Middlebury Register

In a series of articles on "Old New York" the Mail and Express of that city notes that only two buildings are still standing that antedate the Revolution. These are St. Paul's church and the old provost prison, now the Hall of Records. The last named building stands in City Hall park. It is of interest to Vermonters because it was the prison of Ethan Allen while he was in the hands of the British, subsequent to his disastrous attack on Montreal. The Mail and Express relates a new story of Allen, which, however, lacks confirmation from any authentic source. Judge John Fell of New York and Captain Travis of Virginia were fellow prisoners of the Vermonter. Allen secured the release of Judge Fell, and the latter from gratitude sent to his fellow prisoners a hamper of food and wine. The liquor was too much for heads long unused to stimulants, and Travis and Allen soon fell to disputing over the respective merits of their native states. Blows followed, and the big Green Mountain boy bade fair to worst his antagonist, when the latter changed his tactics, took a grip in Allen's hair and proceeded to gouge an eye out. This unsportsmanlike method of combat was too much for the Vermonter, who cried quits. As Allen refers in his "Narrative" to the honorable character of Travis, it is presumed that if this little ruction really did take place the men subsequently patched up their differences and again became friends.