The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-05
TO A HOPELESS PRISONER.
A sWINDLER THIS THE TALE or A
DEFxULTER'S DIRhEST HOUR.
Reaction After nm Outbreak OF SMALLPOX
In n Jaii-Consolntion offered TO the
Convicted Bauker-Ths Disappearance
and Return Of one DsnNcrs.

Convicted Bauker-Ths Disappearance
and Return of Que DenNcrs.
One day Smithcrs. IN" con man, came hobbling
Old the stairs into the prison hospital with an
important air betokcning news
SAY Kunno he cried to tho old banker:
Il was lest down In the Office. and hccfd indirectly
by lisonin' you know. when was polishin'
tho depulys shoes that there was smallpox
skecr in town, and that every man Jack in this
ere shec bang was to be yassinaicd. And what
l wants TO asst you. kuune, is this added the
man with a sudden whitening uf TIA" lips, do II
hurt much
NO. indeed" answered the Colonel contcmptu.
ously, "a mere pin prick
"Oh I'm not referrin To the stick Of the knife"
rcjoned Smithcrs Look here. aud there aud
here I've been riddlcd with stabs all me life.
nut It's the stuI they rub in, kunncl; how yre
goin' " tell what bit Of that pilcn poS won't
do to you? P'raps you can stand sech foolIn'
with the laws Of naiur'. bcn dedicated 10 believe
IN invisible bugs and gittn' well by bcin' made
slck and all thin anomalies, but mark my words,
Kunnel there ain an old lag or h0fpcklcd
bum eeder. that wouldn't fnr rather take his chance
with tho human vari'ty."
Smiihcrs was right in his prediction. For
the ncxt week the doctor, the student, and three
volunteers from town were busy vacCnnnc the
men sent up from the shops in relays Of nfty
10 the corr dor OF the main hall But this work
was only accomplished under the constant shadow
IL an outbreak stcrny r,prCSscd by the officers
who stood vigi'aut with drawn rovu,crs threat
ening to shoot at the count Of three. and with
convicts aiken violently Ill., cunNicts swuoninG,
end convc,s struggling like mad beasts even
when ironcd, IN their AFFECT fear Of The unknown.
A few DAYS later the old Colonel was surprised
10 Shorty. q former head halman, come into
the hospital with gang Of assistants after a
stack Of mattresses
Wis, Colonel" said the man sulkily. I'm back
ngn, which | wiSht wasn't This is what |
gifts for bcin' humsick ar,cr onct went out The
Doctor has Jest diskivcred case. and we've got
20 go down into the yard and clanc out the odd
Tst.house. There's a hoodon In that pi1cn wac
eination. s'hcp me. Say, Id trade me bit with
Item in amy oddcr iiut and t'row in all tho
chink I've picked up from odd jobs In boot"
Down stairs went the dissatisfied Shorty with
his gang, to III out the pest house against the
expected scourge soon the Warden appeared
and confirmed the tidings but cherrily aud with
confidence that the diScasc could he kept under
control. AT all events Colonel" he concluded.
you couldn't bc safer IN your own home cut oil
you are by the full length ot tho yard from any
suspicious case
There were in the hospital Mt this time twelve
Inmates including four men recovering from
minor surgical operations, four chronic sufferers
from tuberculosis. an Italian with n low fever.
and Southern negro who had come up the night
before with an eruption IT III" skin, trp common
an almcnt among his kind In attract or receive
any particular attention. After The Warden lcft,
the Colonel walked over aud stood lhough,iuly
by this neCro's cot The man was in high
fever and evidently In pain The dark moss.
like spots on his neck and forehead had changed
in form and hue The Colonel turned away to tho
window and ed far a 10, l1s Inns b.h
which he hal leon Uon ., .-.-,= - -: s,a.,.
Then he bcckoncd to Smithcrs
Run up Ia the dispensary.' he said. and tel
the Doctor ~ the Student; ~ both. - come here
at once
I'm fly. and nv replied Smtthers The
coon g got it, has he We'll, We can thank them
coruptun distributors for It, You're right. Kun
mel, TO send me, instid Of JAKE, the ofspta stew
ard there. doEin' IN his bunk. for II 60 me
back, and no wouldn't, hsvin preference for
the dungeon under scch circumstances IN
hour later and the hospila! was under strict quar-
sntine, with entrance and cctcsN forbidden To- all
except the physicians,
When Jake, the hospital stewart, was reused
from his sleep to learn the dread intelligence he
gave terrified moan, and proceeded n'tlvely to
drink such Copious draughts Of the hlshcy under
his charge that by night he had passed through
the successive stages If brayadu ubaldry and
ruthanism into Of mental and phy steal collapse
AS he was undlSputahly out Of office for the
time being, the Colonel assumed direction, and
before morning had discovered signs Of the dlsra 80
not only in two o,h-r men. but in lake himsr,t
Then cnsued,twu weeks Of hand to.hand conflict
with the pestilcncc The old Colonel stuck maniulIy
10 his post absorbed with present duty and utter.
ly Obvious. only Of danger bat ~ thusr pcr.
snnal woes that had been ms constant companions
His hardest task Vas with the G. avrn ,IhNc. whn
uie'i as much from pane from the disease n.
self i he olhcr men Of simpler rud'r typc. en-
dured in sicucr, ubcy.nc tur ultimate demand
oi nature with the sane slpiidlty with which thrv
had observed the regulations Il tn" prisons In
Watching their rcslgnatun dun hut dGt-r,d tir
old Colonel came 10 look upon them and their
fellows with slnc"re PITY hey were 50 childish.
for all their knowledge and pursuit oi evil ~
helpless for all their strength and hardness 81
heart Children Of lshmae, io'cd"omcd by their
own inherent defects, they seemed exempt from
off from its piyeges. In the Valley Of the shadow
Of Death they lost their rrpusnnnc" and b" closed
their eyes, even as in bette days Lee had "scd
the eyes Of a younger brother.
Smithers proved himself faithful and caps
pie assistant IN FINISHING vital force 81 gcuiHlily,
which did much To- nrutThlI" DESPAIR To the
last st|r orGug h cath he rncuu rAgri hs niuruiS
I" ''brac" ~. and have som" sand about you.
md ~ more tlhH uu" InrdU ~" me" II thr dead
retained uHCrS II q Hul HNtr 20 ,NuHa'N" Co. Ia
trimmer hume II" ha' II" i''r ~ death. ,lrs
n"tnln' mui", he '"uld SlN. innn Luiu' tu srcp
without the ham' trouble II Eciuu' Up directly
and huStn,' 7" 'lnS" his vorStaury there
must bo an 81 'mcni II the supernatural mn un.
known cause like vaICInauUn with effects equally
vague, but buundlr,sly evil
When the end came, the whole incident 81 IN.
eSpreSsibly painful and tragic u the old Colonel,
was conicmptuuusly hlottcd out from prison rcCul.
lection. 1ho-r were fumigGtunS and TcuOyatIOns.
the whitewash brigade, urged on by the sridcnt
voice and cutting tongue Of SmithcrS did stalwhr
work. the hailmen, led by Shorty, still suspicious
Of impending fate, scrubbed and brought ia new
bedding. Tho convic clerk WAX transferred
from the Office to act as steward in lakc's stead
new inmates occupied the vacant cells, and filled
10 Overcrowdng the benches IN the shops What
did II amount Ia, anyway asked both Keeper and
kept; the taking oil II few poor devils, whom
no ono would MISS aud who wcrO better de d
than alive
The old Colonel returned Ia his rot in the corner
his seat bv the window: aud with Nh" casting aside
81 yiChUOus cares, hiH own SORROWS revived strong
er than ever, but changed How distant Woo
the hills, how unapprUcchahl"' 80 distant
a. unappruaC liable nov seemed liV former huprS
lie no lonl:cr wrote endless rrvirH, 81 hi, ease
Ia his patient lawyers; he NJ 'ur ger read aud r.
read their frequent TrpurIS ~ repeated delays.
worse thHn dcnl,ls. SmiihrHs Wni,urI fn, Old
man narrowly, a h" ,1i fer hrur' a. time, l,l
less aud idle, say" tiHt leg -'~lt hHuI GA hi, lrt
N-iSt krpi toll 4 iur Il..H, "it 'y not i,tlU'
dB"pInECi Euuu"'.' A." v..h H-, '\ 4
re,tin"," would bn Va" r"ng; A. last am
ia Ia,