Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-13

hill Magazine. The cell was In Mt
broad. Everything was quite clcnn.
A strip OF dimmcd glass at the top OF the
room formed the window, 30 as 10 shut
out the light of heaven. Tho small mat.
tress bed, Ia which one could not turn.
was screwed up against the wall during
daytime from o'clock In the morning.
On the opposite wall there was fixed
narrow board, serving MS table. with
a bench for seat. This seat. immoya.
BILE like the board. was so placed that
the prisoner had to face the door when
occupied In any way at the table. No
chair. No possibility OF lying down
during the day. No means Of walking
UP and down In this cramped room ex-
cept at the risk Of giddiness through In.
cessant turning. In the door. through a
sliding peep window which could be
opened only from the outside, the food
was showed In. Any moment the captive
could thus be inspected. On the corridor
there was mating, insuring deathlke ST.
lence.
Out of that little cell | was again not
allowed for single moment to go as long
as was at Bruchsal-no exercise what-
ever, no book, no occupation of any kind.
My sense of hearing had always been
uncommonly keen, as II Is still even now.
l felt the absence of all sound so pain
fully that during sleepless nights or when
l was lying half awake the ear, craving
for some sound, became subject to kind
of hallucnntion. In some nights, be-
tween waking and sleep. 1t was as IL l
heard voices of men being stranglcd.
Probably the foul air created in the mar
row cell oppressed the brain and gave
rise to disturbing fancies. In vain did l
reason myself out OF these nocturnal
horrors during the day. Night after night
they came back. In the underground but
spacious casemate of Rastatt, with its
holes In the wall on one side. its drafty
door not quite covering the upper part of
the embrasure and the nightly careering
of rats, had not had any such CHASTITY
sensation. Again, while at Bruchsal
could scarcely take any food. You will
die IL you do not eat" Matt, the turnkey,
kindly whispered one day through the
peep window. But / could not. The
coarse dishes got were quite unsalted.
as IL cunningly made 10 be indigestible
and to bring about the ruin of health. 1t
was perfect torture. Though had not
undergone judicial trial yet was, con-
trary to custom, not allowed anything
that could have been bought, by way of
relief from this torture, with my OWE
money. which had been taken away when
we were made prisoners.
had resolved upon bearing everything
without word of complaint. My suf.
ferings, however, became SO intense that
at last asked for little salt and few
grapes after Matt himself had said that
would die il did not eat. But in spite
Of all his sympathy he, being himself
watched by fellow warders, did not dare
to bring even n pinch of salt. Ny re-
quest he said, was refused by the prison
authorities. Once, during daytime, the
peep window went up, and Prussian
officer looked in. making some sneering
remark.
One night the door of the cell was
stealthily opened. then lay awake
as was SO often the case, though with
eyes shut. A warder stepped in with q
lantern, which he suddenly held toward
my face. The flash Of light was to
scarce me. Behind him there came an.
other figure with hideous leer on his
face. scarcely trusted my eyes at this
latter sight. looked closely at the man
Yes, 1t was he--Mapsa. the spy, who in
February had betrayed us into prison al
Karlsruhe mt thai very beginning of the
revolution. Hesoply glanced at me for q
few minutes with satanic expression
and then glided silently away with the
warder. This nocturnal apparition, the
atrically arranged. was manifestly in.
tended to unhinge' the mind of captive
who was kept like "A wild beast in a
cage without bodily exercise and without
any. intellectual occupation. So the hor.
rible days and nights passed. 2.