The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1898-12-23
FREE FROM SING SING.
THE LAST DAY OF a PRISONER
WHO HAS DONE HIS BIT"
Routine Of Releasing Mana Drink
and a Bench Of Cigarette, are Usuaiiy
the first Purchases Made By Nearly
Every Er-Conviot

In order to appreciate fully the value
Of liberty one should be present when
the prison doors are opened and con-
Wet who has for years been deprived
Of his freedom, who has been housed
IN a narrow, cherries cell. and has
worked and messed with other con-
yicts. IS let out OF the prison Office a
free man. II 10 a scene which few
people except the prison officials Wit
ness at Sing Sing, because the "gradu-
alton exerches" always take place
there early In the morning. says the
New York Tribune.
The man whose misdeeds bring him
behind the gray granite walls OF Sing
Sing. II he Is a new man." with no
experience In the rite. goes through
the initiation In a dazed manner He
answers questions as 10 his history In
a mechanical way and when he reaches
the hands OF the prison keepers he goes
through the forms OF Weighing. bath
! Ing. having hia beard shaved and his
hair cropped with a child-llke docility
and IN most instances he realizes his
true position only after the door OF n
| cell has closed upon him and he looks
upon the garments In which he has
been clothed and the place which will
/ be home to him until the weary years
have dragged away Then the bully
/ becomes the baby, and men who have
brayed danger In the pursuit OF spells
break down and the guards as they
pass the cells OF the new man do not
stop when they hear sob5 and even
shrieks OF despair. because they come
In the regular order OF things.
Then comes assignment 10 such work
as the convict may be- fittol for and
the flrst evidence that the new man 10
becoming accustomed to his surround
ings and In a measure rcconciled 10 his
condition is when be begins to iguro
how much he will get on" for good
conduct and when his term will expire.
II matters little whether the man
comes for three or for thirteen years,
the calculation goes on Just the same.
II Ia always the ilrst thlng IN tho mind
Of the prisoner. and. as the term laws
10 close, months are counted, then
weeks and finally days and the strain
becomes greater as the day OF liberia
ton draws near. Men who had been
apathetlo. who had acquired the prls-
on languor. brace up they eat well.
work well and even In the l0ckatop
with their fellows they show the In
MIGRATING effect OF the vision Of free
dom which In coming nearer daily.
A few weeks before the expiration
OF the term the prison barber ia in
structed TO skip the man. This 10 us
! ually done by order OF Warden Sage,
who takes that means OF rewardlng a
weii-behavod inmate. and the prlyi-
lego Ia more highly appreciated than n
! gift OF money would 10. On the night
! before his discharge the prisoner Ia
} locked up as usual and receives his
! evening meal In his cell. At o o'clock
r the lights are turned out. but the men
, who are TO be discharged on the next
I day are usually awake long after the
other cell occupants have gone to
sleep.
As rule the last night in prison ID
a. wakeful az tho first The nrat ~ full
OF anguish. remorse. homeslckness: the
, last with It's visions OF freedom. home
friends and the uncertainty az to what
, will await him ION the outside" make,
the hours years and IN many instancei
a dose OF bromide Il prescribed by the
prison physician for the men who ar,
about to 30 out.
At last the dawn breaks on the las
day and the prison bit Is nearly
done. As precautionary measure. Il
prevent the man who goes out from
bearing letters or messages from fel
. iow-convlcts, he Ia not allowed TO leave
/, hIa cell on his last day until the otheI