The Washington times., 1905-08-06
HAMLIN GARLAND
LOCKED IN JAIL
Occupied Cell Next to Man
Condemned to Die.
HIS NERVES WERE TESTED
Time Passed Slowly-Author Went
Through Experience to Get
"Local Color" for Book.

COLORADO SPRINGS. Colo, Aug. ..
-Hamlin Garland, the novelist, whose
books on Colorado have made him
known from one end of this state to
the other, was locked up in n narrow
steel cell next to one occupied by a
murderer for hours. forgotten by the
turnkey
The condemned man in the next cell
howIed ana cursed for hours, calling
maledictions upon everyone, from Gov
ernor Mcdonald down.
MIR. Garland almost collapsed when
his cell neishbor yelled through the
heavy stone wallis which separates the
two compartments;
What are you in FOR? When are they
going 10 stretch your neck?
Frightened Novelist.
The novelist was too frightened to
reply. He was thinking OF other things
just then. He was wondering what had
become of the turnkey, who had prom
ised SO volubly 10 return within = short
time.
Mr., Garland Journeys to Colorado
every year for more local color" and
he got It this trip in great big chunks
Reaching Denver, he looked up a few
old friends and remembered the months
past. Few people knew he was in the
capital city, and he slipped away to
Colorado Springs absolutely unheraIded
The visit there was just long enough
to get from the sheriff of FL Paso coun-
ty letter of Introduction TO the warden
OF the State penitentiary at Canon City
Garland is out here to write a sequel
10 his famous novel, THE Eagles
Heart study of the developments in
regeneration of a Western desperate.
This sequel must deal with prison life.
Sc Garland wanted to know how it really
felt 10 be locked up.
Night With Convicts.
The warden. in charge of 40 prisoners.
told him they would all like to get out.
but he had never before known a case
where man voluntarily wanted 10 get
in. Approaching. however, Garland =
point. he made with him a review of the
penitentiary and Garland himself par>
took Of the prison supper.
After the meal stories were told OF
noted characters who had been housed
there, and some thrilling experiences OF
trying 10 blow UP the place. and hair
breadth escapes We're related.
Garland himself admitted that it was
not one of the most delightful expert
ences of his life when the night captain
took him Though the long corridor. put
his key in one of the combinat ton locks.
swung back the great steel door and
said:
This IS your room for the night. Mr..
Garland"
With that the door was closed and
Garland had the first taste of local
color. The echo and re-echo of the
captains receding feet on the concrete
floor grew fainter and fainter Through
the narrow grated window he could hear
the tread of the sentry on the prison
wall. The darkness was intense His
neighhor TO the right was a man con-
demned 10 death. The man to his left
was serving d life sentence and was
ugly The minutes slipped by and seem
ed hours. Every minute sound was
frlghtfully exaggerated and distorted in
the awful stiffness.
Minutes Jagged.
The author-prisoner thought he had
been locked up a month and lighted q
match Pulling out his watch he found
that he had only been locked up for
about TWO hours
Again came steps along the concrete
floor. ana when apparently Just oDpo-
site his cell most terrific explosion
occurred. which Garland would have
sworn shook the very foundations Of
the penitentiary. It was. of course,
thunderbolt. but Garland did not
know 1t until TWO hours after. There
was q scurrying OF guards, whispered
inquiries around guard windows, and
then ali was still as death.
All the stories that Garland had heard
two hours before about explosions mar
row escapes and Killings ran riot in the
darkness before his eyes. and for two
solid hours more Garland had a chance
10 gather more local color" Then
again, three hours later. 10 his cell
came the night captain. The grating
of the huge door came again and Gar
land was free. The thunderbolt had not
done any damage more than 10 disturb
the nerves Of the great writer Of Colo
rado, and to give him practical picture
which he viii never forget
Garland left Colorado Springs Friday
with his pack outfit, headed for the