Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-14

dark mouth of the stone conduit leading
from the Old Bailey to the dungeons of
Newgate, by virtue Of the high resolve
we made, we conquered fate at her
worst, and by our act in establishing q
secret bond Of sympathy in our separa-
ton dropped the bad, disastrous past,
and starting on new things planted our
feet on the bottom round of the ladder
Of success, feeling that, with plenty of
faith and endurance, fortune, frown as
she might now, must turn her wheel
and smile again.
And what was this act? Why, it was
q simple one, but bore in it the germ of
great things.
As we halted there in the gloom we
swore never to give in, however they
might starve us, even grind us to pow
der, as we felt they would certainly try
to do. We knew that in their anxiety
about our souls they would be sure
kindly to furnish each with Bible, and
we promised to read one chapter every
day consecutively, and while reading
the same chapter at the same hour think
of the others. For 90 years we kept the
promise Then, making the resolve men,
toned in the beginning of this book, 1
marched back to my cell The door was
opened and closed behind me, leaving
me in pitch darkness convict in my
dungeon. Dressed as was I lay down
on the little bed there, and through all
that long and terrible night, with a
million dread images rushing through
my brain, I lay passive with wide open
eyes, staring into the darkness, con-
scious that sanity and insanity were
struggling for mastery in my brain,
while 1, like some interested spectator,
watched the struggle, or again I was
struggling in the air with some power
full but viewless monster form, that
clutched my throat with iron fingers,
but whose body was impalpable to the
grasp Of my hands. A mighty space,
an eternity of time, and daylight came.
Then, like one in q dream, rose me-
chanically, and finding a pin I had
secreted stood ON the little wooden
bench, and impelled by some spiritual
but irresistible force scratched on the
wall the message had resolved to leave !:
In the reproof of chance
Lies the true proof Of men.
Then thought Of my friends and my
promise, and like one in a dream took
the i'll smelling and dirty little Bible
from the shelf, and turning to the first
chapter read:
''And the spirit Of God moved upon
the waters. And God said let there be
light, and there was light
Then the book fell from my hand.
andI remembered no more. My mind
had gone whirling into the abyss.
was sentenced ON Wednesday. For
three days, from Thursday to Sunday,
my mind was a blank. have no recol-
lection Of my removal under escort from
Newgate to Pentonville. On Sunday,
the fourth day Of my sentence, like one
rousing from q trance, awoke to find
myself shaven and shorn, dressed in a
coarse convict uniform, in q rough cell
of whitewashed brick. The small win.
dow had heavy double bars set with
thick fluted glass, which, while admit
ting light, foiled any attempt of the eye
to discern objects without. In the cor
ner there was q rusty iron shelf. A
board let into the brickwork served for
bed, bench and table. A zinc jug and
basin for water, with a wooden plate,
spoon and salt dish-nO knife or fork
for 30 years-completed the furnishings
As was looking around in a helpless
way key suddenly ratified in the lock,
and the door opening uniformed ward
er stepped in, and giving me search
ing look said in q rough voice: "Come
ON. You'll do for chapel You have put
ON the balmy long enough" His kindly
face belied his rough tones, and follow
ed him out Of the door and soon found
myself in the prison chapel None was
present, aud I was ordered to sit ON the
front bench at the far end The benches
were simply common fiat boards ranged
in rows. Soon the prisoners came in sim
gly, marching about two yards apart,
and sat on the benches with that inter-
val between them-that is, in the divi-
sion Of the chapel where I sat, it being
separated from the rest by high parti-
ton. Soon white robed, supplied
clergyman came in, and the service be-
gan, but I had no eye or ear nor any
comprehension save in . dim manner as
to what was going ON. My brain was
trying to connect the past and the pres
ent. feeling that something terrible had
befallen me, but what it was I could
not understand.
When the services were over, re-
turned under the escort Of the warder,
who. when I arrived at my cell, ordered
me to go in and close the door, which
did. banging it behind me- 1t had a
spring lock, and when I heard the snap
Of the catch and looked at the narrow,
barred window, with its thick, futed
glass. admitting only>a dim light, I re-
membered everything. Like fash it
all came to me, and I realized the full
horror Of my position Sitting down ON
the little board fastened to the wall
serving as bed, seat and table, buried
my face in my hands and began to pom
der. Regrets came in floods, with re-
morse and despair hand in hand, when,
realizing that it was madness to think,
/ sprang up, saying to myself the hour
and minute had come for me to decide