Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-07-10

cOuSlSGeu OIL d uaIk yellow Jersey covered Dy
a sleeveless jacket of light fustian or some
such material. This jacket, moreover, was
stamped in various places with the govern.
ment broad arrow. Every man wore gaiters
and curiously shaped cap, under which nc
hair was visible. Occasionally one might be
seen who moved with certain stiffness in his
gait, as if something which he would will.
ingly have dispensed with restrained the nat,
ural elasticity of his lower limbs Here and
there the monotony of the attire was broken
by the appearance Of some who We're dressed
in blue instead of yellow; but taken alto
gether the dress, if comfortable and enduring.
was scarcely one which o man being free
agent would choose for himself
The gangs which Mrs. Miller passed on the
roadside were for the most part engaged in
handing Jumps of turf from man to man.
They performed these duties in listless, per.
functory manner, although, standing on the
hillside aboveevery band of workers, were two
men in long dark coats with the shining but
tons of authority, and each Of these men held
9 rifle with fixed bayonet
Farther away in the quarries could be seen
many other such gangs, digging, delving, haul
ing, wheeling barrows, and performing other
operations needful for extracting the famed
Portland stone from the ground.
After passing various sentries, and driving
for some distance along the level ground, Mrs
Miller's cab reached a beautiful, tall, but
tressed wall; skirtiag this it turned at right
angles, and very soon drew up before an i'm
posing entrance built of gray stone, and bear
ing over the archway the royal arms of Eng
land. This was the entrance to her majesty's
prison of Portland.
In front Of it, across the road, stretched the
governors garden, still brilliant with flowers
and looking like glorious oasis in the midst
of barren land. A man who in the dis
charge of his duties has to live on the top of
Portland island wants a garden OF something
of that sort. Without it the monotony of the
place would drive him mad.
But Mrs. Miller did not even look at the
gay beds. She dsmounted, and after telling
the cabman to wait for her, walked boldly
through the prison gate.
She was immediately aceosted by portly,
good-tempered-looking janitor, whose gold
laced cap spoke of superior standing. He
ushered her into a little waiting room just
inside the gate, and asked her to state her
business. Mrs. Miller's business was to see
one of the conyiets, by name Maurice Har.
vey.
Now, convicts are only allowed to see their
friends once in six months; so the janitor
shook his head dubiou ly. Still, as Mrs.
Miller was most respectable-looking woman
he said he would mention the matter to the
governor. He begged the lady to take chair
and then left her.
She sat for some time il, t.le bare little
waiting room, +l,o -r1'e IF -l7iol, -yere deco
rated with notices requesting visitors to the
prison not to offer the warders any money
but to deposit such donations as they wished tc
make in boxes that were hung against the wal
for the benefit of discharged prisoners and the
officers schools respectively. After while
the good-natured janitor returned He to]G
Mrs. Miller that the convict had not seen
friend for many months so upon his return
rom work he would be asked if he would like
to seeher. She must give her name.
She wrote it down, then waited patiently.
By and by there was a measured tramp OF
many heavy feet, and she knew the convicts
were returning to dinner. After the tramp
had died away warder made his appearance
and told her to follow him.
1t was but step. He opened door in the |
rear OF the waiting room, and Mrs. Miller |
found herself in place which could suggest |
nothing else than den at geological gar
den, one side of the room being formed of |
iron bars about six inches apart, and oppo- |
site was a. similar den with its front turned |
towards it and entered by another door, and |
between the two was a space, narrow den,
entered by another door and containing q |
stool.
Presently the door of the middle den opened |
and warder entered and seated himself upon
the stool; then the furthest door opened, and |
one Of the blue-habited conviets walked up |
to the bars and gave his visitor nod of care
less recognition.
AS a rule, when female friend is per-
nitted to see a convict there is weeping and
wailing. Hands are stretched out through
The bars across the open space, and if the
'wo persons are of ordinary stature, finger
lips may just meet. This is better than
Nothing. Time was when no open space
divided the friends; they could kiss and al
most embrace through one set of bars. But
t was found that the visitors kiss often
transferred a half-sovereign from her mouth
% the convict's. A kindly action, no doubt
,ut one which when discovered led the man
nto trouble, knocked off good-conduct marks,
nd heightened his time Of imprisonment.
10 now there is space of something like five
eet between the visitor and the visited.
With these two there was no weeping, NO
out of hands. In fact, as Mrs.
1iller looked at the Gagged creature in front
t her an expression very nearly akin to
atred settled on her strongly marked fea-
ures. Yet, in spite of his close-clipped
rown, shaven cheeks and ugly attire the
onvict was by no means Unlocking. His fea-
ures were straight, and might even have
'een called refined. He was above the mid
lie height, broad shouldered and healthy
ooking. His teeth were good, and lis hands,
although .ou d a ser 10. 1ened with toll wer'
not the hands of one who has lsbored from
his childhood. His eyes had cruel, crafty
look in them; but this look might have been
acquired since his Incarceration. Indeed.
Mrs. Miller had noticed the same expression
in the eyes of every convict whom she had
met on the road to the prison.
Mrs. Miller looked through her bars at the
convict; the convict looked through his bars
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