Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-09-19
CONVICT No. 1920
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Copyright, 1906, by R. Douglas.1

1
had said that his name was Salters
and his age about forty. He had taken
rooms at fashionable boarding house
OH certain street in Chicago and let
it be known that he was a broker. On
each side of the boarding house were
private dwellings, and farther down
the street, but to be reached over the
roofs, was a large art store.
The first thing to happen after the
arrival Of Mr.. Salters, but with which
his name was not at all connected, was
the robbery of the art store. Other
robberies followed. While the detec-
tives were after the burglar the daily
papers were after the detectives, and
| things were being made hot all around
| when the rooms of eleven guests in the
| boarding house at which Mr.. Salters
| stopped were robbed on the same
night.
The house was filed with detectives,
and everybody was examined and
cross examined, but it was no use. The
| rooms had been entered and despoiled
while the guests were sleeping.
They were waiting in fear and
| trembling for tie next outbreak when
q stupid headed servant girl in the
| boarding house solved the puzzle,
From one Of the side houses had been
| taken an unset catseye stone. This,
was found under Mr.. Salters' bed one
| morning when the girl swept the room.
IN GS0I4 70
plain. As he couldn't explain, he
was traced to another room half a
mile away and all the plumber found.
He simply laughed when put under ar
rest. He laughed when put on trial.
He had been caught so dead to rights
that he smilingly pleaded guilty and
| took his ten year sentence without
moving muscle.
The police were on to Mr.. Salters
for one of the sleekest chaps in the
business, and they would have given
great deal to trace his past and have
him answer certain questions. He
was mum on all points, however. They
could not trace him back a month.
and, as to how no entered the houses
and rooms and left no trace behind,
that was one OF his professional sa-
crets.
When Mr.. Salters reached prison
the first glance at him caused every
body to wonder where they had seen
him before Face, form, pose and gait
all reminded US OF somebody, but who
that somebody was we could not re
call Had he not been passed along
to the barber and from thence into
stripes so soon some Of us might have
| been the wiser He was quiet and
respectful, and it was figured that he
would make a model prisoner.
After three days he was put at work
In the shoe department, and all re-
ports coming in about him were ia
vorable. At the end of six weeks be
had q chill and was sent to his cell,
and the doctor gave him some medi-
cine. Up to this time the man had
not asked for book from the library
nor to see the chaplain. Many pris
oners who had no religious feelings
will ask for the chaplain now and then
in order to have talk and hear a
human voice. On this day that be
the good man be sent to him, and 1
carried the message. / also noted that
the chaplain remained with convict
No. 1920 for a full hour, and when
he left the cell and came down the cor
ridor his perturbation did not fail to
attract my attention. He was very
pale and had been weeping.
Prison chaplains listen to many sad
tales, and now and then their sympa-
thies are aroused, but in the three
years l had known our Mr.. Davis
had never seen him so greatly affected.
He stopped as IL he would speak to
me, but his tears fell afresh, his lips
trembled, and he finally passed on
without a word.
Mr.. SalterS took more medicine next
day and was excused from work. AT
o'clock in the afternoon the chaplain
visited him without being sent for and
remained for two hours. heard him
praying long and fervently. When he
| left he was pale and had an anxious
look, and yet there was also a look Of
resolve in his face. There is so much
hypocrisy among convicts in the mat
ter Of religion that my curiosity in this
case was not very great The greater
the rogue the harder he will try to
| bamboozle the chaplain into believing
that he wants to walk in new paths. It
was a question with me whether Mr..
| SalterS had seen the error of his ways
or was only Sinking his work.
The next forenoon at IL O'Clock the
chaplain paid his third visit, and as the
bell rang for the convicts to march in
to dinner he came forth from the cell
and passed me, and the guard at the
end Of the corridor opened the gate for
him. Other guards did the same thing,
and in five minutes he was clear of the
prison. 1t was two hours later when
the doctor came in. accompanied him
| to Salters' cell, and there we found the
| convict undressed and in bed and weep
ing No, 1t was not the convict. It was