Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-09-20

Il am from the New York newspaper
whose name you saw on the card.
have been sent on an errand which thi:
letter will explain"
The governor put on his glasses ant
read the letter that was handed to him
1t ran as follows:
ITO THE GOVERNOR OF THE FEDERAL PRS
ON. ETC, ETC: The bearer OF this, Mr. Kent
Is connected with the staff of this paper and j:
sent to you to obtain II possible, an interview
with the prisoner Jean Laport, now under sen
tence for manslaughter The interests of Tho
political party now in power can be materially
advanced II this man can be induced to talk
and, il possible. furnish some Information con
corning his confede-ates in vast scheme tc
rob the government 1t is assumed that the pris
oner, VINO Is virtually under life sentence, car
have no good reason for longer keeping silent
and it is thought by the managers Of this paper
that an adroit man. like the bearer Of this, II
furnished the facilities may succeed in elicitine
the Information, which will be OF great service
in the coming campaign to the administration
OF which you are loyal adherent
Respectfully, etc, etc"
Gov. Ixtel. plethoric and good-na-
tured man when not dealing with con.
victs, let his hand drop to his side with
the letter in it. With the other he took
with a broad smile.
why, bless your enterprising soul, .
he said, that old alligator won't talk.
You couldn't pump ten words out OF
him if you worked month
Nevertheless" replied Mr.. Kent, Il
am here to make the attempt with
your kind permission"
Take a seat" said the governor. II
never heard that Laport was mixed up
in politics.
Mr.. Kent sat down. well, sir, it
isn't generally known. But he is
nevertheless the depository of certain
secrets which to hold will no longer be
of any service to him and which if he
will give them away. as we say, will
secure for him the influence of a num-
Der of powerful friends who can. if
they set to work, get him commuta-
ton of sentence"
Mr.. Kent was evidently I clever
taller; he was thoroughly posted in
the political situation; he brought
with him from New York a good deal
of inside news and several rafting
stories that We're new. He candidly
confessed that he had no stomach for
this job and wanted to be back in the
metropolis. But duty was duty and
he'd have to make the attempt. He
did not think he'd get much out of it,
but if he did it would be a feather in
the cap of the present administration
and an additional plume for himself
Mr.. Kent talked so long that the
governor invited him to take dinner
with his family, and the guest proved
such an interesting talller that Mrs.
Ixtel late in the afternoon proposed to
the governor that it would be far more
hospitable to have the gentleman stay
with them than to go off to a hotel.
He played backgammon that might
with the governor; sang the latest
songs for Miss Ixtel and accompanied
himself on the piano; and he sat up till
twelve o'clock talking politics and
drinking the governors whisky.
The next day about nine o'clock in
the morning, the prisoner, a round
shouldered old man with great deal
of character in his square jaw and
massive chin and deep-set scintillant
black eyes. was brought into the
Office of the prison. No one was pres
emit but the governor and the reporter.
"Laport," said the governor, here's
Q gentleman wants to talk to you
hope you'll treat him with more con-
sidsration than you do me-"