Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-06
ON TO MOUNDSVILLE
FIFTEEN LOCAL PRISONERS ARE
TAKEN TO PENITENTIARY.
Comments by Members Of the Party
One Legiess Man in the
Batch. 81


Of from one TO fifteen years in the West
Virginia penitentiary at MoundsviIIe at
tracted more than ordinary attention
Men of all conditions formed the two little
groups who were taken to the railroad
station In two vehicles in order to prevent
any complaint being made about their
being uncomfortable. One group was COM
posed of two white and six colored men,
the second group was composed Of eight
colored men, the fifteenth prisoner being
a woman. who was permitted to go with
out being in irons The only man In the
party who showed that he felt keenly his
position was Charles X. Metcalf, who only
a few months ago, was member of the
police department and who was thought so
much OF by his superior officers that he
was given bicycle detail. Metcalf is in
Moundsville to serve a sentence of one year
and day.
And" he said TO a Star reporter just
before the train started, I'm innocent Of
the charge"
Then why did you plead guilty7' he
was asked.
Because 1 felt that / would be con-
vfcted and given a severe sentence If /
stood trial. When 1 get out 1 expect to
be able to show my friends that 1 was
innocent"
sllackled to the former policeman was N.
Guy Miller, smooth-faced youth, who
was under sentence of a year and a day
for embezzlement.
Four Years for one-Legged Man.
Seated behind the two white prisoners
were Alfred johnson and Nelson Waldron,
colored. under sentence fer housebreaking.
Johnson is to serve eighteen months and
Waldron four years.
why did the judge give that one-legged
man SO much timer was asked regarding
Waldron.
Because his case was probably more
serious than that of his companion" was
the explanation. You see, the fact that
the man has but one leg does not neces-
sarily make him a subject of charity at all
times. Charity, you know, begins at
home, but he made the start at some. other
persons home and now he is in trouble"
But what work can one-legged man
do In PRISON." asked one of the inQuisitive
ones in the car.
Anything anybody else can do Valid
ron informed him. but 1 can't do much
in the line of high kicking"
John Henry Gaskins and John Richard
Mercer, each under a sentence of fifteen
years for manslaughter, We're in the pro-
cession of prisoners. They were convicted
of having taken the life of William Pat
terson. Gaskins, who has legs, 1t was
charged, gave the knife to Mercer and told
him to kill Patterson. The latter obeyed
and the sentences stated were imposed
upon the pair.
''Gaskins is worse than the man with the
wooden leg" was a remark that was
heard.
The question to what he could do IN
prison seemed to puzzle the interested ones,
but the legless did not display any In
terest in the discussion.
They're sending me there" he said, and
there's no way out of it for me"
Attempt to Secure Pension.
James Armes and James Aukard, the
other men in the first batch were under
sentence OF q year and a day each for
housekeeping. One prisoner in the second
party was John Dixon. who was under sem
tence of one year and q day for violating
section 543S of the Revised Statues. The
charge against Dixon was that he engaged
in a fraudulent attempt to get a pension
How old are your" Dixon was asked,
~ was born when people didn't keep no
count Of ages he replied, but they al
ways said I was born in 1872"
Why the court sentenced him to prison
he said he did not know.
They said I did something about a pen
sion," he said mournfully, but didn't do
IT,"
William H. Young, the companion of the
elderly man on the trip, is going to serve
four years for housebreaking. John Smith
and Robert King were handcuffed together.
The former had been convicted of charge
of burglary and given one year in prison
and the latter will remain away from nome
for nine years, minus time off for good be-
havior, having received the sentence for
committing an assault with dangerous
weapon. The rear of the party was brought
I'D by James Contee and William Crump,
the former under a sentence of thirty
months for assault with intent to rob, and
the latter to spend two years in the noun
talns of West Virginia for housebreaking.
Iottie Hawkins, the only woman in the
party, occupied a seat on the side of the
car opposite the fourteen men, She was
convicted of manslaughter in throwing her
infant into the Anacostia river from the
bridge After an all-nlght jaunt the party
reached Moundsville Thursday morning,
when the prisoners were turned over to the
warden of the big prison.