The Waco evening news. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 1891-1894, 1894-06-14
right to deprive him of the light.
WHY HE Is DENIED LIGHT.

On the morning OF NOV. ~, lCo =,
with the tools that he had made, ne
succeeded in saving the bars OF his
cell. He had also arranged the gas
30 that an explosion took place.
Just what his purpose was in caus.
ing the explosion no one knew, for
he had the bars of hiss cell cut, and
would have got into the corridor
had not the explosion, which fol-
lowed about that time, partly de.
prived him Of consciousness. The
records of his attemps to escape
show that it was solely because of
this that ne was deprived of the
light.
"Was il not because of the ex.
plosion in your cell?" the reporter
asked, "that your light was taken
away?"
cit may be-" Pomeroy ans.
wered, "but they are afraid"
Back to the subject of books went
the conversation. This time the
question, "what kind of books do
you raad?" WAS asked. lis ans wer
was that he was foud of anything of
mechanical nature, and had studied
every b ,ok in the building in which
shat subject is referred to- He told
how by the use of gram
mars he had learned three
languages and could translate fairly
we'll. He could talk but little,
however, in any Of them, because
his prom unciaton was bad and he
had no opportunity to improve. He
k ew the books, however, by heart.
His object in learning these langua-
ges, he said, was some day he was
confident he would be liberated anu
then the more he knew the better
off he would be The law vas not of
sufficient power to keep him there
all his life, he maintained, aud some
day he would be able to show it.
WANTS TO PLEAD HIS OWN CAUSE.
Pomeroy then referred to the time
when an application was made to the
Prison Commissioners for his release
on the ground that statute provided
that no person should be sentenced
to solitary confinement in prison for
3 period of more than twenty days,
and because he had been confined so
many years they mad no right to keep
him in prison longer. He had
studied the public statutes and knew
what he wassaying, said. A wicked
ID k came into his eye and he fin
ished with the words: 81 would like
an opportunity to argue my own
case before those who have the
power to judge on such matters.
That's all l ask"
In no way do the officers of the
prison fear Pomeroy. He ia ugly
at iihes, but when in an ugly mood,
be is left to himself TO do what he
pleaYes and to get as much comfort
from his solitude as he can 1t is
an old trick1 of his to make noise,
to play sick, to attempt to escape,
In fact to do anything he can think
Of to get the Off GERS near him. AT
times in the past he seemed to fear
being left alone, and all of these
tricks he practiced from time to
time solely for the purpose of get.
ting an officer stationed as guard
over him. OF late years these
tricks are practiced but seldom. He
knows the officers are used to them.
Pomeroy SCOTS at religion and
laughs in the face of the chaplain.
That much beloved gentleman in the
institution seldom visits him. And
so the story of his prison life goes
on. Since 1875 he has had only to eat,
drink, sleep, write, think and try
to escape. Some day, he says, he
will succeed, but if he does get
from the prison without an Off Ger
seeing him he will have to run the
gauntlet of bullets, for the orders
are that he shall be shot without
hesitation if he once gets into the
yard.