The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-11-27
BEHIND STONE WALLS.
A Clean of Sunshine That Crept In OF.
Thanksgiving Morn.

|
| Thanksgiving Morn.
A great room filed with plain benches:
a platform on which there is desk and
a parlor organ; light streaming in from
queer barred windows far up the white
washed walls; an air Of repression eva.:
in the solitary fly buzzing about; a s.
lence almost visible filing the whole
space.
a door near the platform opens and a
bushy whiskered man enters. He es
corts up the steps to seats back of the
organ and desk number of ladies and
gentlemen. He carries heavy cane
which he grips tightly as he returns to
TIE door where four stalwart fellows
also armed with canes are ranged. He
asks them some question to which they
nod assent, and then remounting the
platform presses a button in the wall. A
bell clangs responsive TO his touch, the
great gates at the other end of the
apartment swing wide, and there march
in a thousand men whose heads are
downcast, whose faces are clean shayen
and whose garments are alike as to every
detail.
The right nand of each rests on the
shoulder of the person just in front of
him, and the step of the multitude is
synchronous. At the word of command
each company takes certain aisle and
goes to designated seats. All about in
the passageways are more people with
canes. Another touch of the electric
6ell, and the big entrance closes. Six
guards armed with revolvers have their
station there.
The bushy whiskered man motions to
his companions on the platform. A lady
seats herself at the organ, the others
cluster about her. and in a moment the
room is filled with melody. Patriotic
songs follow old fashioned hymns. Then
the village pastor sends up a petition TO
heaven on behalf of those assembled,
and follows his prayer with short ad-
dress, touching in its tenderness and APP
peal. Again the bushy whiskered man
comes into prominence. He stands by
the desk and says:
''Men, since l have been warden of
this prison have never known a twelve
month in which greater order and good
discipline have prevailed than in the one
just ended. l wish to show that / ap-
preciate your obedience. After dinner
the remainder of the day is yours. You
may talk, smoke and sing as much as
you like. and each corridor in succession
will be granted the freedom of the yards
for exercise. Guard u, direct convict
1882 to step this way"
At the order man still young, but
with ineffable sadness on his face,
walked to the front. He stands silently
before the warden who continues:
Il think you all know and like this
man. He has nursed you in sickness,
advised you against foolish outbreaks,
and, although never talebearer or spy,
has greatly aided the keepers and myself
in elevating the tone of the prison and in
rendering somewhat tolerable the re-
straint the law has placed upon you.
James Wharton" he went on, turning
to the man before him, ''you are no
longer 1 ,132; you are now free citizen
of the United States, with all your
rights restored. The governor has
granted you a full pardon; your wife,
mother and children wait for you in the
Office; the big farm wagon is outside the
wall gates, and this afternoon you may
eat your dinner in the old country house
where you were born"
The assemblage comes as near ap-
plauding as it dares, the organ strikes
up "Praise God, from whom all bless
ings fow," and James Wharton falls
fainting to the floor.
FRED G. DAYTON.