Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-09
Machen at Work in Mounds
Vile Office.
CROPS NOT ASSIGNED
ALL TAKE PUNISHMENT PHILo-
SOPHICALLY.
Washington Prisoners Not Yet "Bar'
bered"-Excited Little Curiosity
on the Train.
,pecIa, From e STAFF Correspondent.

MOUNDSVILLE, w. Va, February D.
August w. Machen, one Of the three pris-
oners in the postoffice cases, was set 10 |
work yesterday afternoon upon the prison |
books In the office. Samuel A. Gron and |
Diller B. Croft were not given any assign
ments. The former was not In physical |
condition to perform labor of any kind and |
the latter's advanced years and condition |
were taken in consideration by the peni- |
Tertiary officials in the matter of consider |
ing what should be done with him. Captain |
Dawson, the acting warden, would not have
given Machen his assignment yesterday
had not the prisoner asked that he be per-
mitted to enter upon his work at once.
II have made up my mind to make the
best Of my position" he said to a Star re-
ported land will work faithfully during
the time 1 am confined here. 1 have al
ways been able to adapt myself to circum-
stances. and there is no reason why 1 can
not do now. My health is good and
am not going to let my nerve desert me.
But" he said, II certainly do feel sorry
for Sam Croft. He is sick. and there is no
reason why he should ever have been ar
rested. If what business had with Lorenz
amounted to a violation of law, and the
court so decided, there's reason why
Sam Croft should have been coupled with
us, for he was not involved in the trans
actions.
When 1 finish my work each day In
tend to devote my time to study, II the
prison rules will permit, and will improve
every minute of my time. l am not an old
man. and when i am released l will have
to resume the battle of life. If not in
condition to do so it will not be my fault"
The Grofs had but little to say about the
case involving their sentence to serve two
years here. Diller Croft took the matter
of punishment philosophicaly, and said he
would make the best of it: His whole con-
Germ seemed to be about his brother. The
latter is a sick man, although the trip from
Washington does not seem to have done
him much injury.
Says He is Innocent.
Speaking to a Star reporter, Samuel
Croft repeated his assertions of innocence
and expressed the hope that matters will
be righted before it is too late. The jail
officials and reporters on the train looked
after the sick man more than they did
after the others. and did what they could
to alleviate his sufferings. While the three
men were more or less agftated when the
train reached here. Samuel Croft was the
only one who came near breaking down
When they had met the deputy warden and
guards and were permitted to go to their
cells without having to go through the
usual prison formalities. they were greatly
relieved. The other prisoners went through
the milf and were put to work in short
time Their hair was cropped and they
were given bath before being shown to
the dining room for breakfast Standing IN
the corridor of the prison were several men
from Washington. One OF them was Will
lam Jenkins, who is under sentence OF
one year for manslaughter. he was gao 10
see the men from the Washington jail ana
made anxious Inquiries about friends VINO
had been left behind him.
As soon as the three prisoners in the con-
spiracy case had answered the usnal ques-
tons they We're taken from the corridor
and made comfortable after their long
Journey Machen had slept about two
hours during the night, but the Grons nad
not had that much rest. irrespective OF
their surroundings they were fat1gued py
the tourney and were not in condition 10
do anything but rest. The prison barper
did not get an opportunity 10 handle tile
three men yesterday. This formality was
POSTPONED owing to the absence or warden
Haddox, who Is attending the session or
the legislature at Charleston. what ne
will do with them when he returns Is a
matter of conjecture. He may not reacn
here until next week, and by that time the
men will have been accustomed TO their
new surroundings and will not feel the loss
of hair as much as they would nave 1elt II
Yesterday when the other prisoners were
handled The rule of the prison respecting
the work In the barber shop is not an I'M
perative one but is discretionary with the
warden.
Excited Little Curiosity.
The presence of Machen and the Groffs
on the train did not excite any more curloS-
ity along the line of the railroad than does
the ordinary run of prisoners. Most OF the
towns along the road were reached during
the still hours of the night and but few
persons were about the stations. At Man.
nington, w. Va, where the train made a
stop about o'clock in the morning, people
were stirring about and dozen or more
men looked in to see the prisoners. The
r1rfcp attracted attention
more than did Machen and the Groffs. In
deed, none of them seemed to know that
the three men We're prisoners. When the
train reached here about dozen men had
assembled in the station to the trio.
Several of them were newspaper cores
pondents and the others were there as a
matter of curiosity. 1t was hardly day
break when the train pulled in and the
people the streets were scarcely able to
form idea of the general appearance
of the men. Upon reaching the prison the
men were shown to the revolving cage,
through which everybody has to pass In
order to reach the prison proper. Then
they were introduced to Captain Dawson
and others. The work of questioning them
required but short time and they were
soon out of sight of the party who had
made the journey with them. They were
highly appreciative Of the treatment ac-
corded them, and at the end of the day
expressed themselves as being pleased with
the conduct of the prison officials toward
them. They relished the plain food serv-
ed them ana had no complaint TO make.
No Cause for Complaint
Upon reaching the prison and meeting
Captain Dawson, the men assured the lat
ter that 1t was their intention to observe
the rules of the prison and perform the
duties required of them.
Then" said the captain. there will be
no cause for complaint You will not find
X so hard a you had probably anticipated
We try to treat everybody right and life
will be just what you make it."
The Croft brothers were not separated
yesterday. II is more than probable thai
they will occupy a cell together. Many
of the small apartments are occupied By
two prisoners. Should they be put together
Diler Groff will be able TO look after his
sick brother AMI nurse him. Captain Daw
son said he would probably do nothing II
the matter of providing employment fol
the Groffs until the return of the warden
He also said he fully realizes that neither
will be able TO perform any hare
work.
"a
Case Continued.