The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-20

they first enter the prison No daylight
ever enters here. Outside the building
there are cells for punishment of evil
doors in the prison-cells where men are
starved into obedience to prison rules.
We pas sout again gladly into the bril-
liant sunshine. The sound of guitars and
mandolins comes from group of Next
cans. Them feIlers will tinkle and tankle
as lon gas there's life in en-. Texan ex-
claims
I'D flight of steps is the hospital Here
the breezes from desert and river can
sweep in stimulating freshness The room
is long and airy, and holds but one pa
tent The nurse an educated American.
is reading. He, too. is of course, con-
Wet He is here for life," the warden
saws. His crime was committed in a TT
OF anger / dare say it was Justihaoie.
too The warden opens a little chamber
next to the hospital. This is our drug
gist.v he saws. He is graduate chem
ist. and has all the medicines in charge.
We ONLY need to call in the doctor in
severe cases. Illness? Well. they are
mostly due to confinement. The Apaches,
for instance. fall ready victims TO con-
sumption Most of the men here are USED
to q free. open life
And the nurse and chemist are, OF
course, men you can trust" l say
Indeed. YES" replies the warden.
glance again at the nurse; then turn
away my eyes, for 1 feel deiicacy In
looking at one whose misfortune is writ
ten in the stripes that spell shame. II is
piteous that the handsome, intelligent
face must wear the crushed look of the
convict.
Through the open door We see the pris-
on guard patrolling the walls. rifle In
hand. IF he should see man attempting
to escape" 1 ask, would he shoot him
down."
The warden's smile is grim: He would
not hesitate TO do that" he answered
quietly. lone man was shot last month.
I shudder The all-revealing glare or
the sun seems dazzlingly cruel. We 60
down stairs, then out into the court again.
Would you like to see our electric
plantr' the warden asks. But l have
seen enough. Texan and 1 are ready to
leave.
TIE great iron gate swings open, then
crashes to behind us We meet once
more the privileged convicts who may
pass DeyOuU the SidiiI oS"AA 80"
will be free. thank God.
Yet with a splendid sense was there
within those walls of law and order, OF
discipline and system, At the outer gate
I turn to the warden who still accom-
panies US. 1T has been most inter
esting experience" L say such lie
Of industry, such opportunities for learn
ing how to work make good discipline for
these Mexicans. The prison seems Ike
training school for life.
TT is that, indeed the warden ans
wers. And many Of these wild, rough
feAsws fare better here than they ever
have before They are fed and clothed;
they have a place to sleep, and their
meals are regular. They learn something
Of system and cleanliness. Yes. these Is
| not a doubt but what many of the pris-
oners have never been so well cared for
in Their lives as here"
And do those who have committed
great crime fare worse tina nthose Whoee
misdemeanors were lightere Do you trust
them less and is any difference made in
their prison life?"
Madam" said the warden quietly. but
most impressively, when the door shuts
upon these men they are all alike. Thier
mast life is left behind with the outside
world They are judged for what they
are now
And which make the best prisonersT
! ask
| The murderers" is the prompt reply.
| "Those whose crimes are the sudden, vfo-
! lent act of passion. The thieves and the
| deliberate criminals make the worst pris-
| oners. They cannot be trusted; they are
| lazy and deceitful. But-they are not such
bad fellows after ALL You will often meet
| those outside who belong here just as
| much as those who wear the stripes
/ OF a truth. yes. 1 am vaguely sad, yet
7 laugh as say TO the warden at part
ing. well. 1 think Uncle Sam is good
/ and wise father to his erring children.
| And l congratulate the prison on its at
| tracaivyeness and cleanliness. II had
to be locked up anywhere in Yuma 1 am
! sure would far rather be confined here
than in the best hotel Yuma has to Of
| fer"
/ The warden smiles and bows. The outer
! gate closes. Texan and l are again on
! the steep sandy road.
Texan looks at me with something like
/ evaporation. You seem to think he
! cries. that soap and water constitutes
the New jerusalem l allow il feels good
/ nut your head under a pump; but any o
! them boys d rather burn up on the open
+ desert than live chained anywhere, even
with a hose attachment And l tell yer,
/ a side o. mutton roasted on stick ard
/ a handful or -four baken on embers tastes
! better in the wilderness than all the cook
in that could ever be ct out o them
/ shiny mugs and platters under that there
roof
III estands still in the road. and looks
al me. II tell yer. Miss New York. he
saws you can't appreciate what i IS to
them feilers to be corralled e that the
hall time. Yer don't know what agony
four walls can be to 2 man Gee-"hiz'
he cries. Il never can stay inside any
kind OF a house long but what feel Ike
must bust out oil the doors and winders
And if / was inside walls what ] couldnt
get on tof-weil. il l couldn't bust the
walls. I'd bust myself. Yes. know how
It's a mans heart just kind o syeiis up
till it clean busts.'
look back upon the Spanish fortress
It's red roof is bright beneath the sun
hut The walls are stark ard grim q o ne,
outside. il is the experience Of a feeting
hour. TO those within il is the world. an
iron. crushing world. ali that some OF
them will ever know OF life. Yes. Texan.
Of a ruth you ere right There IS no
punishment so dire as the loss OK Id
erty.
RANDOM COMMENT.
No artist has ever seen painting from
his hand on the walls OF the Louvre.