United States or American Samoa ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
But of all stale, flat, and unprofitable stories, this releasing of prisoners from Moyamensing was the worst. It seemed to Bronson that they were always releasing prisoners; he wondered how they possibly left themselves enough to make a county prison worth while. And the city editor for some reason always chose him to go down and see them come out.
For several years thereafter the city remained quiet until 1849 when there occurred a raid on the blacks by the Killers of Moyamensing, using firearms with which many were wounded. This disturbance was finally quelled by aid of the militia. These clashes sometimes reached farther north than the free States bordering on the slave commonwealths.
Waterworks, killed by the Croton and Cochituate; Ben Franklin, borrowed from Boston; David Rittenhouse, made an orrery; Benjamin Rush, made a medical system: both interesting to antiquarians; great Red-river raft of medical students, spontaneous generation of professors to match; more widely known through the Moyamensing hose-company, and the Wistar parties; for geological section of social strata, go to The Club.
So when he asked Bronson what he was going to do, Bronson read the clipping in his hand aloud. "'Henry Quinn," Bronson read, "'who was sentenced to six years in Moyamensing Prison for the robbery of the Second National Bank at Tacony, will be liberated to-night. His sentence has been commuted, owing to good conduct and to the fact that for the last year he has been in very ill health.
I have described Moyamensing with the moonlight falling on its walls; I have described it with the walls shining in the rain; I have described it covered with the pure white snow that falls on the just as well as on the criminal; and I have made the bloodhounds in the jail-yard howl dismally and there are no bloodhounds, as you very well know; and I have made released convicts declare their intention to lead a better and a purer life, when they only said, 'If youse put anything in the paper about me, I'll lay for you; and I have made them fall on the necks of their weeping wives, when they only asked, 'Did you bring me some tobacco?
Though The Revolution and its founders may have been open to criticism in many respects, all admit that we have galvanized the people into life and slumbering friends to action on this question. Clemence Lozier and Mrs. Eleanor Kirk went to Moyamensing prison to see the unfortunate girl.
In consideration of O'Rourke's long service, and in view of the fact that his desertion so near the expiration of his time was an absurdity, the Good President commuted his sentence to imprisonment for life, with loss of prize-money and back pay. Mr. O'Rourke was despatched North, and placed in Moyamensing Prison.
C.R. about twenty-nine years old, called at the office, and said he had been lately released from Moyamensing prison; having been sentenced for two years, on account of selling stolen goods. When Friend Hopper inquired whether it was his first offence, he frankly answered, "No. I have been in Sing Sing prison twice for grand larceny. I served five years each time."
"Joe," said Rodney, one day, to the oldest boy, "what did they put you in here for?" "Well," said he, "I'll tell you. Sam and I run with the Moyamensing Hose Company. Many a jolly time we have had of it, running to fires, and many a good drink of liquor we have had, too; for when the people about the fires treated the firemen, we boys used to come in for our share of the treat.
The burning of Pennsylvania Hall by a mob in Philadelphia, in 1838, built and used by anti-slavery people, the ravages of what was known as the "Moyamensing Killers," who burned down the churches and residences of the colored people and murdered their occupants, did much to increase the anti-slavery feeling.
Word Of The Day