The morning call., 1894-02-04

story, tum bledown frame building at 118
Gilbert street. Amid dirt and filth inde-
serbia bic, for nver five years the two upper
floors have afforded them an habtati0n.
All eat at the same table, except the wife,
who for nearly four years has been i'm
prisoned in a back room on the second
floor, living her demented life with only
the brutality OF barbarous husband to
relieve its mOnOtOuv.
The room in which most of her time
during this period has been spent is dark.
damp and cheerless. and leads to back
porch closed IN with heavy wire netting to
make it secure prison. At the end of the
porch is door, which being always kept
locked prevents access to the yard below
Lining the windows inside and out
is heavy wire netting similar TO
that which hens in the porch.
while up and down the side of the porch
openings rough pine boards have been
nailed, shutting out what little light and
sunshine might otherwise enter the dun
geon to add raw Of chesrfulness to its in
terror. The main object in putting the
boards over the wire can hardly be sup
posed TO be for the purpose of adding dis
comfort to the Door, miserable creature
WliulDs Jus MSib BOSSlUIy 10 UIub
view the sometimes half-clad or almost
nude form that for portion of every day
for her long term of Imprisonment might
have been seen parading up and down tile
porch wringing her hands, pulling her
hair or crying to her husband to release her
from her torment. For the last year over
the boards have hung several heavy quilts
which serve two purDOses--to drown the
piercing cries of the raving woman while
smarting under the lash of a big black
snake whip, and wholly hide from view
the prison in which the woman who had
borne to Traverse five babes. and whom he
had promised to love and cherish in sick
ness or IN health was immured.
The interior of the prison room within
the home when visited was destitute of
every article that would tend to give COM
fort or rest TO the unfortunate woman.
1n one corner of the room lay her bed
upon the floor. 1t consisted of two quilts
and bag filled with shavings for a pillow.
A small dry-goods box, which had done
service for table, stood against the wall
on the other side OF the room. and upon it
was half-burned candle. The only other
piece Of furniture in the room was a COM
mon hardwood chair, one leg of which was
broken. Darkness had so long reigned
within the four walls, on account of the
exterior coverings which kept out the sun.
that the walls were damp. while from the
floor, which had the appearance Of never
having seen broom or mop since the poor
woman's incarceration, foul smells arose,
impregnating every inch OF space in the
room. Such Is the condition of the place
where for four long years. without CON-
panlon to speak to or aid her in passing
away the hours, Mrs. Traverse has been
kept prisoner by her husband.
Traverse is lover of vicious dogs and in
the back yard. from which a full vision of
the prison windows can be obtained, he
keeps four ugly brutes, a look at one of
which is sufficient to drive an intruder
away. For his dogs in one corner of the
yard be built doghouse, in which thew
sleep at night. During the last few
months of her IMPRISONMENT sometimes
in the evenings on his return from work
Ira verso has taken his swife from her
prison and given her the freedom of the
yard. One evening after he had put her
in the yard It began to rain. The husband
went into the house and from The window
watched the movements Of his wife.
Crouching beneath the shadow of the
fence for almost half an hour she tried to
keep from getting wet. Then. however,
wnen her thin rags were saturated with