Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-11-11
BY SiSbe Hopkins
Copyright. 1908. BY Tho S. S. Mcclure COMPANY
HE first van Of tho afternoon
loosed him, with six others, In
the prison yard. The others
I. vAf.,.y. ~,,,yy.z A.t-,y,A


presently.
Manner said the warder, glancing
at his list.
John james Turk"
He had it pat this time, but he had
forgotten it when called into the dock
of the Old Bailey in the morning, for he
knew himself only as Turkey"
s.Age2"
Fifteen"
he knew no more than the wander
how old he Was, but In answer TO q
question by the magistrate who had
sent him for trial some one in court
had called out Fifteen" and Turkey
accepted 1t at that
The warder, a big, mild eyed man, Of
different race, almost, from the derer
licts before him, glanced at the little
sparrowhawk as he thrust the list Into
his belt and shook out his bunch OF
keys.
"Follow me-" he said to the squad.
Turkey, tingling in his ragged breenh-
es, not so much with cold US with in
ttensity Of interest, was more and more
captiyated. He felt his dignity and
Importance as a prisoner. These gates
of steel and solid walls, the mute ward
,ers with keys and batons ut their belts
and unspenkable authority In their
boards, froze him with delight. BE re-
membered his first pantomime as view
ed from the gallery and felt like II.
The thief by profession, gentleman
" young man in black, observing the
tremulous condition Of his little neigh
Dor, whispered that he had no cause to
be frightened Turkey swelled visibly.
"MeW said he. II amt. I likes tt.H
"Oh, you like It'll" The thief was
much nicer in accent and grammar
than Turkey. He was in the upper
ranks Of the profession and moved in
good society at railway stations and
music halls. what are you in for7"
he continued.
'sThree doss," returned tho hoy.
"Three months, ehYs The graduate
could not stoop to slang with the nov
ice. Mines dye> years."
Turkey eyed him more graciously.
You're toff," he said.
"EYer in before2' was the next ques-
ton.
well, NOT Exactly" he said, with
some bashfulness, mot as you might
say In quod. But bin through the
school" The SCHOOL rendered into
the vernacular is the reformatory, as
who should say that, though his edu.
cation had not included the university,
he had at least been to Elton.
"Ahp observed the thief. .sThey
should have sent you back there, Son
ny, and not here"
Carp said Turkey out loud and very
wrathful.
"silence, therew echoed metallicall,
from the left.
An hour Of unbroken silence follow
ed. Then two men in the broad arrow
livery came in with bundles Of broas
arrow clothes and boots, which the,
cast upon the floor.
"Pick your sizes" said the warder.
The order Of the bath came next. Tn
first prison bath has curious effect
You enter in your own clothes an,
come out twenty minutes later dis
| guised beyond knowing, q full blow
prisoner.
Still the night of wonders was no
ended. Back went the seven friends t
the reception room, Turkey in warn
cloth jacket and moleskin trouser
sizes too large for him and looking
with his assortment Of broad arroy
marks, like an exaggerated five o
spades. Placed on the scales, the doe
tor found him stone and a half beloy
the weight proper for his age. "Ligh
labor" he said to his attendant ward
en-. who wrote 1t down.
As the morning bell was shaken u
and down the wards and hundreds Q
men, cursing It variously, twitche
their blankets about them for anothe
sixty seconds Turkey tossed his cove,
let across the cell. He had slept with
out break or jar on d couch Of everlast
ing elder. It was November. The Lor
don fog was in the prison; the gas wa
already on in the wards and in th
cells; it was miserable hour Of mis-
cradle morning, but Turkey had slep
and was awake and fresh. Turke,
was warm, Turkey was sharp set an
knew that breakfast was certainty Il
prison, and Turkey was all right.
"Now, then, little unr And Tul
keys warder took him in hand an,
showed him how to make his bed IN,
stack the bedding and bedstead agains
the wall and how to swab his cell.
When he fell in for his first chap,
parade, there was chuckle In th
ward over his outrageous at, and whe
the warder had passed to the end Of th
line he said:
you'll es-cuse me, gents, op'
Mother packed me portmantel In ID,
~. These is pas clothes, but the tai
or's took me order for SCOT Same q
yours, 'all mark an ALL"
Heads turned, and Turkey was oil
served with attention.
fright aboutW said the warder.
| But the heads went round again o
the march to chapel. 1t was almos
sensational. The newcomers begin thei
probation In the worst and most M
comfortable ward in the prison. The
are pariahs amid population Of par
abs, and the old hands who are Jus
waiting their turn for promotion an
who expect nothing good in the frs
month acquiesce in the oakum ward q
the worst place in their journey.
is a nasty, drafty, ugly place, but til
passenger has to stop there. No on
| Jokes in 1t. however, and this was th
reason that Turkey was stared at an
! approved Of.
Washed and trimmed and draping hi
| baggy clothes about him with an all