stono which divided his window Into two to one side, thus making one double-width aperture barely w ide enough for a very thin mau tocrowd through. The window was sorno distance above tho ground, but tho man was gone, and had left no traco behind him. What Is a fall of thirty feet to a man who is escaping? The man who escape*. My* Victor Hugo, is inspired. There Is something of the star and lightning In the mysterious gleam of Bight. Tho effort towards deliverance is not lex* surprising than the Bight towards the sublime, and wo say of an escaped robber, ‘How did be manage to scale that roof?’ Just as we say of CorneiUe, ‘Where did ho lcaru that he wouldAnother notorious occupant of this cell fora long term of year* wa* 1’eter York, a negro. The circumstances of his case aro so peculiar that they will bear a brief review. Ho had been a sailor, ana one night some thirty years ago bo killed a companion iu a Richmond street dance hall. There waa a peculiar interest In the trial for this offence, Inasmuch as It raised an Important question of law for tho first time in this country. 1’revlous to York's case malice wa* assumed in ail cases of murder: but «bo prisoner's counsel for the first tune raised tho point that unlca* mallco could be proven York's offence was not capital. Tho matter w-cnt to tho Supreme Court, where there was a division among the Judges, in consequence of which the death sentence was commuted. So it came about that this man sctved a life sentence in this cell. Wilson, too, who killed a convict on tbe day of his discharge from a long term of imprisonment, was an occupant of this place. This man was an English burglar, and had been transported to Botany Bay for life. He escaped aud came to America. W’itu a companion he broke Into wbat was the town treasury of Charlestown, and robbed the safe. For this offence ho was tried and convicted, and sentenced to imprisonment for four years. Dur-mg this term be was extiemely well behaved, and gave no trouble till the morning of The Day **» Which Ho Was to he at Liberty.Then, while passing in lino with the other pris-mers across the yard to breakfast, bo suddenly, nd to the horror and astonishment of everybody, crew from beneath bis coat an Iron bolt, and, reaching over the shoulder of the man Immediately in frunt of him.struck a colored man next beyond a tremendous blow, which killed liini iu-ntniitiy. Wilson was never known to have had anv trouble with hi* fellow-prisoner, aud the act was unmistakably that of a madman. Nevertheless, he appeared sane euuugb and was tried, convicted of murder in tbetirst degree and sentenced to be hung This was In 1854, when the law required that the felon convicted of a capital offence should be Imprisoned a year precodiug execution. Wilson was confined a year in the house of correction at South Boston/- The day was fixed for hi* execution at Charlos-strcet Jail; the gallows wa* erected, the ropo up; tho clorgy-imu was with the condemned murderer In his cell when a reprlevo of thirty days came from the Governor. Before the thirty days were up tho prisoner's sentence was commuted to close confinement for life. So Wilson became an occu-Jant of this cell for tweuty-threo yeais, and nallv died there. It is interesting to noto that Insanity, the grounds on which the sentence was commuted, uumlstakaoly manifested itself after his return to Chailestowo.John Williams, another occupant of thl* cell, was serving out a life sentence on three different charges, and each one ot theso sentences was to begin at tho expiration of the preceding one. One time Williams escaped. In company with two other convicts he was taken violently III one night, which necessitated his removal to the hospital in the upper story. In the night he suddenly recovered and went out through the skylight and down over the roof, and io got awar. However, he was recaptured and jrought back.Michael Lynch, another inmate of this ceil, was ho most desperate mau ever In the prison. Ho ■ad esca|ed from the house of correction at Hiuth Boston, and It required constant and Vigilant Watchfulness to Keep Him tven In close confinement. He was serving a second sentence. At his trial, a young man who had becu engaged with him in a robbery and who appeared as a witness against him, after leaving the witness stand, was obliged to pass near hlin. Lynch sprang toward him, and producing a concealed knife. Indicted a serious wound about tho young man’s neck. He seemed to delight in wtckodnese, and nothing could prevent him while under confinement from manufacturing terrible weapon* from all kind# of material. Finally he was taken very sicg with consumption, and knew that ho must die very soon, tut this fact did not seem to disturb him very much. He scoffed at all religious consolation, ana. on bis death bed. occupied hi* time in obtaining at infinite pains and secreting About hima munlerous-looking weapon. When this was discovered It could only bo taken away from him after ho was exhausted by his efforts to retain it.Pomeroy was tho last occupant of the cell. Hi* history is too fresh in the minds of the public to be renewed. At the removal of the Inmates to Concord he vacated the premise*, leaving behind him. among other things, a camp chair. The chair was marked with his mother’s name, and left with a lot of other articles to be called for; but It never was called for, and was often exhibited as a curiosity. The fact that Pomeroy had used it seemed to set It asldo as an object of nn-usual Interest to visitors. Somebody sitting In It ono day about a year after the departure of Pomeroy felt something soft underneath hi* hand as It rested on the handle. Examination revealed the prcs-nco of a lot of soat. nicely blacked over to match the adjacent wood. When tbe soap was scraped away a cavity appeared, neatly Imbedded in which was nn Iron spike of murderous appearance. The chair with the iron in It is still In the former warden'* office At the prison. Tdls is by no means all that has boon discovered since tho convicts have vacated the premises. Weapons and tool* of all kinds have turned up In curious places. In a ventilator was found a lantern, jimmy and cord.One of the Most Hemurknhlc Psrtiprs which wa* ever made from the prison happened some year* ago. On one tide of the main building 1* a sloop, tbe roof of which is within a few teet of the eaves of ono of the wing*. Some convict* were sent up there one day to repair the roof. An English convict in the yard saw them, and a desperate plan of escape occurred to him. Walking leisurely up to the foot of the stoop, so as not to Attract attention, be ascended the ladder to the top, telltug the men that he bad been sent up to help them. Ho then hauled up the ladder after him, and placing It against the wall ot tho wing wa* on the tool In an Instant, and had disappeared from view over tho riuge before any officer bad observed his sudden movement*. The root was very steep, and in Ms burry he slid down, stopping himself by striking the gutter with bis feet. From the gutter to the ground was a dangerous distance, and beyond was a high wall which cut him off from the st reels ot the city. It was a dangerous predicament. To go forward would, to mn*t meu, have seemed Impossible. To remain where he wa* would have been certain recapture. He did not hesitate nn Instant, but bung by Ul* hand* trom the gutter, dropped four teet and raved himself from deatn by catching the edge of the keystone, which projected alrcut an Inch from the building. Here he held huuself by the end* of hi* fingers, till ho could reach the iron grating which ooveretf tho great window; with the help of this he gained the ground. How he got over the wall nobody knows. Warden Haynes, who was entering the gate leading to the Office about this time, was surprised by tue apparition of a man tlying over the wall just beside him, anu making for the Iron fence which separate* tho yard from the street. Ho was after him In od Instant and collared him at tho (once. The prisoner attempted to show fight, and had placed hi* hand insiue bt* cost, when the sight of a revolver lu the warden’s grasp brought him to Ms ■enaes! He wa* taken into prison. Inside his coat was found a mutderous-iooklng weapon, which he had secreted at the machine shop.Such are a few of tho Interesting reminiscences which cling about this old edifice. To give them all it would be necessary to compile a history of the institution Itself. But it would seem that *o valuable a piece of property for the purpose* for which It was constructed might furnish something of more practical benefit to the comuiuuity than a mere theme for reminiscences.WHO ARE THE B0NDH0LDER8PSpecial Agent Porter Answers the Question-Interesting Statistic* Regarding the Distribution of Government Bonds.According to a report made by Robert P. Porter, special agent of tbe census office, at tne date nearest tho census year, June 30.1880, there were outstanding $1,173,749,260 of registered bonds. These bond* were of the following Issues; Four per cent., 95S8.100.U59; 4‘j per cent, $170,-280,800; 5 per ceut, •2U4.440.80O; 0 per cent., 1180,920,700; total, •1,173,748,29a Tne 0 per cent, bonds wcro all made payable in tcu largo cities. TMN registered bonds wcro found to bo owued a* follows: Individual holders and corporations, 9044,800,400; foreign holders and corporations, $27,884,350; National bank*, to securo circulation, $319,837,800; 8 per cent, payable in ton large cities, $180,826,700; total, $1,173,749,-250. Omitting the hank* ana the foreign holder* it appear* that the aggregate number of holders of 4. 4Vi- 5 and ll per cent, registered 80,802, and that mo aggtefc $826,807,100 As tho «!■ were all payable lu ten cities they are omitted from tne calculation. Of the total number of the holders (73,1I4of 4.4H and 6 per cent, registered bonds, 42,202 are men. 28.325 women, and 0527 are corporations, and of tho amount held the men own $327,185,500. tho women $90,363,300, and the corporation* $227,-461,650.The Average Capita for the male holders is $7741 84; for the female holders, $3081 10; for the corporations, $14H,-963 20; and for both sexes and the corporation*, $8821 70. Of the $044,890,400 no le-s than $418,278,400 IS held iu amount* of over $60,000. $58,730,000 in amount* varying from $25,000 to $60,000, $59,143,850 la amounts exceeding $10,000 and reaching to $25,000, $41,078,900 in amounts exceeding $6000 and reaching to $10,000, $33,070,850 in amounts exceeding $2500 and reaching to $5000, $22,082,550In amounts of over $1000 and Including •2600, 913,097,260 in amounts over 600 and including $1000. and $7,655,800 In amounts of loss than $500. Of the 73,114 holder* 87.260, or 61 per cent., live In 117 cities of the Foiled States, and of the aggregate amount. 9044.880.700, the tables show that $.559,200,000, or 85 per cent., Is held in three cities. While over 30 per cent, of the aggregate amount of bonds are credited to New England, on the other hand over 42 per cent, of the holders have tbeir residence in the Middle States, and upward of 43 per cent, of the aggregate amount ol bonds Is Im.d In that section; over 3 j per cent, of tlie holder* live in the Southern Slate*, and about 2 per cent of the bonds are there, lu the Western States are 15 per cent, of the holders and neatly 8*.a por vent, of the bonds. Tho ltank*. Insurance 4'ompanlr* Bud Other Corporation*, representing In number only 2 per cent., own about 36 per cent, of tho bonds. Tho Investigation establishes the fact that Massachusetts, with only 3V* per cent, of the total population of tho countrr, ha* 23 per cent, of the bondholder*, while New York, with over 10 per cent, of the total population, has 20 per cent, of the bondholders. Ohio has over 0 per cent, of tho totala dilation and over per cent, or tho bond-den. Illinois and Now Hampshire each has over 4 per cent, of tho bondholders, while the former .state has over 6 per cent, of the total imputation of the country and tne latter only O-lOths of 1 per cent. Oregon has theleast number ot holders, fourteen, andMas-acbueotte tbe highest, 10,855. TheDistrict ot Columbia contains more bondholder* in proportion to It* copulation than any ot the Mates of the Futon—no IOS* than 1320 in each 100,000 of the population being bondholder* of tbe various loans. Of tho States, it will bo observed that Massachusetts, which lias the largest number of bondholders, al*o presents aErearer number of bondholders in proportion to or population than any other Mate. The New England Mates lead In thl* regard. New York alone breaking the solid column and taking precedence over .Maine. The Middle Stales take high rank in tho proportion of bondholders to tbeir population, while in the Western and 8outbcrn States, with a few exceptlous, a very small per centajre of the population Is represented iu the total number of male and female holders.bonds in amount held inAN ANTI-TORPEDO ARM Devised by tie Inventor of the GullingGuo.1 Hartford t'ourantl Dr. Gatling of Hagiord, Inventor of the destructive weapon bearing bis name, after a year’s experimenting, has devlsod a breech-loading defensive arm for uvo in torpedo warfare. It is to be mounted on the gunwale of a ship, with apparatus for sweeping fully three-fourth* of the horizon, and capable of depression ot forty-live degrees. This gives it complete control of an upproacnmg torpedo boat- The range or the cun Is three miles at tbe lowest calculation. It has a ritled steel barrel, 60V* inches long, calibre 1.45 inches, and throws a nolld shot or shell, weighing a pound and a quarter, exclusive of powder and metallic cartridge. The shot is *teei pointed, and will penetrate the firmest Iron casting of a torpedo boat from two to three nd’.es away. The artn Is a breech-loader, and Is fed by hand, hut tbe loading, firing and ejection of shell are automatic. The operator can fire the euu with great rapidity, absolutely correct aim being secured at every discharge. Tho mechanism Is simple and strong In construction, and under tbe most precise control of tho operator. The angle of depression enable* the marksman managing the arm to continue nring until the torpedo is wltnln a few yards ol the ship. The eun is to be tested at Sandy Hook under the direction of the board of ordnance officers. It should be stated that the gun can also be used for field service wltn the most effective result*. The pivotal mounting affords an elevation of forty-five degree*. The sight apparatus is so nicely adjustable that aim can be secured ami the gun fired at least a dozen times before an ordinary artillery gun can bo sighted. Two men can man It, and for rapid work it Is unequalled.Forty-four Tlinr.'n Father.[Troy Telegram.]A decrepit old mau from Montreal reached Troy a uay or two since In search of bis son, and to one of tho town officers made a statement under oath to the effect that his name Is Justine l’asco: that he was born In France and went to Canada when a year and a half old; at the age of 1« married his first wife, and since her death bas married seven other wives; his last wife is now living In Montreal; he is 88 years old, and has been the father of 44 children.over 30 of whomaro now living._There are no objections to a nice-fitting boot that German Corn KemOTSf will not OTWtODe, 25 CCbtS. Druggists.
Newspaper Details
Boston Weekly Globe
Boston, Massachusetts, US
Wed, Aug 03, 1881
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
William F.
CA, USA 07 Dec 2016
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