The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-17

some strange WITH the mana OIL LUST,
Some with the hands Of Gold;
The kindest use knife, because
The dead so soon grow cold.
Those who do not use the knife, the
writer says, escape a death of shame on a
day Of dark disgrace, with all the attend
ing horrors of an execution.
The man whose Imprisonment is only for
a time describes the man who is doomed
to leave his narrow cell for the u1cer-
tainty of eternity
Six weeks the guardsman walked the
yard.
In the suit of shabby gray
His cricket cap was on his head,
And his step was light and gay,
But 1 never saw man who looked
So wistfully at the day.
And I and all the soulsSin pain,
Who tramped the other ring,
Forgot if we ourselves had done
A great or little thing, s
And watched with gaze of dull amaze
The man who had TO swing.
Finally. the days that move with leaden
heels for those who are waiting for the
day of liberation, and fly for the doomed
man, bring the time when prisoners must
be parted, and he who is already dead 20
the world be left alone:-
At last the dead man walked no more
Against the Trial Men,
And I knew that he was standing up
In the black docks fearful pen.
Ard that never would see his face
For veal or woe again. .,-..
The meeting of the two in a ''snare"
that had caught Them is well described.
Though both are outcasts. the snare was
to loosen on one, but held the other for
eternity
Like two doomed. ships that pass in
storm ,- 81 G..
We had crossed each other
But we made no sign, said no word,
We had no word to say;
For we did not meet in the holy night
but in the shameful day.
A prison wall was round US both,
Two outcast men we were;
The world had thrust US from its
heart,
And God from out His care;
And the iron gin that waits for sin
Had caught US in its snare.
There was no further meeting between
the condemned man and his fellow pris-
oners. None saw him save those ap-
pointed to watch over him.
Then are described the frightful days
that interviewed between the severe sem
tence of the law and its terrible execu-
tom
And by each side a warden walked.
For fear the man might die.
Or else he sat with those who
watched
His anguish night and day;
Who watched him when he rose to
weep.
And when he crouched to pray;
Who watched him lest himself should
rob
The scaffold Of its prey.
The often very remarkable apparent in
difference of the condemned murderer on
the eve Of his execution is referred to-
And twice day he smoked mis- pipe
And drank his quart of beer
His soul was resolute and held
No hiding place for fear;
He often said that he was glad
The hangman's day was near
When the murderer was out OF sight he
was out Of the minds of the other pris-
oners. who mechanically and unwillingly
prison.
With slouch and swing around the
ring
We trod the Fools Parade.
We did not care: we knew we were
The Devils Own Brigade.
And shaver head and feet Of lead
Made a merry masquerade
We tore the tarry rope 10 shreds
With blunt and bleeding nails:
We rubbed The doors and scrubbed
the floors
and cleaned the shining rails;
And, rank by rank. We soaped the
plank
And clattered with the pals.
Then IS described the harder work OF
breaking stones. turning the drill and
sweating a. the mill. which filed the days
before the execution
When the day OF execution vas near a.
hand the necessary preparations brough;
trembling fear 70 the silent SPECTATORS
The hangmzn. with his little bag.
Went shutting through The Eion:
And I trenbled as I groPed my way
Into my numbered tomb
Ard fear coniGred Up queer shapes n
the minds % the prisoners. and TIE ter
ro- thar belonged 20 the condemned mar
took possession OF them
That u3gnt the empty corridors
Were fun % forms % Fear.
And Up and down ire iron toza
stole feet ve could act hear