The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-01-03
One O'clock.

He was an old man-at least seventy
chilled through by the raw winds sweep
ing the streets. He had crept to the
Central Station to warm himself The
captain gave him bite to eat, and
by-and-bY the old man grew loquacious.
'"I expect to die behind the bars" he
SAID, as he looked into he corridor.
"Ever been in prlsonW l asked, as he
resumed his seat.
"Years and years." he answered.
ssFact is, / don't feel at home outside of
the walls. | was among the first fifty
men in the State Prison at Jackson, and
they've had me there, oil and on, for
over twenty years"
The old man removed his hat, eombed
his few gray locks with his fingers, and
mused:
"Less see? was sent from Detroit
for four years, and that's four. was
sent from Grand Rapids for eight years,
and thai makes 8 twelve. L was sent from
Port Huron tor three years, and that's
fifteen. | went back for horses tealing
long enough TO make it twenty-one
years, and that's pretty fair for one man,
ehW
l was lost in amazement at his cool
ness, and pretty soon he said:
'tUse to nave some exciting times out
there. Prisoners were whipped, show
cred, and tortured, and the lite-cells
were always tuIl. We knocked over a
guard now and then, and PVe been in
some plots 10 rise and murder all the
officials"
but were always frustrated" OBJ
served.
"Always. When it wasn't one thing
it was another. The keepers would be
changed, or some of the men would
peach, or a new rule would come out
that day. and all our plans would be
knocked in the head. We had one real
good chance to clean out the prison, and
it was singular cir cumstance that bat-
fled US. Ii had a chew of tobacco to
keep my NOUN moist Woulu Tell the
yarn"
After rolling the fine cut under his
tongue he Went on;
''It is a good many years back. The
prison was new, and the management
was not what it is now, of course.
Somebody was escaping every week or
so, and 1t was easy enough to SNUG
gle in money and tools and cook up con-
spiracies. There were hundred and
seyenty.nine of US, and the Wickedest
man in prison was horse-tnief and
highway robber, named Ben Mason. He
was in for fifteen years, believe, and
feeling desperate like, he was as ugly as
Satan, They had him in the kitchen as
cook, and in those days the prisoners
had little or no work, and were locked
upmost of the time. Ben hadn't been
| in prison hundred days before he
worked up one of the wickedest plans
YOU ever heard of. He was TO head a
rebellion, and we were to murder every
prison official, arm as best we could,
| and then march down and plunder ana
burn the town.
The old man paused a moment as the
| door opened, ana then continued:
"AIl the details of the plan We're soon
communicated to every convict, and
every single man was agreed. Ben made
| a key, or two or three of them, by which
be could unlock all the cells. Only two
guards were on duty In the corridor at
night, and they were at one end. They
were changed at O'Clock at night, and
it often happened at this hour that the
new guards were ten or fifteen minutes
in getting in, thus leaving an interval to
| be taken advantage Of. Well, the pro-
pramme was for Ben. Mason to unlock
| his cell door just before l O'clock. He
could easily do that from the inside with
the locks then in use. AS the old guard
passed out he was to fly from door to
door, let out as many conVlcts as he had
time, and then OVerpower the new
guards as they bame IN. This done, all
| the couvicts would be liberated, and we
would sweep the prison with rush. A
certain Thursday night was the date
fixed upon, and L tell you there was
murder ID the alr!'
He held his hands over his face, as if
| thinking, and there was long pause be-
| fore he said: .H
"Ihat same Thursday afternoon, when
every man was trembling with eXpecla-
| tiop. two ladies and little girl were
admitted as visitors. Ben. Mason was
| That day doing some extra Work--some-
| thing that took him into the yard. The
ladies passed him, and there was some-
thing about his face, fierce as it was, to
attract the little girl. She ran to him,
| looked up into his face, and innocently
asked: Haven't you got little girl,
too? Now, Ben. did have, and her
words cut him like knife. The
wee thing grasped his hand to
detain him, and holding up little
doll which she carried on her arm,
she said: You may take this home to
YOUR little grip Ben. took the play
thing from her hand, andyou could have
Knocked him down with a straw.
| Though bold aud bad, he was big-heart-
ed, and loved his wife and children:
! swell, sir, he was hoored. He turned
BOBBY right away, and Pll be hanged il
l didn't see big tears running down his
cheeks! At O'Clock that night, when
he was to let us out and head the REBEL.
ion, he was on his bed hugging that doll
and crying like a child, and so our plans
went Tor nothing. l think he was reg.
ular old woman, sir-a regular idiot"
And yet when L looked into the old
mans eyes he was wiping the tears
'away.-[M. Quad,