The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-09-26

tees paid their usual visit. He had
not long TO wait for his own call.
A tall, thin, lawyer-like man entered
the cell, dismissed Williams with a
gesture and turned to the convict. He
drew Thirty-nine to the further end
of the cell
Il am directed by the home Office to
carry any communications you have
to make" he said, in a whisper. Il
have pen and paper, If you want to
write. But be prompt"
Thirty-nine took the sheet Of note
paper and the fountain pen, and
wrote a few hurried lines:
Il want a complete list of conyic-
tons against prisoners IS and "A, now
here; also any other facts bearing upon
the nature OF their crimes. Sooner,
the better. Convey through chaplain,
who is honest"
He dried the note on the slip of
blotting paper between the leaves and
handed it to the justice
A moment later he was alone in his
cell again.
1T sounds a wild notion, l must adj
nit, he thought, "a very wild notion.
Perhaps l am wrong. But it Is queer
that "a and rs are never at labor, and
that they alone are never taken near
the governors house. There may be
q dozen reasons for it, and 1t may have
no possible connection with Williams
first visit to me, but there is something
radically wrong and | see no other
peg on which to hang my suspicion
than the privileges of these two men
and what Williams said to me- He has
never given me or anyone in my hear
! ing a civil word or look since"
Thirty-nine had to wait until the
next visit from the justices for his an
swer from the home Office, and in the
meantime he had discovered little that
supported his suspicious. But the let
ter the justice brought him gave him
the utmost satisfaction.
1t gave list of convictions against
the two prisoners whom Thirty-nine
had inquired about. Starting as a boy,
with petty larceny, Seventy-eighr had
turned to burglary purse snatching,
lOng-frm frauds and coming.
Twenty-four, a younger man was the
son Of the notorious Jim Crow" His
first conviction was for stealing lead
piping from an empty house. He was
known to have assisted his father in
extensive counterfeit-coinings schemes
and, upon the death of Jim Crow" in
herited $4,000 or $4,000, with which
he started himself as a bookmaker
He lost his money, and was mobbed for
"welshing" at the Liverpool meeting in
18-. Next he was arrested for at
tempting to pass bad money in Not
tingham, where a large quantity Of
base coin had been circulating for a
period which correspondent with the
length of time he had been in the town.
Later he was sentenced to four years
for passing base coins.
amy message to take back? You
had better not keep this paper" said
the justice
mo. Will you return it to the Of
flee? I will write a message back"
He took pencil from his visitor, and
wrote:
'Endeavor to trace movements of
every coiner who has passed through
movements since they left Want
my discharge for time being"
Three days later a warden entered
the cell of Thirty-nine and threw
down upon the pallet a bundle OF
. clothes. They were chose in which
g Thirty-nine had entered the prison.
+ You've got to change ar come to
the governors" ne said
Thirty-nine changed and followed
the warden down the corridor, across
the central hall, into the governors
office
The governor sat at his table, and
two men in ordinary clothes stood by
You're transferred to Portland
Thirty-nine, under an order from the
home Office, said the governor. "Thest
officers are here to fetch you If you
give me your word not to modest then
or attempt to escape you shall not b.
handcuffed"
81 won't get up to no game, sir, ant
thank you" Thirty nine replied.
He was struck by the fact that hi
escort were 10 plain clothes. But i
occurred TO him that prisoners were no
+ then conveyed from prison to prison
in their convict dress, as had been tn
rule, and it was therefore only consist
ent that wardens should not be III thei
uniform, or the spirit of the reform
, would be lost.
t His custodian ushered him into a fl