The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-06-13
IN PRISON CELLS.
The Collins Received at the Peniten-
tiary-Donning the Stripes.


] MICHIGAN CITY. Ind. June 5.-Spe-
cial-At $40 o'clock tonight Francis A.
| Coffin and Percival 3. Coffin donned the
prison stripes and twenty minutes later
| shook hands with Deputy Marshal John
/ Foley. George Casper and the represent
atives Of the press who had accompan-
led them from indianapolis, and were
conducted down the long corridor of the
! cell house. in which $50 convicts were
resting after their days work, and dis
| appeared in cell No. IS. The heavy
| doors OF steel were locked behind them,
the bars were replaced and they were
! left alone for the night.
Both men were tired out after the
| nervous strain Of the day, but bore the
ordeal bravely. They had already re-
! ceived every consideration that IL was
! in the power Of the warden to extend 10
I them. and as they shook hands with him
! for the night tears stood in the eyes OF
the elder prisoner as he thanked the
warden for his kindness.
A Trying Trip.
1t had been a trying trip TO the two
/ men. After the train left Indianapolis
| the two brothers sat for some time be-
side each other, and facing Deputy Fo-
! ley. while Deputy Casper sat behind At
| the Massachusetts-ave. station there
was assembled a large number Of the
/ former employees of the Collins, and as
! they shook hands with the men through
! the car window it was pathetic For the
| first time in all his trouble Frank Coffin
/ broke down and tears filed his eyes.
! The men ran after the train for several
/ yards after it had started, and, turning
/ away from the window, Frank said, IN
| a broken voice: THAT was about the
| toughest thing ! have had to go through!
| These men would have broken down the
doors of the Jail il they had thought that
| it would have done any good. The most
of them have been with me for twelve
| years
After INDIANAPOLIS had receded I'm the
! distance Frank ceased to look out Of the
| window and spent some time with his
| brother-in-law, John y. Roberts, who ac-
| companied them as far as Frankfort
Here Mr. Roberts left TO return home
| and the men shook hands cordially. He
| was the last Of the relatives to leave tho
! two men and for a few moments they
! both appeared cast down, but shook on
| the temporary weakness and FRANK went
| over TO the seat occupied by the Rev
| G.. A. Christensen, who accompanied them
| from home and viii leave for indian
| apolis in the morning. He came up for
| the purpose Of securing for the men all
! accommodations possible, and was Warp3r
| lv greeted by the warden. with whom m
is on intimate terms. Frank remained
! in conversation with DR.. Christensen Tor
an hour, while Percy played cards in the
! rear of the car with the representatives
Of the press
Frank Coffin Talks.
Later during the trip Frank Coffin
talked at length with The Sentinel repre-
sentative and spoke of the fortitude re-
quired to bear up under the strain.
Five months ago." said he Il thought
for some time Of three things-fight,
suicide, and standing it like a man. The
! first would have been disgrace, the
| second even more so. and the third left
me what I cannot be robbed of, and that
is my self-respect. 1 go into the peni-
Tertiary with the feeling that ] am
innocent. and that will bear me up. 1
am not sorry so much for myself as l
am for Percy. He is the baby Of the
family and il will ruin his life. IL does
not take nerve to face thing Ike this,
il takes common sense. It is a situation
and the best way out of ii is TO face IT
like a man.
trip and talked with one and another
until the train reached here at 5:25 this
evening on the way az every station
! thew were stared at. Every body seemed
10 know them. and at some places crowds
l tAN-N+~e%Nf
| trainmen told who they Were AT other
places and after that they were closely
watched. Even as far away as MOnOn
they were recognized and curious groups
stood by and stared at them
Fellow Passenger.
In the same car all the way up was
Deputv Sheriff Lanning with two-y'ear
prisoner for burglary who was heavily
chained. and Frank made several joking
remarks about the appearance Of the
man. and the fact that he was fellow
convict. AS the party got off the train
here a hotel runner placed a card in
Franks hand which urged him TO stop
at a hotel the rates of which were but
81 a day. Frank laughed and said he
would gladly stop at his hotel If permit-
ted. The party walked from the train
carelessly so as not TO attract attention,
and over to a car standing near on which
was the placard, "Ninth-st and the
Prison" The two men looked al il fol
a second and then Frank remarked that
they wore nearing their destination The
sign looked ominous.
All laughed and talked till the cal
stopped in front of the entrance 10 The
prison at o'clock. They were received
at the entrance by Warden French. tn
Rev. Mr. Christensen, who had hRStenn<