A PRISON SCULPTOR.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2633, 26 July 1871, Page 3

A PRISON SCULPTOR.

The following interesting item is from a Ballarat paper Visitors to Pcntridge must, for a considerable time past, have had their attention directed to a massive and hand-, some work of art that is rapidly approaching completion. It is a fountain of rare and elegant design, ’entirely'' executed in bine stone. A t the base it measures 20 feet across, and it is proportionate in height. The basin, supported "oua pillt.r’- beautifully Cawed, rests bn the - squatfe base. It is; cub from a Solid block' of stone, and from its stee must’ weigh considerably over a ton. The base itself is richly o-na-mental, and bears indications of a lavi-h expenditure of labour. At (lie sides are re-,, presentations of eagles, with their wings full* spread, and chains suspended from their beaks. \ Above this, the outer portion of the basin, is "embellished with intricate but extremely handsome designs, encircling a variety of finely executed human masks. Surmounting the basin is the statue of a boy, holding a jet of water, and this in itself is a work of rare merit. The figure is well proportioned, the-attitude graceful, and every outline seems perfect. Such is but a brief description |of what must be admitted to be, one of the finest-works of the kiud the colony can boast. IBut what renders it of still greater ..value is its i-fi.-uliar, history. So far from its being the workmanship of. a tutored hand, it the noble product of live years’ laborious exertion and close application on the part of one of the prisoners. Thfe prisoner is .Harry Stanford, and bis-history‘ is somewhat a remarkable, one. Several years ago, when a mere youth, he was-riding at the/Bpndigo races, ami leaping over one of the hurdles his horse swe ved, and he .capie into ,colli-ion with thatnveUknqwn notability “ Bendigo Mac,” who was riding his. favorite marc Polly. The result was. that, the police magistrate; was dismounted, and this led .to the ; avrest and subsequent imprisonment of Stanford. Stanford was afterwards engaged as a stonemason at Slalmsbury viaduct, but eventually he had the misfortune to, be again apprehended, together with another man, for an alleged highway robbery at Epsom. The prosecutor, a German, identified, the accuse.!, but it afterwards transpired that the prisoner, whowas sentenced with Stanford, was in prison at the lime of the,alleged offence, and he 'was again released. Stanford, denies the crime imputed to him, and in his case it is quite possible that there may hj ■vc been an error in' his identity! ’ One day while in jrrison he was observed .carving a female profile on the ivory handle of a knife, and this led to an interest being 'taken in him by the late ’ Sheriff, * Gland Favie. Young Stanford had hitherto been one of the most refractory prisoners in Pentridge, bi’it no sooner was he supplied With the implements for carving and modelling, than he set himself assiduously to work, ; The hard bluestone was speedily moulded into the most beautiful and fantastic designs imaginable, and the fountain referred to is the result. Nearly live years have been spent upon it, •till the prisoner, who is now twenty-five years of age, has even injured bis-health by earnest.‘Application' over his self-imposed task. So Intent is he on completing his work, that he states that even if he wore entitled to his liberation he Would remain to finish it. It appears that thd Melbourne Corporation have been endeavoring to get possession of the fountain, and would make a handsome pffer for it, but it is the intention of the Government to retain it in their hands.