The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-07
DONLIN'S JAIL LIFE
ROWDY BALL PLAYER Is SPEND
ING SUMMER In BALTIMORE
CITY PRISON
WILL NOT SEE REPORTERS
Bold Mike Is Overawed by Unique
ness of His Surroundings and
Seeks Deep Sc
cIusiOn.

BALTIMORE, April 6-'Mike Donlin,
ball player and lady smasher, has en-
gagged accommodations for the summer
months at the city Jail, and has taken up
his quarters in one Of the most exclusive
rooms, No. 100, sometimes designated the
bridal chamber because young gentle
men who have committed a first offense'
are frequently provided with it as a
boudoIr''
Strange as it may seem to his friends
and acquaintance Mike, the. man who
has so often faced without a tremor the
bowling bleachers, the hero of many a
nerve-racking ordeal on the ball field, is
overawed by the uniqueness of his sur
roundings and is reported to have but
little to say. Indeed, he evidently seeks
deep seclusion and mediation, unbroken
by cross-questiOning, and has sent forth
the ed1ct that he will see mary a scribe
Regularity will be the order Of Mike :
existence for some months to come, ana
this will probably be the strangest ex~
perience of all The rising bell rings at
. o'clock in the mOrning-just to think of
it-Michael J. DonIin getting up every
morning at such an unseemly hour Then
begins the morning "cake-of-soap- =
as the prisoners call it, the lOck-steD
march on the way to the tower" where
a ger ral washing is done. Scented soap
and soft towels are somewhat of q novelty
in the JAIL but If Mikes friends desire 10
send such comforts of the toilet along
with few boxes of talcum powder and
cologne, the article will be admitted
What follows is strictly a home affair.
and feeling of delicacy forbids a full
description Of how Mike makes his bed,
sweeps the floor of his cell and generally
gets things orderly in his cute little apart
ment. The general call for breakfast be-
ing made at this time, the household
operations are suspended and the tramp,
tramp, tramp, to grub" begins. The
menu is varied according to Warden
Doyle; sometimes the prisoners get hash,
bread and coffee, and then again, for a
change, they get coffee bread and hash.
The next thing that Donlin does is told
within the lodge" When nobodys look
ing he cleans the rails in the tiers. dusts
the windows and polishes the brickWork
The curves he puts into the busting are
said to be really remarkable and when
he Is through the whole National league
could slide for third" down the tiers and
never raise speck of dust Just =bout
this time a man with brass buttons comes
along and locks Mike up until dinner time.
Talks on baseball may or may not follow
IN the period that precedes the noon hour
when the dinner gong rings
At this meals the piece de resistance is
small bit Of meat in a large pot OF
Sup A4ch IIIeIe Is IeSn OF SdiC meal
and some bread, but without even a little
bit of butter to grace it.
More polishing, sweeping and cleaning
follows, and then the prisoners are locked
up until supper, at 4 o'clock This supper
is varied like breakfast, and consists
substantially of the same things.
From until o'clock Mike can cultivate
his literary tastes by absorbing knowledge
from the books Of the jail library ano
also in smoking any tobacco that may be
sent in to him. Every sentenced prisoner
has light in his room, and this can re.
main lighted until taps" at o'clock