The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-11-07
CONVICT NO. 1924.
Visit TO Capt. Carter in the Prison at Fort
Lesysnworth, Kansas.

prove t." These confident words were
spoken BY a numbered but unnamed con-
Wet in the military prison Hollow. mean
ingless words. Despair was betrayed IN
the manner. tones. and expression OF the
speaker In the height OF his giorr. when
men and women. soldier and citizen. ma
tives Of every land worshiped at bis
shrine. he was known as oheriin ~ Car
ter. captain Engineer Corps. United
States army. But his name has been blot
ted from the record.
Old ami broken, the proud spfSit wreck
ed. al the ambition that once stirred him
10 action. that turned the eyes OF the
world upon him are now dead.
Like a stigma of disgrace '1sc4' has
been painted on the rough blue coat. The
broad, manly shoulders. once erect under
the weight Of the golden shoulder-straps.
are now hollow and stopped. and the ILL.,
fitting prison garb seems out of place
Less than two years ago he might well
have been named the Apollo of the army.
His straight. well-knit limbs. broad, mus
eular chest, handsome face. and fascinat-
Ing manner won for him many friends. as
well as Jealous rivals. No former rival.
to glance upon him now. could feel one
pang Of envy. The once model form Is
snaelated and bent, and the head bows,
too, beneath the weight Of the heavy dis
grace upon Il. The lips that used to
smile and the eyes that were wont 20
giisten now express only sorrow and mel
aneholy despair. Deep lines, expressive
OF bitter anguish now scar his cheek and
brow. The browi hair Is fiecked with
81 T.
There are few faces expressive Of more
strength than that Of Convict Carter.
Every feature tells of generations OF IN
herfted refinement. and yet this man has
been found guilty OF theft. The court de-
elared that he absconded with more thar
two million dollars from his government
More than that. his fellow-officers aver
that he betrayed the trust OF his superb
ors. the trust of the American people. II
ever man had an honest face Convict
Carter has. His glance meets his ques-
toner squarely Some so-called wise man
has said "A thief cannot meet an honest
mans gaze" yet this man has been found
guilty Of the largest theft ever committed
In the United States
Leavenworth. the old fort, the barracks.
the parade ground, the sloping hill and
flowing river were scenes Of the happiest
hours OF Carriers life. The very prison.
with its guarded walls that defy him. is
the fruit OF his owu labor In the height
of his young manhood, strength. and pop
ularity he planned the fortiication in
which he is now exffed- What an irony on
the ambitions OF mani
The man who planned fortresses, who
wrote books which have become authori-
tatiye on military maneuvers, whose opin-
ions were ever consulted by the rulers
Of the land, who with pride was sent from
our nation TO other nations-and those
who sent him were confident that none
could sUrpass and few equaEth.s man.
this former idol OF the people-now a
gardener. IT'S he who tends the lawns
within the prison walls The gftterfng
sword has been taken from his hand for
ever, and in its place can be found the
hoe. Honest labor to be sure. but not the
realization Of the rosiest future one would
have predicted. glaneing down the vista
Of his life.
When / saw Carter he was working
among the flowers In the hospital grounds.
His gaze dropped to a white aster bloom
ing near him. I had been watching the
man for some minutes. had not asked
him Of his guilt nor OF his hope of es-
tablishing his innocence When I had
asked: How are you?' I had referred 10
his physical rather than his moral con-
dition- The former he seems to have
entirely forgotten. the latter Is paramount
In his thought at all times. And 50 he
answered, - am innocent"
You have some ambition, have you
not, Capt. Carter" he was asked.
The dull. desperate, gray eyes were
raised in surprise The word captain is
now foreign to him The emacated form
started. the soft hand that had never been
used to hard labor relaxed it's hold on the
wooden handle OF his hoe, once more the
shoulders became erect for a moment
a moment only. The head was raised in
pride. then dropped dejectedly, even more
so than before.
With deepest scorn he answered, There
is no Capt. Carter. You have made some
mistake" In the flash of an unconscious
moment the old life had come back TO
him.
'Ah. yes. I have an ambition" YEARLY
said the convict. The sensitive lips were
the eyes flashed with a def
ant light, and the lines in his once hand
some face grew deeper. 81 have an am
bition to see that aster bloom-and then
to see IL fade again; that Is my ambition"
A hollow laugh followed.
A laugh Is always grewsome behind the
prison bars, and that laugh crashed
against my ears
81 did not mean to frighten you," he
as though to apologize, 'but
really think IL a very laudable ambi
ton to want to see a flower grow. OF
course. 1t has to fade; everything in life
does, some before others.
I faded. withered. and died. and feven the
ashes have been cast 10 the four winds I
am dead and forgotten. and there is moth
Ing left OF me-"
'sBut you do not expect 10 spend all OF
your life digging flowers, do your l
asked.
81 have already told you that I am
dead" he answered.
capt. Carter, do you not think that
fate might have dealt with you more gen.
tly by sending you TO stranger landT'
/ waited some minutes for a response
II was trait OF Capt. Carter" and II IS
A trait OF 'Convict No. 1874" 10 weigh q
question before deciding II.
IT have often wondered that myself"
he answered There are times when my
verdict IS pro and others when II is cor.
might have forgotten that I ever existed
had / been sent where / was not known
and where I did not know, but there are
times, rare times, when / can forget, or
almost forget. the present. and see myself
beyond that wall as I was when I lived"
The garden hoe was raised and pointed
toward the sunny side of the hill.
Napoleon at ST. Helena endured happy
existence compared TO the cursed hours
that drag out the life Of Convict Carter.
No stigma Of disgrace broke Napoleon
twas almost an honor TO be exiled But
for Convict Carter there Is no honor. not
even in death
do you think the courts dealt with you
justly?- he was asked.
A sarcastic smile. almost the perpetual
expression Of his features. preceded his
answer.
Does man ever love the law that ehas-
tises him? What weight carries the WORD
Of a convict? What difference does il
make whether or not / see the justice OF
NY conviction? Am 1 not what the court
v ould call "a prsjudiced witnesz% \ man