Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-07

upon him like red strontian fire. He felt
blasted by his disgrace
What are You doing to- me?' he cried
out Put me in prison? My God. This
will kill my mo;her!'
The next morning at 10 O'clock Tom
Muldoon was released on $1,000 bail. The
surety was promptly furnisleda by the al
derman of the til ward. MuIdoon was to
present himself before the grand Jury
which met the first Monday in each month
AS this was the beginning of the month
his appearance could not be required for
three weeks at least, and by Mutual agree
ment of the district attorney and the coun-
sci for the defendant action might be put
Off 70" one or even for two mCntnS more
pending the recovery or eventual death of
the assaulted. THIS would give the saloon
keeper plenty of time for the two ribs that
Isaac Masters had crushed to mend.
There are sensitive men and women who
would go insane after spending an inno-
cent night in a cell. In the dryest, the
largest, the best of them, there is every
thing to debase the manhood and nauseate
the soul The tin cup on the grated win
dow SILL half filed with soup which the
last occupant left, the cot to the right of
the hopeless door. made of two boards and
enc straw mattress. and that necessity
which is the nameless horror of such a
narrow incarceration-that which suffo-
Gates ard pOlSOnS-tllen the .filckerlnS jet
up the concrete corridor, casting such fitful
shadows by the prisoners side that he
starts from his cot in terror to touch the
pnanIOnlS lest lnsy De real, the alternate
waves OF choking heat and narrowing cold;
the hammering of steam pipes, the curses,
the groans and the eruptive breathing Of
the stricken and the drunkards-the
thoughts of home and friends and irrep-
arabic disgrace. the feeble hope that after
all the family will not hear Of this. far
away, and the despair because they will
mad thoughts of suicide, blasphemy. re-
pentant tears and prayers, each chasing
the other amid the persistent thought that
all things are impotent but freedom. oh,
what a night! What night,
There are souls that have existed five
ten years under the Courtine of Catherine
in the Petropavlovskaya fortress-drugged
tortured, at last killed like rats in a hole
All the while the maledict banner of the
Romanoffs writhes above them: What has
been the power to keep alive thousands of
prisoners in those bastionS beyond the
natural endurance of the flesh? The glory
of principle.
No wonder that ghastly face and hag-
gard eyes and wavering steps followed the
keeper to the American court room the
next morning, for nothing could be tor
tured into principle to stimulate lsaac's
courage. 1t is easy to die for right, but
not for wrong.
There were three short flights of iron that
led past tiers of cells, through the tombs,
into the prisoners dock. Isaac DULY re-
memhered the huge coils of steam pipe that
curled up the side of the wall. He thought
of pythons. AS he passed by, the prisoners
awaiting sentence held the rods of their
/
swore and laughed and shot questions at
the keeper as he passed along.
Have you no friends in the city," pro-
ceeded the judge, after he had examined
the witness.
Isaac shook his head disconsolately. 81
have about So; that is all, and my bag
and, sir. my character"
Then 1 am afraid 1 shall have to hold
you over in default of bail until the trial"
The judge nodded to the sheriff to bring on
the next case.
where are you taking me?"
ITO the city JAIL" answered the sheriff.
CURLY. Come along!'' With mighty ef-
fort Isaac wrenched himself loose and
strobe to the bar.
"Judge" he cried. Judge, you wouldn't
do that! Let me go! 1 will come back to
the trial. Look at me- judge! What have
/ done? Why should l be sent to prison?
l am an honest man,
But the judge was used to such scenes,
and he turned his head YEARLY away.
"The law requires the government to
hold the witness in default of bail, in cases
of capital crime" The Judge was a kind
man, and he tried to do kind act by ex-
planning the subtle process of the law again
to the lad. When he had done this he
nodded. And now the men approached
Isaac to remove him, by force, if necessary.
But the New Hampshire boy stood before
the bar OF justice stoIidIy. His eyes wan
Paralysis swept near him at that instant.
'Ana-I-imprisoned because I am friend
less and poor? Is this your lava"
The judge shrugged his shoulders, but
many in the court room felt uncomfortable.
Then" spoke Isaac Masters, rising to
his greatest height, and uplifting his hand
as if to call God to witress "if this is law
damn your law!' 1t was his first and last
oath. Every man in the room started to
his feet at the utterance of that supreme
legal blasphemy. But the Judge was 81
lent. What sentence might he not infiict
for such contempt of court? What SEN
tence could he? The witness had no mon
ey wherew:th to be fined and he was go
ing to prison at any rate. The judge was
great enough to put himself in fsaac's
place. He stroked his b' ard meditatiVely.
Remove the Witness he said. This was
sentence enough. Although two officers ad-
vanced cautiously, as If prepared for tus-
sic, babe might have led the giant unto
the confines OF hades by the pressure of its
little finger. For Isaac wept.
There were two other witnesses in the
white-washed cell to- which Isaac was as
signed. 1t was on the south side, and
large. and sunny, and often the door was
left unlocked; but the cell looked out into
q crumbling graveyard One of these wit