The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1907-02-21
The Anarchist

copyright, 1906, by Mcclure Newspaper
Syndicate.l
John Cunningham had been gov
| ernor of Dartmoor prison for thirteen
years, and during that long interval
not convict had succeeded in making
his escape. The governor fattered
himself on this fact. He lived four
miles from the prison, and the less he
visited it the better things were run.
Governor Cunningham finally decid-
ed to write a book on criminology.
That was a perfectly natural thing,
since he had so many specimens AT
hand. He meant that book to be "
standard and to contain matter to as
tonish the world. He was entirely ig-
nOrant Of his subject, but he went to
work like man who means business.
To get his data he had to have prison
ers brought before him to be question
ed and to have their heads examined.
The governor had boasted more than
once that he could tell prediSpOsed
criminal ten rods away.
One of the prisoners called before
tAC SONc u uOl w as
who had received a sentence of five
years fol embeZzlement. The family
was a respectable one, and this was
the first offense for a hundred years.
Broughton himself had anything but
criminal tendencies. He was we'll edu-
Gated, we'll appearing and was remark
ed for his intelligence. The governor
which he sought. He put him down US
a man who was born with the in
stincts of a thief. He did not credit
him with ordinary intelligence. He
found him a victim of hOmicidal mania.
Broughton had entered prison de
termined to make his escape if it was
within the possibilities. After a years
good conduct he was named for the
agricultural gang, the TRUSTEES who
moved the meadows and raised 4
share Of the fresh vegetables consumed
in the prison. He had friends outside
to aid him in so far as furnishing him
suit of citizens clothes and small
sum of money. He had made up his
mind to go to South America, and he
must have several hundred dollars.
The fact that he knew not where to
raise the money prevented his escape
for months. 1t was not until after the
governor had made him a choice speci
men of criminology that brilliant idea
came to him. AS the agricultural gang
marched back to prison one evening
Broughton was missing, and the alarm
was given. He had found the suit, had
been met by friend with horse and
buggy, and by the time the guards
were securing the country for him the
convict was at the governors house.
A rather queer thing had happened
to the governor ten years before, and
as the incident had been published it
was common property in prison and
out. He had made trip to Russia,
aided an anarchist without knowing
what the man was, and after being
shut up in a fortress for month he
had been given his liberty and escorted
to the frontier. This humiliation ran
killed. in his breast, and he was not
backward about saying to freeman or
convict that he would do most any
thing to get square with the Russian
government. He had been SO outspo-
ken that he had received hint from
his own government to moderate his
speech He took warning by it, but he
still chafed. The telephone called the
governor up to inform him that a con-
vict had escaped, and while he was
fussing about it the card of a stranger
was brought in. The name was that
Of Russian, and the governor at once
thought of anarchists and nihilistS and
arbitrary measures and became hot.
There was a confab lasting an hour.
The Russian did not hesitate to contide
in the governor. He informed him
that a plot was on foot to Overturn
the government and raise republic
on it's ruins. He was asked to assist
in the conspiracy. He knew that such
action would make him amenable to
the law, and yet he remembered the
dreary days and nights in that cell in
the fortress. He had never talked with
more intelligent man. He had never
met with another foreigner who spoke
the English language SO correctly.
The warning received by the great
man was ringing in his ears, but he
thought of the miserable food, the wet
straw and the manner in which he had
been bounced out of the cars domin-
ions and warned to stay out. The tele-
phone gave him the particulars Of the
cOnvicts escape and inquired about Of
fering a reward, but he was too busy
to attend to such trifles. He first said
no, but as the Russian rose to leave
the house the governor brought out a
bag containing $500 in gold and placed
it on the table and turned his back
and began to hum the air of a tune.
The Russian tumbled to the subscrip-
ton and murmured his thanks With
the gold he picked up one of the gov
ernor's cards An hour later train
was bearing him to Liverpool. He was
stopped on the way and stopped again
as he went aboard steamer for South
America, but that card Of the governor
carried him through.
The search for Broughton was thor