On July 8, 1911, 500 inmates from the county jail and state prison walked out into the sunshine. It was the first breath of fresh air that some of them had taken for decades. Thanks to a plan carefully put together by 54-year-old warden James McCusker, the prisoners were now going to be treated to regular Saturdays filled with clean air, exercise and a bit of freedom.

Seventeen of the prisoners enjoying the yard on those precious respite weekends were serving life sentences. They included 65-year-old Captain Robert Crow, a native of Ireland who had been serving his sentence for the 1866 high seas murder of William Roberts of New York. Upon his conviction he was sentenced to be hanged, but it was never carried out and he was diagnosed as being insane in 1895.

Seventy-three-year-old Martin Mowry had served 14 years of the jail time he’d received for a triple murder in Burrillville. On April 14, 1897, he was employed as a hired hand on the Reynolds farm. After stabbing and bludgeoning 54-year-old Edward Merrick Reynolds, his 51-year-old wife Abbie Jane, and the 15-year-old daughter of Abbie’s deceased sister whom they’d adopted, Sevilla Louise, Mowry set the house on fire. He then ran into the woods and shot himself in the head. The wound wasn’t fatal and when authorities located him, he was hiding in a barn just outside town, laughing wildly.

Allen Waldorf Dorsey was serving a life sentence for killing his father-in-law Benjamin with the help of his wife and her sister. At the time of the murder, which was staged to look like a suicide, he was studying to become a doctor. Thus far, he had served 25 years behind bars.

During that day’s outing, 500 clay pipes were distributed among the prisoners along with 50 pounds of tobacco.

A spirited game of baseball was played between the prisoners and the staff and McCusker later said that all appeared to have enjoyed the day.

During his brief stint as warden of the state prison, McCusker had a great deal of concern for the prisoners under his watch. He took on the position during the winter of 1911 and only a short time later was petitioning for an increase in the prisoner’s work earnings.

The following year, he supported the pardon being asked for by prisoner Dennis “Spike” Murphy, who had served 22 years of a life sentence for the murder of leather merchant Waterman Irons. Although Murphy was involved in the murder, the man who dealt the fatal blow to the victim was never apprehended. On April 30, 1912, Warden McCusker met Spike at the State House after his pardon was granted. McCusker presented him with $35 which was collected among the prisoners to help him in his journey to Chicago where he had a job waiting. Spike thanked McCusker for always treating him so well.

On Nov. 22, 1912, James McCusker died. After less than a year and a half as warden, he had provided more hope and happiness to unhappy, hopeless men than they had experienced in decades.

Almer J. Davis was appointed to take over the vacancy.

Kelly Sullivan is a Rhode Island columnist, lecturer and author.