The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-13
A CONVICTS' PICNIC.
Concluded from First Pagel

crowd, therefore, did not see the train
while it was stopped. AT the last moment
the Monon engine steamed away south and
met the incoming train a half mile away
from the crowd. The three. policemen rode
bridge and stopped there to keep the crowd
back Few people had got that far by the
time the change of engine and crews had
Belt it was going at the rate of twenty
miles an hour.
AT STREET CROSSINGS.
AT the various street crossings few peo-
pie had congregated. Some of them evil
IDENTIFY had friends aboard the train. for
they scanned the faces OF the convicts
eagerly the train sped on. At South
street five hundred people were gathered.
There were few there when the train was
sighted. but in an incredibly short time
men and boys came flockng to the cross
ing. There were a few women in the
crowd. One woman in particular occupied
a position on the fragment of an old plat
form that remains of the old j., Nj. * /.
freight house. She wept as she waited for
the train, and when it passed by and she
failed to recognize face for which she
looked she turned away with tears rum
ming down her wrnkled face. A man
standing near said the woman had a son
on the train. He had been in prison for
many years, and she had never seen him
since his incarceration.
The train did not stop inside the city
after it was taken in charge by the Monon
crew. On through the yards of the Union
Railway Company. across Washington
street and pas. the observation-disclosures
station sped the ''murderers' train at a
twenty-mile clip. It was at first supposed
that the train from the north would meet
the train from the south at the MOnOn
r round north of t the city The e,, south
however and Carmel was found to be the
best point. Here the Jeffersonville train
within the jurisdiction of the Monon Off
Gals. Ii took the siding and In few min
utes the train from Michigan City came i'm
sight. 1t was here that the actual transfer
was made. The trains stopped in such a
way that the rear coaches were opposite
each other At a prearranged signal the
guards from the north-bound train and
those from the south-bound train changed
places. The two wardens also changed.
1t was all done in few seconds, before
any one not aware of what was to be done
realized it. Then the two trains again
pulled out.
A change in the demeanor of the convicts
OF the two trains was noticeable from the
moment of the transfer. The crowd going
to Michigan City had been quiet all the
way up TO Indianapolis. but as rule. there
on most of the faces of the long-timers
The trip itself was a treat to them and they
showed signs of enjoying it. The young fell
lows from Michigan City. bound for the Re-
formatory, were not different. But when
the trains pulled away from each other
the spirits of the south-bound men seemed
exchange from prison to Reformatory was
an accomplished fact. When the train
passed the Observation-Disclosures Station
the cOnvicts were singing and shouting.
They kept up their boisterous conduct all
the way through the city On the other
hand, the men going to Michigan City be-
came more quiet and downcaSt. While
Jacksonville had been prison to them they
began realize they approached the
new prison that the change might be for
Few people were at the street crossings
to see the south-bound train pass. The
crowds dispersed Immediately upon the de-
parture of the north-bound train. The po-
HcemeQ remaining on duty at the various
crossings, however, attracted the attention
OF an of o
make a little demonstration. Cheers were
given the youngsters and they were re-
turned heartily. At Garfield Park a Penn
sylvana engine was attached TO the train
The crew which had brought the other
train this far north took charge of the train
and il speed away south without accident
or incident.
WINNIE" SMITH TRANSFERRED.
Among the prisoners on the south-bound
train was winnie" Smith. He was in the
baggage car in charge of the sick convicts
He was busy at work ministering to the
wants of his comrades when the train
reached Indianapolis. AS the train pulled
through the city he pointed out familiar
spots to the prison physician and talked
about himself. He said he expected to be
a physician when he was released. He was
in charge of the hospital at Michigan City,
and says he devoted much of his time to
studying medicine. He said he was not
thinking much about getting out. though
he felt hopeful that he would not have to
stay for the full period of eighteen years,
for which he was sentenced.
II am a convict and paying the penalty
for a crime" he said. Il realize that /
shall have to make "A future for myself
when l get out. There is one thing sure.
l may not be very good physician. but
will be better boy than L when I
went to Michigan City. L know that / still
have lots of friends in Indianapolis. | had
hoped TO see some of them while passing
through the city, but guess they did not
know that | would be transferred If YOU
see any of them, please tell them that |
hope to be with them some day. and that
they will find me different man.