Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-10
A VOICE FROM PRISON.

tQts WOUND.
NJ one who has not actually Suf-
fered can faithful lv describe pain.
and l am not quite certain that even
those VINO have can do the matter
Justice. 1t il one thing To feel. and
quite another to make others feel
n blind man can have no accurate
eonceptiou of distance. and it is
e ua!ly true that one who has ever
been stranger to pain can not pos
sioly cooceive what suffering really
means
There Is no doubt that the capuc-
ity tor suffering is OF relative import
ance, i g it varies in degree aud IN
tensity according to the REGULAR
temperament. tastes. Susce peibilities,
nature, disposition. habits, and idio-
syncrasies of the person suffering
But We are DEPRESSING. Our purpose
Is TO narrate successfully our own
feelings from the time of sentence
until nn2l Incarceration. The task
mple as it NAV seem. is by no means
an easy one. Tim. the great ami
hllato< OF sensations and seutimeu-
ralitieS once intensely felt. various
other diversions, strange and even
Startling. other thoughts. hopes
desires, and fears have since engroSsed
orr constant and serious attention,
and we'll nigh erased the feelings ard
sensations prevalent at the time.
But l can go back. again stand
before the Judge who is to pronounce
sentence upon me. Again l stand in
the crowded court roOm, the object
of curious eyes
On my right stands my attorney.
his face pale. thoughtful and full OF
pity, his eyes intent upon
the expresSionleSs face of
him who is about to pronounce my
sentence. The scene will live in my
memory forever. To my right stands
the prosecuting officer. His face Is
neither pale nor sad. On the cou-
trary it wears a pleased expression
that OF victory. 1t is hard. sinister.
merciIesS. 1t contains not shade
of softneSS or OF pity. But what about
my feelings am wondering Effat
will oe my fate l search deep into
the tace Of him before me, aud above
ME. and eudeavor TO see if there is
one ray of tenderness in that cold i'm
passive sale. l see none. 1t is i
face of marble. l wonder if the
heart is made of the impenetrable
stud. Will he give me tine. or Will
he brand me AS felon2
This thought instantly >urye>
through my tracked and tortured
brain. He is gazing iutcntly at
a book which he has before hiu.
How slow he is. Will this torture
never cease? This suspense never
end2 Another thought now comes
to me while stand there. | shall
always remember it, because il was
50 odd. For the moment l forget
where l am. feel that | am the
victim OF some strange Authorization.
am dead! This is no earthly. 10
terrestrial tribunal. This is the
celestial scene SO often pictured TO
my childish fancy by my mother,
Yes. There could be no mistake.
was dead. l gazed to my right. There
stood my attorney, he had not
moved; but how strange. His
face had changed. Not changed
in expression, but In likeness II
was still sweet sorrowful sympa-
thetic, but infinitely more tender.
more benign. 1t seemed now the
face OF Him who nearly two thousand
years ago suffered pain and death t
save mankind
lie was here at my right He was
pleading and imploring mercy in my
behalf
Then i pazcd to my left and me
thought the facc smiling and con.
teniptuOus was tho enemy OF man; the
angel of darkness, who Rlorltied In
my downfall.
NY vision was soon dispelled by
the sound of voice which seemed sc
far away that l could scarcely heal
It; like unto q voice by u drowning
man. The room seemed to me to be
whirling around. felt dizzy and
faint I thought was falling as
had often done In my dreams
Thirteen months In the peniten
tiary'-I. heard a. II 1t were the
feeble voice Of telephone, and ther
. moment later, It seemed as II thu
wallis we're rent asunder, so loud In
deed did the sentence echo In m!
heart felt sick, was so surprised
SO astonishcd that my tongue, as ont
OF old, says, 'clove to the roof of M
mouth" my God, wha: will m!
wife say? What awill my mothel
thinkY" was with them In an in
slant / saw the agonized faces O
them both, though they were thou
sands of miles apart ut is all ,
mistake" then thought. 'Ther'
u some mistake here"
The Judge will soon smile and tel
me that he just wanted to give M
. thorough fright. He will fOrgiv
my flrst and unintentional odense
He will overlook this, my first derelic
ton. was almost happy for mo
ment / would soon be free. WOul'
soon 10 with my wife AMI little ones
] would soon again be holding then