Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-01-22
ocToeeNARiAn coNvlcrs.


One Killed HIS Wife and the Other . Man !
Ad ucted to Snoring.
Few persons. on visiting the Massa-
chusetts State prison. would expect to
see or hear any thing that would pro-
woke a smile Yet despite the gloom
and suggestiveness of punishment In
the surroundings, an occasional incident
will cause laugh even from the grav-
est and most sympathetic observer.
Not long age, committee of the
Legislature, on its annual tour of in
spection, visited this prison The
workshops. 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 been
set apart as a 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, more in
ouisitive than his colleagues, felt if i'm
cumbent upon him to make a few in
euiries concerning the prisoners, and,
approaching one of them, said:
well, nv friend. how old are you?"
Eighty, sor," was the answer.
''How long have you been here?"
Tin years, sor."
why, what in the world could a man
seventy years of age nave done to send
him to State prison?"
81 killed me wife, sor."
''What did you kill your wife fOr?"
We'll, sor, you see she agivated me
for forty years, and then I chopped her
| head off.
Before the laugh provoked by this
| CHASTITY but amusing reply had subsidized
the committeeman crossed to the other
side of the room, and, accosting prisoner
No. =, began:
"How old are you9'
"Eighty-fve, sir"
And how long have you been heref'
Ten years"
what was your ofence?'
Murder, sir"
well, whom did you kill?"
! "a man.
what did you kill him for?"
Snoring"
''What. 1 never heard such 4 thing;
do you mean to say that you killed a
man simply for snoring?"
Yes, SIR
"Why, how could you do such q
shing?"
"Well, sir, you see it was this way
sir. was in the State alms-house, sir
:! a poltroon had the next cot to mine
and every night he snored so loud
couldn't sleep. i woke him up half :
dozen times night, but as soon as be
got asleep he snored again, worse thar
before. Finally, one day, 1 told if hs
kept me awake shat night I'd fix him S,
he'd never do it agin. / was afraid he'i
be at 1t agin as soon as he went to bed
so 1 just got me billet of wood and hid
1t under my cot
THAT night he snored agin, and (rais
ing his voice) the next night he didn t.
And why didn't hep
'.Ah, well, sir, ! iist hit 'em little
clip on the head with billet Of wood
and I've been here ever since. "-Bostol
| G1olp