Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-08-11
DAILY STORY
CONVICT NO. 1920.

copyright, 1906. by X. Douglas.
We had read all about him before he
appeared at the prison under a SEN
tence of ten years. The daily papers
had said that. his name was Salters
and his age about forty He haG taken
rooms at a fashionable boarding house
OH a certain street in Chicago and let
1t be known that he was Il broker. On
each side of the boarding house were
private dwellings, and farther down
the street, but TO be reached over the
roofs, was 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. ana
things were being made hot all around
when the rooms of eleven guests in the
boarding house at which Mr.. Salters
stopped We're robbed on the same
night.
The house was filed with detectives,
and everybody was examined ana
cross examined. but it was no use. Inc
rooms had been entered and despoiled
while the guests were sleeping.
They were waiting in fear ana
trembling for the next outbreak when
Il stupid headed servant girl In the
boarding house solved the puzzle
From one of the side houses had been
taken an unset catseye stone. rms
was found under Mr.. SalterS' bed one
morning when the girl swept the room
Mr. SalterS was asked to eX-
plain. AS he couldn't explain, he
was traced to another room half
mile away and all the plumber found.'
He simply laughed when put under ar
rest. He laughed when put Oh trial.
He had been caught so dead to rights
that he smilingly pleaded guilty and
took his ten year sentence without
moving Il muscle.
The police were on to Mr.. Salters
for one of the sleekeSt chaps IN the
business. and they would have given
a great deal to trace his past and have
him answer certain questions. lie
was mum on all points, however. They
could not trace him back 4 month.
and. as to how he entered the houses
and rooms and left no trace behind,
that was one of his professional Sc
cretS.
When Mr. SaIters reached prison
the first glance at him caused every
body 10 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 nave
been the wiser. He was quiet and
respectful, and it was figured that he
would make model prisoner taf
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 he
had a 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 q 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 q talk and hear
human voice On this day that he
was taken i'll Mr.. Salters asked that
the good man be sent to him. and
carried the message. l also noted that
the chaplain remained with convict
No. 1920 for Il full hour, and wheE
he left the cell and came down the cor
ridor his perturbation did not fail to
attract my attention. He was very
M 10 and had bppD wpeDinU
Prison chapIains 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 if he would speak to
me, but his tears fell afresh, his lips
and he finally passed on
a word.
Mr. Salters took more medicine next
day and was excused from work. At
3 o'clock in the afternoon the chaplain
visited him without being sent for and
for two hours. l heard him
praying long and fervently. When he
left he was pale and had an anxious
look. and yet there was also look of
resolve in his face. There is SO much
hypocrisy among convicts In the mat
ter of religion that my curiosity III this
case was not very great. The greater
the rogue the harder he will try to
the chaplain into believing
that he wants to walk in new paths. 1t
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