Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-03-04

very outset of this story that am al
old bachelor. can say without
egotism that could have placed the
yoke of matrimony over my neck {
score of times between the ages of q
and 40, but did not elect to do so
IL seemed great deal better to keer
my liberty and to fall in love with q
new face about once month.
bachelor can do this, You know, while
married man is bound by certain
tics not easily broken.
Up to the time 1 was appointed
warden of the Keswick prison had
been in love just AZ times. This was
an average of twice year, which |
think is doing very well for modest,
retiring man, who was baldheaded at
the age Of 22 and yet not too much
for man with natural leaning tow
ard the fair sex. + was appointed
warden, not because of any peculiar
fitness, but as political reward for
assisting to elect q certain candidate
for governor. l think best to admit
this, lest you find it ont from other
sources. held the place for q year
and half, and the files of the news
papers prove that l was "soft
mark"
The Keswick prison was for both
sexes, and when l took charge it con-
tanned $50 male and 80 female con-
victs. / felt sorry for the females
even before the keys had been turned
over to me, ana they soon discovered
that 1 was ready to listen to their sto-
ries and to do my best to ameliorate
their condition. In the course of q
month I was pretty well satisfied that
at least 80 out of 80 were entirely in
nocent of the crimes charged and that
the other ten ought to have new trials
ut least. Fifteen of the women were
in for Observation-Disclosures murder
the courts said-but when they hal
told me all about it | could see where
witnesses hadperjured themselves and
jurors had shown their thirst for re-
venge. | tried to make things very
easy for the female contingent, nc
tuated solely by natural courtesy
toward the sex, and / think the news
papers that criticised me so severely
should have been sued for SANDER.
In eight months the governor, more
to oblige me than for any other reason,
pardoned 20 of the females and among
them were five under sentence for
murder. | should have recommended
him to pardon at least 90 more before
the year was out if the opposition
hadn't got after us and made things
hot. There was an investigation,
great deal Of talk, and AZ result |
had to repress my natural gallautry
and wait for things to cool down. 1t
was during this period of waiting that
the vaults of the state treasury were
robbed of $500, 900 in cold cash. The
trick was done by one man and in the
neatest manner. He drove up to the
building at high noon in carriage
and entered the treasurer's Office. The
money had just been bundled up to go
to the bank and these packages were
lying on table with two clerks to
guard them. The robber gave one
clerk a clip over the head, bound and
gagged the other, and the packages
were carried ont and dumped into the
carriage in the nervest sort of way.
He had 20 minutes start of pur-
suit, and though overhauled after
hot chase of an hour. every dollar Of
the money had disappeared. As he
had not thrown ii away during his
flight, the idea was that he had either
stopped at some house in town for
moment or met another carriage, &c
cording to arrangement. The problem
seemed easy of solution, but though
it was worked upon for weeks by many
detectives nothing was discovered.
The captured robber was a young
and good looking man who gave his
name as Charles Day. He refused
any information rs to his home or peo-
pie and insisted on pleading guilty
when arraigned for the robbery.
There was great sensation over the
loss of the money, as the state was
heavily in debt with big interest to
pay, and the party in power, from gov
ernor down to janitor, got daily rak-
ing for many long weeks. 1t was even
charged that a certain clique Of us put
up the robbery and and were to whack
up with the robber. This was bold. |
faced scandal, of course, but it mate
rally dimmed our prestige and almost
caused me to doubt the innocence Of |
q fresh lot of female convicts sent in
for various crimes against the law.
They made quick work of sending |
Charles Day to prison for 20 yeas,