The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-02-13
NO. 25952 TALKS.
A Convict Now Under Sentence Tells Of
the Life at Columbus, Ohio.
Atlanta Constitution.

IrOm OuCle palu UiS PAAooA ~ wv
umbus, O., is brought back to his ma
tive State before the expiration Of his
sentence.
There is only one condition that will
effect this transfer, and that is when
the convict can further the end Of
justice by telling what he knows of
the doings Of some other fated Grim
inal on trial. And it is only in e1-
treme cases of this kind that it is per-
mitted.
The e1igencies Of an important case
in the United States court demanded
that Jim Bracket, convicted and SEN
fenced last June, be brought back to
Georgia. After much correspondence
Solicitor Joe James received COM
munication giving him the authority
to order the con7ict out. Escorted by
Deputy James, son Of the principal
keeper of the Ohio penitentiary,
Bracket was brought to Atlanta and
is now waiting for the McKutcheon
case to be called before Judge New
man.
Bracket has changed since he was
carried on to Columbus. After the
nine months Imprisonment his face
has taken on the usual expression Of
the criminal and he wears the conven-
tional convict features. The loss Of
one eye has destroyed what might
have been once a pleasing counte-
nance. His skin, which from long
exposure in the climate Of the noun
tains and moonshine was rough and
rugged when he first went to Ohio, is
now thoroughly bleached, and its
milky whiteness is covered by thin
coating of red beard.
He has doffed temporarily his con.
vict's garb and donned neat-looking
suit in which he made the trip.
''Don't call me Jim Bracket. Call
me No. rs, ,652, and I feel more like
myself. I've almost forgot my real
name, you know. That passes away
when a fellow strikes that place, and
it's not often that he hears it pro-
nounced.
IT cant complain Of the treatment
they give us up there. Of course the
life is hard for me. I am usad to the
mountain, where I can 60 anywhere I
want to and have things my own way
generally, and where everything is
free and open.
''It was great surprise when they
came to me last Friday and told me
that must make the trip to Georgia
for the purpose Of being witness in
the courts. I couldn't believe them
at first. I didn't see how they could
let me get out Of there; they we're 80
strict, but they sent me down citi-
zen's suit, and last Sunday evening,
just after we had been marched away
from the chapel, the guard told me to
step out, and I knew that was to
come. It's like stepping out into a
new and very different world. Idon't
feel natural. The sound Of human
voices seems strange to me.
"You cannot imagine" he resumed,
"the size of that place and the num-
ber of people there. I think that now
there are 2,15O convicts there. The
buildings cover rs acres. and these
buildings are cut up into little cells in
which the boys are packed away.
"There is only one man in cell.
A light is furnished us at night, and
we are allowed to read until 9 o clock.
''We get up at 5 o'clock every morn
ing. Then we form in squads and are
marched out into the hall. Every
thing goes lock-step there, but we are
not chained. The guard marches US
to the bathing rooms and there we
separate and take our morning baths.
Then, out into the yard for an hour
we 90 to take exercise, and after that
we are carried to breakfast. All Of US
are arranged in squads at the different
tables. This finished. we are march
ed over to the idle house, where we
spend the time doing nothing but
thinking.
"The greatest torture to me" con-
tinued the co~ 7ict, "is the silence
that is demanded Of you. We are
never allowed, under any circumstan-
ces, to say word to a guard or fell
low prisoner, except on matters of i'm
portant business, and that business
must be stated, Just like school boy
tells his teacher what he wants to
talk about.
"I broke the rule about speaking
and caught the consequence one day.
I knew that I was breaking the rules,
and I knew what would follow, but I
had not heard the sound of my own
voice in so long that l was forced to
say something. There was man
named Fowler sitting by me in the
idle house.. I knew him we'll, and
before I could control myself I walked
up and slapped him on the shoulder
and said, 'how are you. He looked
at me and trembled.
''Then the guard came up and asked
my number. blurted it out to him.
He put it on piece Of paper. [ knew
what it meant.
"About daylight the next day the
guard ordered me out. | was marched
down to a little room where six or