The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-02-06
A TRUSTED CONVICT.
Robert Il. Click, an Inmate of Joliet
Prison, Acts as the Warden's Coach
man and Trusted MESSENGER.

Prison, Acts as the Warden,s Coach
man and Trusted Messenger.
The curious visitor of the famous Joliet
prison is apt to be somewhat startled upon
seeing a convict in stripes at large in the
broad. open grounds that terrace the front
of that institution. AS the visitor walks up
the wide stone walk that leads from the
street to the front portals he is pretty sure
to meet this prisoner face to face. He is
tall, we'll developed fellow of about thirty
years, and one almost forgets his homely
garb on looking into the brown eyes and
ruddy, honest, appearing face of the man.
Should anyone remark that this convict is
a lifer he is hardly believed, for the first
impression of the convict is that he is a
''trusty." short term man for some minor
crime whose sentence was nearly com.
pleted. This man is known as convict No.
5O4S He is one of the sixty lone life con
victs now at the prison. and is the most
trusted and favored of the whole regiment
of 1, 400 convicts who wear the stripes. The
man is Robert E. Click, who was sent up
from Macomb. ILL.,, eight years ago for the
crime of murder. AS the uninitated visitor
stands OH the front steps he sees several
little children come rOmping out of the
main entrance probably the little ones of
the warden's family. They espy Click down
the walk, and with shouts of gee they race
merrily over the graveled paths and sur
round him, cling to his hands. and one six
yearOld ScrambleS upon his back and is
borne alOft on the shoulders of the stalwart
convict, while the other Youngsters clamOr
for ride ON the same place. The children
are as light hearted as a flock of blue birds,
and the convict seems to have entirely for
gotten his condition.
A great many thousands of people travel
between Chicago. St. Louis and Kansas
City, over the line of the Alton road, which
passes by the prison wall. and near which
is little depot, where the day trains stop.
The passengers rush to the coach windows
to get glimpse at the great prison as the
train comes to stop, and the sight of an
unguarded convict, as he stands there on the
platform, causes EXPLANATIONS OF wonder.
''Why doesn't he run away?" "Who is
hep" He don't look like a bad man?''
''Aint that hOrrd suit he has on" etc..
are the questions and comments fired at
random by women and children. as the con-
vict picks up bundle of newspapers that
has been thrown from the express car and
starts back toward the prison. while the
train moves ON. One can hardly believe his
eyes when. soon after returning from the
train. Click is called to do an errand two
miles away from the prison. at the other
end of the city, and is permitted to 90 alone
and in citizens dress. He is never allowed
to leave the prison grounds with his stripes
on. but when occasion requires that he
should drive the ladies of the warden's fam
lily to the city. or take the carriage to the
city depot to meet Commissioner or
even Gov Fifer, he dOns a suit of citizens
clothing and quickly performs his errand.
1t is hard to judge of a mans character,
of his honor or morals, by the crime he may
have been led to commit More than one
effort has been made by unprincipled visit
Ors to the prison to induce Click to make his
escape. Whisky was the cause of his first
trouble; only for that habit-but he never
drank to excesS-his victim would be alive
and himself free man to-day. Whisky
has been offered him by uncOnscionable
rogues who seem only to glory in evil and in
creating misery for Others but he will not
listen to them.
1t has been said that the convict who has
long sentence causes the least trouble to
his keeper. Such a convict knows that his
only hope of leniency is in good conduct.
One misstep while he IS placed upon his
honor would forfeit all future favors. A
short term man knows he can be detained
but for so long a, time; and even when he
behaves reasonably we'll he will make less
exertiOn to show purpose to obtain full
maetery of the evil within him. Click has
never been reprimanded for an infraction of