The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-07-01
INTERVIEW WITH
 4 LIFE CONVICT Clara Morris Has Chat Wql!
 German Gardner IS BETTER THAN DEATH Picture of Horror That Grips Man Under Sentence of Death and the Secret Commission of the
 Locked Cell.
IS BETTER THAN DEATH
rom the New York American.


 From the New York American.
 Yes, he was 'lifer' and he looked the part. He had been sentenced to death for the murder of his wife. but seemingly be- cause 1t was understood his sentence had been committed to imprisonment for life. Of his sixty years twenty had been passed in prison, and during the last twelve or fourteen he had been known as ''trusty," and therefore enjoyed small privileges unknown to other long-sentence men. .,s a{ x..lfs
 In the rear of the main prison building there was g.. walled garden, whose, ex- quisite order and splendid abundance proved that the gardner was its lover as well. There, walking with the wife of the prisons superintendent, I saw "Bluebeard" at work-that being the nick name given by the turnkeys and official small fry to No. 1923
 My friend had given the broad, squat, long-armed creature several orders, to which he replied In a sort of husky mur- mur, while his coarse, stubby fingers picked slowly at his hideous, striped cloth- ing; and then she put out her hand and attempted to break & lovely rose for me. l knew 1t to have a peculiarly tough and fbrous steam, and cried out ''Nol no!- if you have no knife leave it alone, for you will have to bend and twist an tear to get it off without cutting, and you will injure the plant cruelly.'
 A swift "Tank-year' came to me from the man on his knees. weedin. I drew close to my friends and asked, ''Is he German?"
 She nodded And he Is pleased with | -I- .F,.T creature, but he worships flowers, and"
 A servant came running: Miss Mollie has tainted again. she cried. Please come quekl"
 'Nyait here" said my friend. You will be all right. Sisters faints are not se- rious," and she was gone.
 I glanced at the prison gardner's heavy sullen face. his shifty almost translucent, pale eyes where the pupils blackness was like drop of ink against the light blue of the iris, and drew softly toward the gate, when from beneath the great flap ping straw that came husky murmur, Look up at the big wall,'
 I looked-beyond the low gardens in- closure lifted the great prison wall, on which two uniformed and armed guards paced slowly
 Guard Was Ready.
 Needn't be afraid. you see," came again the husky voice Besides. for me. all women died when I murdered my Nina. The knife kill all in her. but not all of her. No, her yellow hair all a. glitter. was yet alive when they bury her. So--so--nod close the umbrell'-they will think you are the missus, and we can't talk-so!" At that moment he caught sight of an ugly worm wrthing over a vine leaf at little distance. "A-a-ah there you are, you that make holes in my fine rosesi" He sprang for ward hastily, and reached up for 1t, then swiftly whispered; "The wall--look!'
 I glanced upward "Trusty" as he was. that impulsive movement had not passed unnoticed; the rife of one guard had leapt from the hollow of his arm and was pausing now breast high I shivered though quite evidently I was safe.
 No. 1923 sneered Those friends on the wall are so attentive always, always But what fools sometimes, See you now. no knife l have, for I might you know Che made a significant gesture toward his throat-hut how about these things? (Agadn sneeringly he pointed toward a sickle a hoe with an edge of dangerous sharpness, to a trowel, thin. flexible and sharpl Why. they will cut veins as well as weeds--er2 They are fools, then!''
 No" replied, they are not fools, but you are 'trusty.
 He gave me a swift. sidelong glance. Yah, dos is,' he said, thoughtfully. You hit the nall on the head-but how? Do you know these things, or do you but guess them? We'll better a 'trusty' than the rope round your neck till you are dead and God too busy to have mercy on your soul have been sentenced, and I know-yes, I know. And some men called me crazy-and some say, No. not crazy and then next time all say. Give him prison for hfe'" " He smiled a low, grim smile. and, added: "rhey don't know my father was 80 years and alive, and my grandfather was dead of 95 years. Sol make sure a long-sentence man, eh?' "Oh,r I said, most men would have preferred death.
 fg..Gg Fear of Death.
 "No! No!t A spark of fire leapt into his shifting eyes Who say that elther does not know or he lies! lies! lies! When the sentence is on you, you listen while death steps come nearer and nearer. The sun sets2and your heart drops in your body Twice more-you say. Once more and then no more! The night comes, and you wake quick, with the clods' weight on your breast and the taste of clay on your lips Then you look at your hands and see the lime burning them quick away in
 
 and see yourself standing on the trap your blood turns to water and pours from the gaping pores of your terror-paled skin. An mol no. it's hell! Imprisonment for life--thats breath in your lungs-a square. of blue sky above the walls-a lance of sunlight to watch for-work to keen you from madness-the prisoners secret telegraphic system to learn and to use-and then at last. when we are marched to our cells" And here he had slowed into silence
 I went on for him: "When the great automatic lock has with one movemen. secured every door on your corridor, then?" I looked hard at him-I put my self in his place. '.Then?" 1 repeated-he would not answer but there was triumph in his face, and suddenly l understood. And then" said you are free?"
 His face flushed red-he glanced anx- iously from side to side. That is, you are mentally free. No mortal man can