St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-04-15

more. l was trusty in this in.
stitutioD. | was allowed to saw
wood and work around the warden's
house. and. to, tell you the truth,
friends. was we'll treated mere. left
this prison in=1s7S and went South, but
it was not long until l landed in
Southern prison. When released from
there wandered to Ohio and, naturally
enough, soon found myself in prison
again."
At this juncture one of the interested
listeners asked Patton what he was sent
up for in st. Paul. and he replied:
"a wealthy old man by the name of
Horace Thompson. who. had large
house there, appeared to be a pretty
good thing for me, so went through his
dwelling. | was arrested and pleaded
not guilty. The firstjury stood nine for
acquittal and three for conviction, and
was taken back to Jail, where | was
kept just one year and three months,
got tired OF staying ia Jail. so changed
my plea to guilty and came over to Still
water" 1850
You have had considerable expert
ence iii Prisons said Warden Wolfer,
Now tell us what you; think of them"
II think" said Patton, with broad
Elm vi Ills ttCTs t!Id6 tucs WdSucIiS dIlu
superintendent are too haru on the
convicts. What / mean is they have to
work too hard. and have to take lot
of punishment. / have been fiogged
twice, and how well l remember
deputy warden down in Joliet. who just
delighted in logging. He tied me and
first gave me five lashes that cut me to
the quick. He seemed 10 look upon his
work with pleasure, and then adminis-
tered five more. was flogged once in
Kentucky for refusing to work. but
am glad to see thar this mode of pun
ishment Is fast becoming unpopular. 1
think reform can be accomplished bet
ter b.v solitary confinement"
Patton continued his story aud said:
"Do you know, gentlemen, think
all states ought to get together and pro-
vide home for old eX-cDnyicts. was
i'll home of this kind for while III
Michigan, but did not like it, SO got
out. Oh, srs, Iwould like to lead an
honest life and die an honest man, but
how can l do it? i am hunted from
pillar to post. and when get into a city
where l am known the police spot me
and drive me out. The name 'eX-c0n-
Wet follows me everywhere and rings
In my ears. have tried to work for
farmers, but some way or other |
L
also stopped at poor farms, but
they are worse in many instances than
prisons, SO l have left them. L tell you
what am going to do. l wish did
not have to. but l have been in many
prisons. and the one that suited me bes
was the prison at Waupun, Wis. | am
now going over into Wisconsin, where
will commit some crime that will send
me to prison for the remainder of my
life. don't think / will live more
than three or four years more, and l
guess Waupun is as good place to die
as any. Ii | only had home to go to l
wonidn't have to resort to crime again.
but it is my only show, so when get
to my last home ON earth | will write
you letter."
But what do you think of he'll
after"' asked Warden WOlfer.
Patton drew long breath, then an
SWered:
81 believe. sir. that orr God is a just
God. ana will not punish us more than
we deserve. don't expect that l will
share as we'll as the dancing little babe
that is called hence from its mothers
breast, but do believe that the Lord
will be merciful to me. l believe that l
Will be punished according to my trans
greSsions. [ carry little Episcopal
prayer book in my pocket, and l love to
read it. 1t tells me TO lead an honest
life, but, friends, have given up all
hope. The Bible tells us that Christ
fOrgave the thief In the eleventh hour.
and will ask his forgiveness when L
am on my dying bed"
Patton, VINO is known by number of
aliases. received pair Of shoes from
the warden and a warm meal. and then
trudged YEARLY down to the city. He
stopped at the p0ntoon bridge that leads
to the Wisconsin shore. and Tor few
moments stood in deep meditation. He
did not have a nickel with which to pay
his toll, but, dime being given him by
a paSSer-by, he hurried across the
bridge, and by this tune is probably fig
uring out some plan for getting to the
Waupun prison. n. A. NELSON.