The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-11-02
STOKES AND HIS CAT.

some tales of legal or illegal punishment;
some are stories of romantic or pathetic
interest attaching to some prisoner who
has human ties outside the walls that hold
him; occasionally they are exciting yarns
OF instruction, fighting or attempted es-
cape. All of them have an interest that does
not attach to stories of outer life
1t is merely q recital of one of the WAYS
in which the weary years of imprisonment
are whiled away. 1t is almost impossible
to conceive of the deadly monotony of life
within the walls of Il cell Even the tick
tick of cheap watch is company for
man who may be in solitude anywhere out
side of prison. But inside cell there is
nothing but self communion to while away
the months and years. At least that is all
there is in theory. AS matter of fact.
human ingenuity is stronger than stone
walls, and even i'll the closest confinement
prisoner will inevitably show his individ-
uality in some way-often in q way to as
tonish his keepers.
One way is in keeping pets Only n few
days ago the story was told of the liberia
ton OF yachnc, the notorious Doodle alder
man. lie served his term and walked out
free man, but when he left the prison he
gave TO fellow convict dog which he
had kept for nearly two years The dog
was attached to the place, which Jaehne
was not, and he had not the heart to take
the poor brute away. This fact was told
i'll three lines Of news dispatch and ex-
cited some little comment 1t was thought
strange that prisoners were allowed to keen
dogs anyhow. l asked Head Keeper Con
nanghton about 1t. and he was very re-
luctant to talk. 1t would not have good
effect, he said, If 1t should be known that
the prisoners were allowed to have any
pets mt all. asked him what the effect
would be. Prisoners were prisoners, and
they could only do what they were allowed
to do. Then he told curious story-at
least it seemed curious to me-
when man is put into cell" he said,
land knows that that is to be the place
where he Is to live for the next two or ten
or twenty years. he is ut first stunned. 1t
takes him long time to realize his situa-
ton. He may be ugly or he may not He
is shaking himself together, and that
process takes long time. OF course it
takes some men longer than it does others.
Some men get accustomed to it and re-
main ugly rs long as they stay. Others
seem to understand and grasp the situn-
tion Mt once. But it is astonishing to notice
how many OF them after they get settled
down learn to love some kind of pet.
There is story, believe, about some fa-
nous prisoner who learned to love spi-
der, Dut never knew anybody in this place
to do that. 1t is common. though, for pris-
oners to make friends with the rats or mice
that find theirw way into the different cells
looking for crumbs"
''But how does it happen that q convict
can keep dog?" asked
II don't know that any of them ever
did" was the cautious reply "Of course
the grounds around the prison are spa
cious, and it may be that in the yard or in
the grounds inside the great wall there
may be some animals-dogs or anything
else-running around, and the convicts
may succeed in making friends with them"