Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-03-21


4 CINCINNATI, o., March GA man is
apt to get justice very quickly in Ohio,
v Handed in Columbus, the capital of the
State, at noon yesterday, and within two
hours | was in the State penitentiary.
1t came about in this way: l left |
Delaware on Thursday on the B. 81 o. |
express which leaves Wilmington for |
Washington and the West at 4.3T p, m. |,
1t was pleasant travelling. l had a royal |
supper on the Royal Blue before reach
ing Washington, and between Washing
ton and Bellaire, o., the berth in the
sleeper was as comfortable and the sleep
rs sound as any man may have at home.
After an hour or twos ride on the
Ohio side of the river, met man.
One of the peculiarities of lecturers
life is that he can never know when the
man at his elbow knows who he is and
4, all about him. Thus half of the fun of
being off on trip is denied to the lee
turer.
This man knew me and was good
enough to say so. He is q young lawyer
and politician of southeastern Ohio, q.
A. Leland OF Caldwell, twice prescott
ing attorney of Noble county, and now
chairman of the Republican county
committee.
Mr.. Leland arranged to introduce me
to Governor Mckinley when we reached
Columbus, and had it in mind to inter
view that famous statesman on the best
way to break legislative deadlock, and
in addition to discover in some cautious
way his notion of the most available
man for the Republicans to nominate
next year for the Presidency. But it
happened that David Miller, steward Of
the Ohio Penitentiary, met Mr.. Leland
at the Columbus depot and drove US up
town in his carriage.
Before we reached the Nell House,
decided that l had rather see peni-
Tertiary than statesman. Its possible
to see the inside of q penitentiary, but
it is not SO easy to get on the inside of q
statesman, certainly not when his name
has been mentioned as q Presidential
possibility.
Promptly at o'clock stepped out of
the Neill House and met Mr.. Miller's
driver who was waiting for me. found
the driver, who is young fellow named
John Beall, pleasant Cicerone as we
drove out TO the penitentiary, which
among those who take interest in prison
reform, has the reputation Of being the
best conducted prison in America.
As we approached the corner of the
penitentiary wall was surprised to see
u COuNiCL III SIElpeS 10 tle
opening and shutting Of an outside gate.
No guard was in sight and commented
on the apparent ease with which the
convict might escape; but Beall said
"None of them make success at run
ming away, and it would be the worse
for him when they brought him back.
II was surprise to me to learn later
that my pleasant young driver, who was
trusted out in the city with horse and
carriage, is himself life prisoner, con
victed of brutal and unnatural crime
y When little more than a boy, he flew
intoan ungoyernable rage and emptieC
the shots from an old revolver into hi
mothers body and then seized an axe
and crushed her skull.
In the stewards office | rejoined Mr.
Leland and Mr.. Miller, the steward
They introduced me to all in the room
among Others TO a man wearing stripe
and keeping big set of books. rh
convict was Mr.. Raymond. He is
strikingly handsome middle-aged man
iron-gray hair over lofty brow, keel
and kindly eyes, "a finely modelled nose,
mouth of gentle yet Arm expression
which smiled sweetly and betrayed il
doing it the most carefully kept teeth
clearly shaven cheeks and nobly shape
head Notwithstanding the stripe
which made appearances 60 agans
him, it was impossible not to feel Get
tain amount of confidence in Mr.. RAY
mond. 1t seems that inspiring cont
dence was too much of a specially wit
him.
He is United States prisoner, col
victed of misuse of the mails lie az
vertised California lands for sale. II
did his advertising in good newspaper
and was prospecting, as he laughngl
told me, swell enough" when a rivi
concern set the United States govern
ment against him. The governmei
maintained that the California Ian
which Mr.. Raymond sold was not cap
BILE of irrlgation-in short, that it WI
part uf hopeless and worthless dcsci
Mr.. Raymond still contends that
might have been irrigated, and it is ha
to see what unworthy motive
can have in talking that way now.
must be the expression of since
scientific faith. He pleasantly rcmei
bered that his advertisements mad a
peared in EVERY EVENING. and col
mended the paper as al excellent Il
vertising medium.
Entering the penitentia:y, l felt
sense of depression. The heart-brc
of the place seemed to pervade it, 81
really, if ever | have to go to prise
the Ohio Penitentiary will suit me
well as another. 1t is scrupuous
bclean and it has less Of the prison cd
than any other prison it has been l
fate TO smell.
The cells in the older part of /
penitentiary are small. They look
too small for man of my size
squeeze into; so l tried it and fou
them a little larger than had thong
Measuring with the eye, should S
they are A feet by S-possibly not gu
80 large.
1t was in these small cells that CT
eral John II. Morgan and his captul
troops were confined during the W
General Morgan led his hard rid
3 boldly into Ohio, and they rode fast a
long, but they did not ride out u
more; and part of them were gil
quarters in this peuitcntiary.
uncle.in-law, Major Theophilus Stet
had place at that time in one of tn
cells, and can remember the South
pride with which my aunt afterwa
wore set ring having little chip
stone from his cell wall instead o
diamond.
They showed me cell No. IS, VIII
was General Morgan's. Tho dimens
of the hole through which Nor
made his famous escape is still
tinctly marked by the patched place
e. Il, Ill IL 70 -,