The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1904-01-22
In CONVICT'S
DRESS
rcopyrisht. 1903, by c. B. LewIs.l

count for, but l glanced In that direc'
ton, and next minute my heart was In
my mouth.
1t was massive, old fashioned bed
stead, with valance or curtain falling
to the floor around the front and the
foot. Just peeping out from under this
curtain was the toe of shoe-a coarse,
heavy shoe with hobnails in the sole.
1t was not the shoe worn by mechanics
or day laborers, but l spotted it in an
instant as prison shoe.
hadn't the slightest doubt that there
was an escaped convict under the bed.
1t was sixteen miles to Penfield, and
had heard nothing Of an escape, but
the man under the bed was no doubt
in prison uniform and from the insti-
tuition named.
had pretty good nerve in those days
and yet as / sat there trying to solve
the problem I found my mouth as dry
as cotton and my whole body trem-
bling. You will perhaps say that !
should have got up and walked out of
the room and downstairs. To be hon.
est with you, my knees were so weak
that feared they would not serve me,
and I also feared that the convict
would suspect my design and roll out
and attack me.
While l admit that I was unnerved.
I still had no thought Of running away.
BY and by. as continued to grope for
a solution, ! grew cooler, and present
ly did the best thing under the cir
cumstances. Doing my best to steady
my voice and speaking as II to one be-
side me, said:
"You might as we'll come out from
under the bed, my man. l have known
of your presence there for this half
hour. and you must be tired by this
time"
The toe suddenly disappeared.
81 think you had better come out"
I continued. You are here on an err
rand, and the sooner you accomplish 1t
the sooner you can 60. The men from
Penfield will be on your heels before
daylight"
Then the man suddenly rolled into
( view and sprang to his feet with
| muttered curse. He was In convicts
uniform, but he was not an evil look
ing man. On the contrary. he looked
to be more Of sufferer than a Grim
inal. There was more pride In his face
than might have been looked for. and
he had my sympathy at once.
"well?" l queried as he stood star
ing at me.
! 81 shall never 60 back to prison
never!" he exclaimed rs he looked
around the room. "Ill die right here
I've been In living hell for ten long
years, and the other hell can't be
worse. I went to prison thinking to do
my best. but us held up my head they
said I was too airy and must be broken
down. was punished again and again
because would not become fawning
| sycophant. creeping. crawling thing
Mt the feet Of brutal keeper. They
starved me, loaded me with chains
dashed me till they did not dare to add
another blow. I was told that the gov
ernor rubbed his hands and laugheL
over 1t. and swore would live to es-
1
his heart never knowingly broke a
rule of the prison. 1t was because
would not lick the shoes Of the keepers
that they wanted to break me-.
| asked the man to take chair. and
| gave him glass Of wine and cigar.
He was nonplused at my action and
didn't know whether to receive 1t as
kindness or AZ q scheme to entrap him.
For a long hour he told me OF his life
| in the famous English prison. OF the
beatings and starvings. of the cruelty
and the curses heaped upon him every
hour in the day to drive him to rebel
lion, and when he had finished there
was but one thing for me TO do.
had hundred pounds in my wallet.
| made an even divide with him. had
rough and ready suit for fishing.
took this from my trunk and told the
convict to exchange suits. When
pair Of shoes had been added and he
stood fully dressed his identity as u
prisoner was gone. With pair OF
scissors I clipped and trimmed his
shaggy eyebrows. and u strip OF plaster
was placed on his cheeks as II to hide
a scratch. l cannot say that he looked
like q gentleman when his disguise was
complete. but no policeman in England
would have taken him for anything
else but a mechanic Of the better class.
did not ask where he was going.
what he intended to do or anything
about his future. felt that he would
take care OF all that. When he was
ready to go we tiptoed downstairs. and
let him out Of the front. There he
turned and took my hand and held IL
for a long minute. He wanted to
speak. to tell me OF his gratitude. but
he simply couldn't get n word out. On
my part was silent.
So he passed out into the night and
was gone. and an hour later the town
was aroused by the advent OF n dozer
policemen and prison guards looking
for convict No. $40. He had escaped
from PenHeld by bold stratagem and
had 90 managed that pursuit was made
In a false direction and much time
lost. A larger reward was offered for
him than for any prisoner who ever es-
-