, 1873-12-28
THE MODERN BORGlA.
An Interview with HlrR. Sherman II,
Prison.

i
,ls through tho prison. Tho occupants wore MI
ut w0rt; in tho diiforont shopa and Heonlod conf
fortabio enough. Tho building was ncat mud
orderly, aud the discipline seonod regular and
wna ycara nGo whom was i'll tho Ball,o p-iHou for
an hour or EMO.
Thon no prisoner WIS permitted to lift his eyes
or Bpoak without special permission. I was glad
Like men with feelings, hopes. and some rights.
Then tlloy wore antomatn, with every
human foeling buried 10 dcop in misery
that nothing human was visible b,lt
tho forms. ibid ~, 7 wish to sIenk with
man, q Connecticut woman, who Ind confessed
to poisoning llor husband and other persons, In
Derby, year or two ago.m hail n curiosity to
sec this woman, .and hoar from ',er own lips tho
history Of her CRIMES, Which lad alwayA soomed
to mo without motive and tho acts OF MI Insane
person.
| Tho officer led me along corridor pierced
WILL M snnll 81 cells, one Of which waS occupied by
some attempts at ornament were OIL tho whito.
washed wall,-a fow photographs in fralnes. and
tiny engraving or two,-while tho cot seemed
piled high with regular Now Eaglaud feather
ben, Which looked perfectly comfortable.
room, with o full-sizcd grated window looking
out upon tile grounds. Before this window, with
her loot on the trcadlo Of Howing-machinu. Sat
o slim, spare woman perhaps so years OF age. tho
worry picture Of statd and most respectable mis-
! truss OF some pleasant farm in the country.
I You can see dozens Of such women, apparently,
| going to clasa-lnoatinga and teaching Sunduy-
schools all eyer Nsw England oysry Sunday Of
| Rion In tho womnn, as Hhe Bat there quietly ut
| her work, moro like mntron Of tho last half
| century at her flax-wleel than 4 criminal endur-
| ing sentence.
:. Hero is lady," said tho officer .'who would
lilo to talk with you, Mrs. Sherman. II you hnyo
! no objection
| She took her foot from tho naohino, partly
turned in hor chair and lifted hor oyos to my
| face. calmly, mildly and With certain look Of
| sadnoss. 1lloAe Dyes, largo and darlily brown,
| must haye bceu beautiful in ler youth now
thoy wore simply pathetic.
was at somo loss here. Had this woman
boen d Queen, with one foot on the throne, I
should lnve found something to say but thorro,
bound hand aud foot by the law, felt it almost
cruel to force conversation upon her, 80. unlor
! some embarrassment, observed:
II au acquainted In Derby, tho place where
you 1iyod."
A gleam Of new interest came into her eyes,
and she searched my face aa If trying to remenl-
bor mo.
"You will not know me-" Bafd. "1t ia long
then" 49,,
place. Won't you sit DOWN."
l took scat by tho window aud talked littlo
about her work, which, she said, was not hard,
I asked her II she felt tho confinement much.
She said, 'No, not very mach now; only
wnns to do the pest I eau. 1t is right that I
should. Thoy do not make me suffer moro tlan
deserve.
This indirect allusion to hor crime opened
way to the subject wished to speak Of. Other
wise, fancy, she would haYo remained un-
questioned. ;,
lou leel, 'then, Rald l, "A0W wrong you
were !"
She lifted her eyes suddenly, aa wondering
at the question.
"Tell mo-" snid, s'wore you, in fact, fully
conscious how awful tho crime was, or were you
aBtray in your nlind?"
II must have boen," she answercd, shaking
her head, " or neror could have done it,"
did you know-did you realize low terrible
it waH ~
IL ~ my tttal. Ihen did. Not before.
fton tiio eVtaenco, you did not seem to bear
/