The times., 1897-05-16

Mt. Chapman Is No. "a, south wing, first
fioor. IL is the apartment that was &c
Cupieo Two years ago by Tom Taylor
| the South Washington gentleman who is
| now serving life sentence for murder
| ing his wife. Further back in It's his
| tory this cell was occupied by Ward In
| Tact, as The keeper vino showed the Times
| reporter to the cell said, it is reserved
| almost entirely for murderers and other
] noted criminals No "a is SxIO feet
| Ii rs furnished with an iron cot painted
| red, eighteen inches wide and six feet
| long. A plain wooden shelf has been
| introduced In No. 34 for the pussible
| books and papers that Mr. Chapman may
| have with him as the cOmpa MONS of his
| retirement. There is a barred window
| looking out through court and another
barred window, on the commons TO the
west OF the building, toward the city
The apartment is new undergoing, with
the others on its Tier, the regular spring
renovation. Its floors have been painted
a dark brown, it's walls livid white, its
book shelves a slate blue. The only touch
Of color n this cell is the bright red OF
the cot The bars OF the window are an
inch thick ana 1T viii he absolutely in,possi-
fie for Mir. Chapman TO break through in
this direction. IL he obtains his liberty
it will unquestionably be through the door
The daily routine of the Jail makes q
man get UP at 6 in the morning, have
breakfast at Z s, receive special visitors in
the central liall from O To 2 have dinner
at 6 and retire at g. The man generally
desires To retire early at the Jail, espe-
ciaily IL he sleeps we'll There are no cleo
trio lights or even gas jets in the cells
Broker Chapman's cell is especially fort,i-
nate in having big electric light lust out
side OF his window in the court BY this
he may possibly be able to read, If his eyes
are good
Beside Mr.. Chapman special privileges
there are others which he will share with
all the guests OF the Jail alike Beside the
absence OF th1 lock-Step there is no black
and white uniform, with stripes running the
wrong way, and the health Of the hotel IS
excellent. Warden Leonard told The Times
reporter t;1at not one per cent of his people
are sick at this time Out of the 375, who
are at present inha hitating the building,
sometimes rot one man will be in the
HOSPITAL. He believes that this ia a better
record than will be found at the most OK
ene ,1ly appointed and luxurious hotels
further in town.
This is accounted for by the perfect
cleanliness of the place. There is not
spot OF dirt to be found anywhere in
the building that the eye OF visitor may
reach, which includes all the cells The
walls are kept freshly whitewashed and
painted, and the floors are scrubbed every
day.
And then, the life is regular and free
from excitement and dissipation It is
SAID that nearly every prisoner who enters
this institution leaves il clean in body at
least, and in the best of health, and s,,f-
ferng from no pangs Of hunger, no matter
wleeier he is worth a million dollaxs or
hasn't a penny.
Among his nearest neighbors, will be
young Jones, the cOlored youth charged
with the muder OF his brother, a boy only
thirteen years old, and the Indian, Lewis
Williams, who is in Jail for committing
forgery The others are the ordinary run
of assault and battery cases and the like,
with a few who are now waiting to be
transported to the penitentlary
All the nlournful and the interesting
circumstances of this prisoner o-be have
attracted to his coming sojourn at the |
Jail the eyes of the whole world almost.
The whole world will be satisfied Ward en-
Leonard told The Times reporter last night
that there are more newspaper men in |
quiring about Mr.. Chapman and nat they |
want more matter on every phase of his |
coming incarceration, than they did about |
Guiteau. 1t is even thought that possibly |
gentleman who calls himself q news
paper correspondent, who went TO the
Jail yesterday to wait over until Monday
or Tuesday for trial by jury, is undergo |
ing a self-imposed sentence with the one ]
object In view of getting inside and ex-
elusive information.
Ny hair is gray but not with years,
Nor turned it white
In a single night,
As mems have done from sudden fears
My limbs are bowed, though not with toll, |
But rusted with vile repoSe,
For they have been a dungeons spoil,
And mine has been the fate of those
To whom the goodly earth and air
Are bann'd and barr'd-forbdden fare"
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