The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-04-08
Rev. Mr.. Cowley's Punishment.

stretched on his back on the cot IN cell
No. 10 in the Tombs, reading news
paper. He was disturbed by a visit
from Under Sheriff Joel o. Stevens and
Deputy Sheriff G. X. Smith, who noti-
fed him that he must hurry his prepa-
rations for transfer to the penitentiary.
"Does my counsel know p he asked,
without concealing his surprise and agi-
tation.
81 suppose he does" was the reply.
"And am l to 60 with--with the
others ?" he asked, referring to the jour
ney that many fellow prisoners were
about to undertake in the prison wagon.
He was told that he would go by street
cor with the Deputy Sheriff. Hastily
gathering his belongings and making
bundle of them, he put on rusty black
overcoat and small derby hat. Then
he stepped out on the prison floor. The
Under Sheriff, who had shown the War
den the commitment paper, gave that
official q receipt for the prisoner, and
thu clergyman and his keeper walked to
the outer office. The Rev. Mr.. Cowley
paused a moment and then walked over
to Warden Finn and asked him to send
a postal card to Mrs Cowley telling her
what had occurred The clergyman and
Deputy Sheriff Smith walked up Centre
street to Canal street, and then took the
cars of the Third Avenue Railroad to
Twenty eighth street. In the cars the
clergyman wrote messages on two postal
cards, addressed them, and held them in
his hand. When he left the cars he
mailed the cards at branch post office
in Third avenue. Thence the two men
went to the foot of East Twenty sixth
street, and sat in the saloon of the
steamboat Minnehannck, which was to
carry them to Blackwell's Island. On
the way to the boat he said:
at was the press that convicted me"
No other prisoners for the peniten-
tiary were on the boat. The passen-
gers were visitors, officials, patients and
paupers. The Rev. Mr.. Cowley was rec
ognized by Capt. Steele, who knew him
when he was chaplain of the island
This was nine years ago. Then Mr.
Cowley preached to the prisoners in the
penitentiary every Sunday. He was re-
moved at tho request of the Commits
sioners of Charities and Correction be-
cause he refused to visit the sick in the
small pox hospital. On Blackwell's
Island he was led by the river road from
the hospital pier to the office of the pen
itentiary. He was at once taken into
the receiving room, which is also the
barber shop, bath room, and store room
for clothing. Warden Fox came in and
shook hands with him. The warden
told him he would do what he could for
him.
Ordinarily prisoner who arrives at
the penitentiary is quickly dealt with,
but the Rev. Mr.. Cowley asked for de-
lay because he expected to be returned
to the city on writ of habeas corpus
that he said. he felt sure his counsel
would obtain. The prison officials have
learned that these writs usually follow
the prisoner instantly, but rather than
have the writ come and find the clergy
man shaved and shorn, and thus give
excuse for the suspicion that he was be-
ing prosecuted, the warden waited an
hour and half At l: 30 o'clock he or
dered the prison ceremony begun.
Mr.. Cowley showed great self-command.
81 am sorry to have come here of all
places" said he to the warden, "but now
that am here have determined to re-
sign myself to what is expected of me.
1 will take the bull by the horns now,
and make the best of it."
Warden Fox commended this resolu
ton. In kindly tones he advised the
prisoner to do his best while in the
prison. at will be better for all of us"
said the warden, eff, when you put on
the prison shoes, you walk under the
guidance of our rules. Do you work
well, obey every rule. and give no keeper
at any time the right to find fault with
you"
There are two BARRIERS chairs in the re-
ceiving room Into one of these MIR.
Cowley climbed, and convict barber
cut his long, grizzly hair close to his
head and shaved off his long and well
combed beard and whiskers. The
clothing he took off was bundled up,
marked and put into one of the many
boxes that are kept for that purpose.
When he emerged from the bath the
clergyman put on pair of black and