Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-01-30
4 WOMAN'S LITTLE GAME
nY CHARLES D. LEWIS.
fConvright. 1898. l

wish you to understand from the very outset of this story that l am an old bachelor. l can say without ego tism that I could have placed the yoke of matrimony over my neck a score Of times between the ages of 20 and 40, but did not elect to do so. It seemed a great deal better to keep my liberty, and to fall in love with new face about once a month. A bachelor can do this, you know, while a married man is bound by certain ties not easily broken.
 Up to the time l was appointed war den of the Keswiel prison l had been in love just AZ times. That was an average of twice year, which think is doing very well for modest, retir- ing man who was baldheaded at the age of g, and yet not too much for man with natural leaning toward the fair sex.
 The Keswick prison was for both sexes, and when I took charge it con- tained 38o male and 90 female convicts. felt sorry for the females, even before the keys had been turned over to me, and they soon discovered that 1 was ready to listen 10 their stories and do my best to ameliorate their condition. In the course of month 1 was pretty well satisfied that at least so out of 90 were entirely innocent eff the crimes charged, and that the other ten ought to have new trials at least. Fifteen of the women were in for murder-eold- blooded murder, the courts said-but when they had told me all about it could see where witnesses had per jured themselves and jurors had shown their thirst for revenge. 1 tried to make things very easy for the female contingent, actuated solely by natural | courtesy towards the sex.
 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 mur- der. I should have recommended him to pardon at least 20 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 as a result had to repress my natural gallantry and wait for things to cool down. It was during this period of waiting that the vaults of the state treasury were robbed of $320, ,000 in cold cash. The trick was done by one man, and in the neatest manner. Headroye up 10 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 out and dumped into the carriage in the nerviest sort of a way. He had % minutes the start of pursuit, and though over hauled after q hot chase of an hour, every dollar of the money had disap- peared. As he had not thrown it away during his flight the idea was that he had either stopped at some house in town for moment or met another car riage according to arrangement. The problem seemed easy of solution, but though it was worked upon for weeks by many detectives nothing was dis covered.
 The captured robber was a young and good-looIing man who gave his name as Charles Day. He refused any information as to his home or people, and insisted on pleading guilty when arraigued for the robbery. There was a 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 governor down to janitor, got a daily raking for many long weeks. It was even charged that a certain click of us put mp the robbery and were to whack up with the robber. This was q bold faced scandal. of course, but it mate rially dimmed our prestige and almost caused me to doubt the innocence of d fresh lot of female conviets sent in for various crimes against the law. They made quick work of sending Charles Day to prison for 90 years, and owing to the personal attack of the opposition I was rather prejudiced against him as he came under my charge. His general demeanor and daily conduct were, however, beyond any faultfnding Reports from my deputy proved him a model prisoner. The hunt for the money did not cease when the prison doors shut him in. At least ten detectives were constantly at work to discover where and how it had been transhipped and the state was ready to pay $5o,ooo to the lucky man. Every day or two some of these de tectives wanted an interview with the prisoner, and while their requests were generally granted, the deputy warden was always present.
 One day, as I sat in my office read ing an abusive article in an opposition paper and half inclined to tender my resignation before sundown, a lady was admitted. I was not over IS sec onds in making up my mind that she was the bandsomest woman had ever saw. She was about 23 years of age, a natural blonde, and her eyes were melting and her cheeks like peaches. l will honestly admit that I was gone" on her even before she handed me the card which gave her name as Jeanne Lancaster. She was