The Osceola times., 1880-04-03
WHERE HE BELONGS.
Parson Cowley's Pleasant Introduction ia
Prison Life.

Parson CowIey's Pleasant Introduction In
Prison Life.
New York Special to Chicago Tribune.
The Rev. Edward Cowley breakfasted
in the City Prison yesterday for the last
time. At9:45 o'clock Under-Sheriff Ste.
vens. accompanied by Deputy +. V
Smith, of the Order of Arrest DEPART
ment entered the prison. Mr.. Stevens
walked over to Cowley's cell, and, tan
ping on the bars, exhibited commit
ment to take the prisoner 10 the peni-
tentIary. He told him ne must prepare
to 90 at once. Thepnsoners jaw dropped
and his face turned to Il sickly pallor.
Then he gave a sigh and seated himself
on the edge of his bed. This is hard"
he said burying his face in his hands,
Every hard. Does my counsel know of
it?" he added, looking up sharply. The
Deputy answered that he did, and Mr..
Cowley in few minutes was ready TO
ACCOMPANY the officers. The voyage to
Blackwell's Island was made in the de-
partment ierryboat, the Minnehonck,
the commander of which had known
Cowley when he was preaching on the
Island. Capt. Steele recognized the ex-
chaplain at once. and shook hands with
him. Arrived ut the penitentiary, the
party adjourned TO the inneroilice, where
the prisoner was introduced to Warden
Fox, who, in response to his earnest
prayer, allowed him to wait three-quar-
tiers of an hour in expectation of a stay
of proceedings.
At 1890 O'Clock the ex-shepherd gave
up his hopes of stay, and resigned
himself to the hands of the prison bar
bcr His glossy long gray bear and
whiskers. which have been his pride
during the twenty-five years Of his min.
istry, were cut Off short, and his chin
shaved and trimmed till it was smooth
rs a Dutch cheese. He was stripped of
| his clothing, placed in one of the three
| bath-tubs ranged along the wall, and the
water turned on till the rooms were
! filed with a cloud of steam. After re-
freshing bath he dressed himself and
| put on clean shirt and stripped trous-
/ ers. The following entry was finally
/ made in the prison book:
Committed February 20; received
March 2; Cowley, Edward; 81, one year,
$3.50 fine, or 25O days: 5 feet q inches;
/ l37 pounds; crime, cruelty TO child.
hair gray, eyes gray, dark complex
ioned; England; forty years in United
| States; married; educated, Protestant
minister
After the ceremony had been gotten
| through with, Mr.. Cowley was given
ripped coat of the same pattern with his
/ trousers, a cloth cap, also striped, and
/ rough leather shoes OF the kind made in
/ prison. The clothes in which he ar
rived were packed neatly in a box,
which was labeled with his name and
number, and will be given to him when
| he goes out. Mr.. Cowley was intro
duced TO the foreman of a shoe-shOp,
who consigned him TO the care Of an in
/ structor. who in turn set him TO work
/ cutting out leather for the soles of the
/ shoes. He was given bench in the
/ front row near the middle windows,
under the eyes of the keeper. Before
going Mr.. Ambrose enioined the keeper
to mark for punishment any prisoner
who insulted or tainted the newcomer
in any manner. After the officer had
| left, Mr.. Cowley found some difficulty IN
cutting the soles, and was accordingly
/ provided with a punch and instructed
/ TO punch holes in the leather. II was
| strange sight-the bareheadcd, pallid-
] ldttt man DtllAlllE h'Nil lliAithllN anu
rcsignedly to his unaccustomed task,
handling his tools with the clumsiness Of
a beginner, and yet working away with
a determination 10 do the best he could,
and give his keepers us little cause of
complaint as possible. At $50 O'Clock
the men quit work, and marched in lock-
step 10 dinner Mr.. Cowley came the
last but four in the shoe division, and
found great difficulty in keeping step
with his fellows. At times he would al
most fall out of the line, and there was
always more or less space between him
and the man ahead of him. He ate
sparIngly of the mush and molasses set
before him, and seemed glad when sup
per was over, and he could seek the Sc
clusion Of his cell. A considerable num-
Der were prisoners during Cowley's chap
laincy in 1871, when he ordered prison
ers. into the dark cell for coughing dur
| ing service. The cause Of his dismissal
at that time was his refusal TO 20 into the
smallpox hospital to administer spirit
ual consolation TO sick patients. Next
Sunday he will sit under the pulpit from
which he preached to the prisoners nine
years ago. lie is the first regularly or
dained clergyman that ever served a
term on the island.