Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-09-20

TIE sentence Of Imprisonment for he
The hour j. late and h. i anxious e
be al home. He has no compassion To-
me. They lead me back 10 MY cell
and, thanks to some unknown fr-ellt
who drops a potion ia my co.se,
soon fall asleep. Exhausted nature ca.
stand the strain no longer
| am aroused in the early morning
and few friends come ia 10 say fan
we'll They realize the situation u1oi1
fully than | 10. \ short railway Jou
ney. q ride in boXii4e carriage. a.
tie prison is reached. I answer i fes
questions mechanically and eXch.ah-
my clothing for the striped dress Of
convict With an officer pass down
flight Of steps and through long corr
dor lighted by single flame an
pushed into a small. dark. i'll smelling
cell AMI for the first time realize tha'
the judges last words to me were
And the first day thereof shall be IL
solitary confinement"
Everything has been n dream up te
this moment. but the awakening is ter
rible As hear the last echo of the re
treating footsteps l comprehend my
pos -Stltlile III lii 4Scii II ottAAAo q
if | shall 20 mad. \ feeling of suffoca
ton oyercomes me as in vain attempt
10 cry out and clutch nj the bare stone
walls. My head throbs as If 1t shall
burst. The widest thoughts crowd tc
my brain in a confused mass. do not
comprehend them. My blood courses
through my veins like rivulets of mol
ten fire. burning the flesh at eacb
pulsatiou. How long the paroxysn
lasts / know not. as in the darkness
/ can take no note of time. but when
grow calm think out the course of the
trial
The long hours pass away until il
seems as if the night has come. | find
a can Of water and gratefully cool my
parched throat Then seek to lie
down for the night. but the cell is toe
small The light apparently grows
dim. and in a cramped position | try tc
get a little sleep. Again wild thoughts
surge through my brain. but at last
lose consciousness.
Again am wide aTN1e. How long i
have slept | know not, but | am colo
and doze until it seems as if the night
will never end. | never experienced
one so long before. The silence is OPP
pressive. There is rush of cold air
and | feel that another day has dawn
ed. | remember that | have eaten moth
ing since entering the prison, and also
that loaf of bread lies beside the car
of water. | clutch it ravenously, but
the mouthfuls choke me. Must | go on
day after day. in this prison? Is there
no help for me? How slow the hours
pass. Have they forgotten me in my
solitary cell. and will it become my
grave: oh, for the sight of living
face or the sound of human voice
even if it is but to urge me on TO harder
tasks. Willingly Will l work if l car
only be among other men.
After | have almost lost all hope OF
escape l hear footsteps approaching
At last the hour of my deliverance is
at hand. How long it takes the jailei
TO reach my cell, He is walking slowly
He haltS before my door and deliber
ately inserts the key. The bolts move
slowly. the door swings open, and
step forth. l devoutly offer a menta
prayer of thankfulness. | follow my
conductor and soon stand in the pres
ence of the warden, who grasps my
hand. saying: Il have good news foi
You. You are free"
| tottered and would have fallen had
an officer not assisted me. l cannot re
alize that my Imprisonment is at al
end.
My Amusement is even greater wher
George Parsons comes forward but il
e -.
become friends. His story is soon told
He had received a letter stating tina.
his uncle was seriously i'll in a neigh
boring state aud wished to see him. Al
first he determined to start the follow
ing day. but found that by walking
across to a junction he could take al
express train that night
Hastily preparing for the journey, hs
wrote Il letter of explanation for his
clerk, but it was laid in a book and not
found until his return. He found his
uncle dying. but arrived III time to re
cejye his blessing and fortune. 1t now
became necessary for him to make &
journey west, and he left Immediately
Not until his return home did he learn
of the supposed tragedy and he lost nc
time il coming to the prison TO release
me.
4 have telegraphed to the governor
the warden said, and if you gentlemen
viii step in and take dinner with me
you may take the afternoon train fol
home. 1t will be an unusual sight" he
added jocularly.
But" ! asked. how can we reach
home tonight: There is no train to oul
place on sunday"
He looked at me in establishment
How long do you suppose you have
been in prison?' asked the warden.
About twenty-four hours"
You were in the solitary forty-fse
minutes" was the reply
But it was the longest day of my life