The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-05-28

= sSAsvvutSN VyUt otA JUN = AuBv IN
better. he thinks. than being hanged. For
Two jnries on two separate occasions
said hc was . murderer. and the same judge
both times sst = day for his execution.
sus p. s.onrsd another trial sna escaped
feet OF him 10 a young man who shot and
killed a tsndHrfoot for refusing to take u
drink With him. Unloss he has friends on
ths outside powerful enough to secure his
pardon he will have 10 fill his aliotte!
srasc 10 the little graveyard with n record
Tor life. There Ia one man who never
walks with ths others Of his tier. He Ia TOO
eccsntric n the bonrd walk Is not wide
enough. II is currently reported that he
was convicted OF = robbery Of which he was
CURSED the judge and assaulted The sheriff
who attempted to stop him. The judge
gave him fourteen years, four mors than
she thrice convicted murderer got. Had be
acce pied his conviction with resignation, tho
court might have been more Insroiful. His
mind Is giving way. In another gang from
not yet reached middle age. Being the last
to emerge from his tier he 10 necessarily
the end OF tho line. Gradually, By almost
imperceptible degrees. he allows the others
to get ahead of him. Then he marches all
alone. and IL 10 hard TO tell whether he 10
AVeOs0k VAS INV W 00VcbHA OpUks ASo8bAo ~
tagging behind she same distance. Il 10
evident be does not like the company he IL
In. He 10 q ~rustleT; neither a murderer or
. common thief. There are degrees in the
criminal calsndur. His torn 10 ten years.
and with good behavior he vii! see his wife
like six years from now. AZ each round OF
the exercise walk brings him with his face
to the town he ~involuntarily raises his eyes
and looks toward the spot where he has
now learned to know \ faithful little wo-
man 10 Watching and counting the days that
will restore him to her and her children.
The exercise walk 10 built in tho form of
q paralleloRram in the center Of the prison
yard. 0 tmerly this space was utilized
for exercise purposes without any pre-
scEibed course of travel. It was found that
when the prisoners were allowed to wander
in groups. This naturally led to too much
conversation, which 10 against the prison
rules, and occasionally TO a fight, which ia
against the law. in or out Of pIlson. so the
hoard walk was built. This keeps the mon
In single dle and on the move. It affords
the walk was first built each tier of prison
efs was given an hours exercise a day.
Some Of them complained that it was too
long. Then the time was reduced to twenty
minutes and they complained that it was
not enough. The time is now about three
QuHIb6I8 OF al uOuTs IL may DO u llGCID 1923
ii the weather Is bad, In spite of the mo-
notony of the walk it can be nothing to
compare to the monotony of being in q cell.
In fact. II cannot be otherwise than a pleas
ant relief.
Meal time In the prison is another break
in the monotony.. Promptly at stated
hours convicts to whom are assigned that
task are seen ma ching toward the kitchen
with immense wooden trays. When they
come back to tho prison building those
trays are loaded down wish tin pans. tin
cups, spoons. plates of bread and ~platters
Of food. Long tables ara ON the ground
floor of each side Of the tiers of cells. A
tin plate, Q tin cup. and u spoon ara placed
Tor each convict. The platters of food and
the plates Of bread are ranged along in
the center of the table by the convict
walters. Another goes along with a big
pail and fills each cup with water or coffee.
according to what goes with that p~articu-
lar meal. When everything is ready the
word Is given. The iron gate at the end
OF each tier of cells is unlocked. Mum
ber SIX" cries the guard in the cage on
that side. In regular order the men or
''tier six" walk from their cells. and in
single file. with folded arms. march down
lower floor. When the last man
has passed out from the mar
row balcony that passes in front of
the cells. another number is called and the
men from another tier move out and join
ths line on its way to the table. There is
a clock-like exactness about the movement
that, with the striped suits and the folded
arms and downoast eyes, makes the line re-
ssmblc a procession of fence posts seen from
q car window on a fast express train. When
the table is reached the train has come to q
standstill and the fence posts remain up
right. A signal from the guard and the
fence posts relax and bend about the mid
die. Then AZ they sink onto the long
benches 1t is seen that they are human be-
ings and nothing. less. As the arms I'M
fold and the busy PLAY OF spoons begins, the
lingering traces of tho illusion vanish en-
at . receding limo of fence posts
a long table at which are seated so many
mon, dressed 80 much alike. each eating
the same as his %neighbor. 1t is perhaps
the Quietest hotel on earth. There is no
salt." OF ''pass the bread" and tho I'M
avoidable clatter Of the spoons against the
tin plates. No knives or forks are allowed.
They would be dangerous weapons in case
Of diaaRs cement Besides. the meat is cut
up into convenient sizes before ii leaves
the kitchen. Incidentally it may be mon.
toned that the same precaution accounts
for tho men being obliged to remain in
their cells and not being allowed to walk
on the balconies in front of them. A dis
greement there might result in somebody
being thrown over the low railing aud sup
ply another permanent occupant to the
little graveyard near the pigpen. For men
who dc not work and get 30 little exercise.
some of tho convicts have good
nppetites. Others have not. Some eat
Just as much a. ia needed to sup, ly
the stomach. Others eat as long ns there
10 any food in sight. Those who finish
first sit bolt upright with folded arms and
wait for those who are slower or more HUI
cry. There is no hurrying. That is a
pleasant feature to the visitor, as il is no
doubt to the convi who wishes to have his
digestion in good shnpe whom he gets free
to pander to his appetite according to his
own desires, When all are through the
remnants ara dumped into the now empty
food ~platters, each spoon and tin cup Ia
carefully placed in each plate. and ia the
Inst man folds his arms the signal is given,
and this time IL seems as though a huge an
aconda 10 winding its way up the narrow
a. airs. At each landing part OF it is de-
tached and moves into one or tho other of
ths tiers. Then each part in turn dissolves
into pieces ms the men march into their
cells. TN doors nj tho end of each corri-
dor are locked, Ind one pnrt
of the dull daily routine is
over. While IL has been going
on q guard hns inspected eaoh empty cell to