River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-11
OCToGENARIAN CoNvICTS.
One Killed Ills Wife aud the other Man
Adj iIcted to Snoring.

One Killed His Wife and the Other q Man
Adj iicted to Snoring.
Few persons. on visiting the Massa-'
chusetts State prison. would expect TOT
see or hear any thing that would pro-,
woke smile. Yet despite the gloom
and suggestiveness of punishment in
the surroundings, an occasional incident
will cause a laugh even from the gray
est and most sympathetic observer.
Not long ago, committee of the,
Legislature, on its annual tour of in,
spection, visited this prison. The
work shops. bakery, cells, strong-room
and hospital had all received attention
when the attendant stated that there,
was one room in the upper part
of the building which had beeni
set apart as loafing room for aged and !
infirm life prisoners This, he said,
was occupied by only two prisoners at
the time, but the members of the COM
mittee could visit it If they so desired.
Some of the gentlemen thought it would
be as well to look over the room and
were conducted to it
1t was a long, wide room. with white
washed walls, which reflected the glar-
ing light from the uncurtained win
dOws. The only articles of furniture
were two long wooden benches, placed
one on either side of the room. The
two aged prisoners, who, relieved from
labor, were to be allowed to spend the
remainder of their days in sweet com
munion and social intercourse, sat scowl-
ing at one another from opposite sides
Of the room.
A member of the committee, mere in
auisitive than his colleagues, fclt it in
cumbent upon him TO make a few in
quiries concerning the prisoners, and,
approaching one Of them, said;
well, my friend how old are you?'
Eighty. sor. was the answer.
GLOW long have you been here?"
Tin years, scr.
why, what in the world could man
seventy years Of age have done . send
him to State PRISON.
II killed me wife, sor.
What did you kill your wife fDr?"
We'll, sor you see She agivated me
for forty years, and then chopped nos
head off.
Before the laugh provoked by this
ghastly Dut amusing reply had subsidized
the committeeman crossed to the other
side OF the room. and, accosting prisoner
No. > began:
"How old are your
"Eighty-fvc, sir"
And how long have you been hcre?'
''Ten years.
what was your oifence?"
Murder, sir. :"
well, whom did YOU kill?'
"A man"
What did you kill him for2'
Snoring"
What, ! never heard such thing;
do you mean to say that you killed
man simply for snoring?"
YES. sir
why, how could you do such
thing?"
We'll. sir, you see it was this way,
sir I was in the State alms-house, sir.
a poltroon had the next cot to mine.
and every night he snored 50 loud
couldn't sleep. ! woke him up half a
dozen times a night, but as soon as he
got asleep he snored again, worse than
before. Finally, one day / told If he
kept me awake that night I'd fix him SO
he'd never do ID agin. was afraid he'd
be at it agin as seon as he went to bed,
so just got me a billetof wood and hid
it under my cot.
That night he snored agin. and trails
Ing his voice. the next night he didn'tr'
'.And why didn't hep"
'Ab, well, sir, jist hit 'em little
slip on the head with billet of wood.
and I've been here ever since. "-Bostop
Globe.