The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-01-05

PhPa ~ bdiu, ii yOu WOut GONE
home, I'll stay with YOU" The poor
father choked up. and replied only in
kisses. The little child prattled at ev-
cry one that passed, saying "I'm GO
ing tn stay in prison all day"
a rich planter calls ont, "officer,
my scryans is at the door, and wants
to see me; will you let in my servant,
sir?' He spoke in the haughty tone
born OF plantation life, not q whit
the less gruff for coming through the
iron bars of felon's cell. The serv.
ant comes and brings his master some
articles from home, and receives in.
structions about the management OF
the plantation.
When will you be out, NASSAU" the
faithful negro asks.
"The Lord only knows, / don't
Bring me some tobacco next time you
come, and take care Of my children"
II will, massa," and the faithful fel-
low is conducted out. =.
A rich young girl comes TO see her
sweetheart. She brings a great bo.
quct in her hand, and letter, for she
can't talk all she wants to in the time
allowed. Her dear one is brought
out, a handsome young fellow, well
dressed, of good social standing, and
one who should not think would be
guilty of crime. A soldier with a
polished musket marches closely be-
hind him. She pins flower in the
button hole of his coat, places her
jewcled white hand upon his shonl-
der, and tells him to stand firm and
fear not TO the soldier who stands
close behind with his musket she looks
daggers, but the soldier il q statue,
aud does not care. He has faced
worse things than scowling eyes,
The young man says he is innocent
aud has no fear bat that he will come
clear unless witnesses are hired to
swear against him; but oh, the igno-
miny aud crushing disgrace of being
locked in a felon's cell That is what
hurts him. But his brave girl cheers
him up; tells him to be in Jail in such
a cause is an honor. Then the officer
takes him away.
Sons come 10 see fathers and fathers
come TO see sons. All ages from six
teen to sixty seem TO be implicated
But the great majority are young
men. That a large majority within
the Jail are guilty of making midnight
raids in disguise, and that many of
them have aided and abetted in muir
der there is no doubt But am sat
istied that there are number in pris-
on who are not guilty of anything
that can be tortured into criminal Of
Tense. But under martial law the in-
nocent frequently suffer to a certain
extent with the guilty. To-day it
transpired that one OF the prisoners
was innocent, and Colonel Merrill
promptly had him turned out.
The prisoners are considered mar
tyrs TO a military despotism by their
friends and everything they can give
them or send to them to add to their
comfort is freely contributed. The
prison fare is very good, and when to
1t is added the hundred luxuries fur
nished by the friends Of the confined.
the tin plates of the prisoners as full
to overtiowing. The amount of flow
ers they also receive is astonishing,
considering the time of year. Hang
ing up in the CRATE of one cell saw
seven fresh bouquets. and not a cell
was there that did not display flowers
sent by the dear ones.
Sitting in a window at the end of
the hall, and looking intently at these
strange proceedings, was man whom
l instantly took to be very bad Ku
Klux. His hair was long and un-
combed, his face dirty and unwashed,
his thin coat covered with dirt. bis
shoes run down, and the whole aspect
OF the man that of poverty and deg
radiation. Hour after hour he watch
ed the reception, the meeting Of friends
the steady tramp OF the sentinels be-
fore the cells, but said not word
Upon inquiring about him, found he
was lunatic who was put in there
because the asylum was full. That
accounted for his strange conduct
No, it was not strange, either, sitting
there all day and trying to under.
stand what he saw. Great constitu.
tional lawyers might sit there week
and watch the strange proceedings
going on before them without being
able TO understand it. II. V. X.
I