460 Poetry. [June want." When it bas sometimes seemed to me that I could not do my duty, declare the whole truth, and at the same time obtain daily bread for my family, I have been comforted by these words: "Trust in the Lord, and do good, and verily thou shalt be fed." The readers of the Prisoners' Friend can now understand why I was so deeply interested in perusing the Journal of a Poor Vicar. Birth-day of John Howard. ANNUAL FESTIVAL. To the Friends of Prison Reform, Dear Friends:-Believing you to be interested in every good work, and especially in that highest form of Benevolence, the Reclamation of the Vicious, we invite you to co-operate with us in the celebration of our Annual Festival, THE BIRTH-DAY OF JOHN HOWARD. For a long time there has been wanting a Journal in this country, that should reg ilarly publish such facts and statistics as may directly have a bearing on Crime. Also an office has been wanting where the Discharged Convict could find sympathy; also where the innocent family of the prisoner might ask for advice. Such a Journal is published; such an office is opened. The Proprietor has made many sacrifices till he finds it necessary to make another appeal to the friends of the cause. To keep alive the sympathy already awakened, it is proposed to celebrate for the second time in the world, the Birth-day of John Howard, which occurs on the second day of September next.* It has been suggested that we have a general gathering of the friends of Prison Reform throughout the country. A more fitting time to awaken a true interest cannot be selected. Already the work of preparation has commenced, and it is hoped that this will be one of the most interesting gatherings that has taken place for 'many years. As the readiest and easiest way of giving all an opportunity to assist, it has been proposed to have a Fair, the place to be announced hereafter, to continue one week, commencing on Monday, September third. We affectionately then ask your aid, not for ourselves, for it is your cause as well as ours. We know of no moral movement where there are such immediate advantages flowing to the sinned and the sinned against. It seems proper then, to extend to you the privilege of aiding in a movement; for where there is a universal benefit, there should be a universal sacrifice. Feeling grateful for the past, we feel that every thing should be done to sustain what has been so nobly begun. Instead, therefore, of stopping by the way, it has been deemed proper to make at least, one more effort. A sketch of our plans may not be inappropriate: I. To sustain the monthly Journal. II. To open an extensive correspondence with the friends of Criminal Reform throughout the country, on the best modes of Prison Discipline. III. To create a wide interest for the Discharged Prisoner. V. To deliver Public Addresses on the various topics connected with Prison Discipline. *The true day, September second, happening on Sunday, it was deemed proper of course, not to commence the Fair till the following day. That occurrence will, however, afford a fine occasion for a most beautiful theme for the pulpit, and it is hoped that many clergymen will avail themselves of such an opportunity. 462 A Gem. [June VI. To collect a Library of Works relating to the whole subject of Criminal Reform. VII. To abolish the Death Penalty. Such is a brief sketch of our plan. Will you aid in any way whatever? If you cannot, will you hand this circular to some friend, male or female. Permit us to suggest the ways of aiding: I. By annual or occasional Donations. II. By giving your name to our subscription list. III. By forming a Society in your town to aid the cause. IV. By sending communications for the paper. V. By enlisting your clergyman. VI. By sending books that have any bearing on Criminal Reform, or kindred subjects. VII. By enlisting the Press. One more effort, and this great work will have received an impulse that will be felt for years. A failure now, and the Magazine ceases; the whole work is retarded, and years will be required to regain what we shall then have lost. Do not then let us suffer for want of a little aid. A few brief statements more, and we leave you to act up to your own convictions of duty: I. This is the only paper in the world devoted to the Claims of the Criminal. II. Its columns are open for Free Discussion. III. It has no advertising patronage. IV. It has some of the ablest contributors in this country. V. It gives a faithful View of Prison-Reform abroad. For the Fair we shall need many articles. A number of ladies will be in attendance. Let us know at as early a date as possible what you can do for the work. Of course, we need Refreshments, Flowers, Fancy articles of every description, Cloth to cover the tables, &c. The articles should be sent, at least three days before the time. COMMITTEE. BOSTON.-B. H. Greene; Wm. Pitt, M. D.; Ellen M. Tarr; Mrs. Briggs; Mrs. Trowbridge. DORCHESTER.-Mrs. Lucy Keener; Mrs. J. H. Blake; Miss E. Field. THE following exquisite lines by Leigh Hunt, may be familiar to many of your readers, but they deserve nevertheless to be copied over and over again. The beautiful lesson they inculcate ought to be repeated quarterly in every newspaper in the United States: ABOU BEN ADHEM, (may his tribe increase) An angel writing in a book of gold; Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold, And to the presence in the room he said, "What writest thou?" The vision raised his head, And with a smiling look of sweet accord, Answered, "The names of those that love the Lord," Replied the angel-Abon spoke more low, The angel wrote and vanished. The next night It came again, with a great wakening light, And showed the names whom love of God had blessed, Commutation in the Case of Washington Goode, THIRD ARGUMENT. gr WE have felt it highly important to preserve every procee ing to this extraordinary case. Having been inquired of in regard to. the final plea before the Governor and Council, we give a few facts, not intimating, of course, that we can give the words, or even a sketch of the arguments. The speakers were Dr. Phelps, Wm. Aspinwall, Esq., and Wendell Phillips. Dr. PHELPS. He spoke of the influence of the death-penalty upon the sick, particularly those laboring under nervous irritability. He believed all his patients would be shocked; one he thought would suffer. death if the execution took place! He had inquired, and he found that when the last execution occurred, that many physicians could trace the sickness to the scenes connected with that event. There was a settled gloom and despondency everywhere among the debilitated and the feeble. It would be so now. He begged, therefore, the Council to take this fact into consideration. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.-Executions are now private. DR. PHELPS. That makes no difference whatever. It is the fact that a human being is to be put to death at a certain hour, that produces the distress among the sick. WM. ASPINWALL, Esq. He was one of the counsel employed on the trial of the prisoner. He introduced a witness by the name of Wilson, who did not testify on the trial. No oath being required, he gave in his testimony. The following questions were asked: Counsel. Were you acquainted with Washington Goode? Counsel. How long? Witness. I have known him ever since a year ago last June. Counsel. Were you in company with him on the evening previous to the murder? / Witness. Yes, till half-past eight. Counsel. What clothes had he on? Witness. Had dark pantaloons, stripped jacket. Counsel. Where did you go on the evening previous? Witness. Went to Crombie's tavern, Cambridge Street, where we drank together. Counsel. Have you ever seen him since? Witness. No. I heard next morning of the murder, and that Goode had committed it. I went to my vessel, and afterwards went to Ann St. to hear the particulars. Heard the constable say to Forman that he must go to Court to testify. Forman said he knew nothing about the case; that he heard the blow and saw a man, but did not know who it was. Mr. Aspinwall then gave a general view of the testimony, observing that every witness spoke more strongly upon the trial than in the street; that it was very contradictory. He then refered to the numerous petitions of 24000 names! He then refered to the new act about to be 464 Washington Goode. [June passed in the Legislature, making murder in the first degree only a capital offence, and that tried under the new law, Goode would not have been executed. Of Washington Goode, it might be said that his character had been generally good. He had been in many vessels, and the Captains were anxious to procure again his services. He refered to the report then before the House, in which the killing of Lincoln was called a murder. It was not so. The prisoner was proved to be insane. Moreover, there were now in the State Prison eight capital offenders. Why not send another? E. F. HODGES, Esq. He confirmed the remarks of Mr. Aspinwall, so far as the testimony was concerned. He was one of the counsel, and he believed it contradictory; that in fact, in the place where some witnesses said Goode stood, there was an Irishman! WENDELL PHILLIPS. He referred to the 24000 names that had been procured in about seventeen days, three-fourths were men; though he would be as glad to present the women, for he believed their names ought to go as far to effect the object, as those of men. He contrasted the difference between the feeling now and twenty-four years ago, when during Gov. Morton's administration, three thousand names were sent in urging the execution of the Parkers! Now there was a single petition of nine names from Woburn, which he would read. He referred to Forman's testimony, and the complete contradiction of its most important items by Wilson, here produced. He believed that if this case were found to be murder in the second degree, that Goode ought not to be executed, for the new law now before the House only contemplated making murder in the first degree capital. Had Goode been tried under that, he would not have been condemned; of course the council would not hang a man under a dead statute! He here read from Ashmead R. 283, 257, 298, and Addison R. 145, showing how even aggravated murder was made out in the second degree. There had been no case where a prisoner was brought in guilty of murder in the first degree in Pennsylvania where the evidence was circumstantial! He here read Brown R. 18. Mr. Phillips here alluded to the prejudice against the colored people, manifested in Lyceums, Schools, mobs, and which extended even to the jury box; no black man being allowed to sit on the jury; a single instance only ever happened of a colored man's being drawn on a jury, and that was by mistake, and the Court would not allow him to serve! With many the negro was but the connecting link between a monkey and a man. Had Goode been tried in some other countries, there would have been six black men on the jury. When England tries a Hindostanee, she puts six of his countrymen on the jury, and six Englishmen. So in the West Indies, I believe. Goode has not had a fair trial; the 24000 who asked for his commutation said he had not. Goode was placed under bad circumstances. He was kept drunk; he went to the sailor boarding-houses, and he had to get the keepers for his bondsmen! Mr. Phillips then alluded to the duty of the Council, which was to examine carefully after conviction, and pardon the guilty, if any extenuating circumstances existed Of course, they could not pardon the innocent! George IV. heard every trial a second time! This was the very case for a rehearing. Goode came here from the South West; he had been on the Mississippi; he had been in the War under Gen. Taylor; he had been hired three years to kill for seven dollars a month! An exact copy may be found in our May number. The law then before the House did not pass as was expected, though such a modification had the strong reccommendation of the Governor. |