The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1907-06-21

issue.
ceding week. He never failed to as
sure future offenders that they would
be punished without mercy In their
turn and would slash the desk With
his cane to emphasize bis words So
religion and ferocity ran hand In hand
at Castle Sullivan. nor was hypocrisy
very far behind Mr.. Nat led the
hymns In a devout. sustained. stem
torian below, while maiden sister.
the only lady OF the establishment,
whose voice the convicts never heard
and whose face they seldom saw but
on these occasions. supplied per-
functory accompaniment on the piano
forte
Amid the branches OF the red gums
without fiocks OF parrots would chat
ter mockinGly. their vivid reds and
yellows lighting up the somber hues
OF those perennial leaves that whis-
pered none the less enticingly OF cool
siestas In the shade. Yet Sunday after
Sunday these tyrannical observances
were maintained and enforced. and
the evangelical doctor loved to boast
Of the device whereby he had enforced
them In the beginning. On the first
Sunday nine-tenths of his men had
announced themselves Roman Cath.
olics. So he had drawn up these gentry
In line outside the palisade and there
kept them standing out OF earshot. but
In the full glare of the sun. during the
entire service. And on the Sunday fol-
lowing there was not q Roman Cath
ole among them.
What remained OF their ruined day
the convicts spent In breaking as many
as possible OF those commandments
which DR.. Sullivan had been DINING
in their ears. Larceny. however. was
the crime most In favor at the farm.
whose boundaries were seldom exempt
from that foul parasite OF the convict.
the squatter OF the early days. He
must not be COMPOUNDED with the
squatter OF subsequent civilization.
The former was usually a ticket-of.
leave man. who built himself hut In
an unoccupied spot. with a preference
for the near neighborhooi Of n plenti-
full contingent OF assigned convlcts.
The squatter would supply the couvicts
VIII rum. The convict would pay the
squatter with the only currency with.
In bis reach-namely. that NJ stolen
property. The squatter was sly pub
hcan and sly pawnbroker In one. and
a pretty specimen Of his class bad his
wIgwam and his black gin en- creek
not hundred miles from Castle Sulll-
van.
1 Hitler was Tom taken by one Of bis
fellows on an early Sunday evening.
Half dozen others were there before
them. Not one OF these were sober
when they arrived. And the strong
fumes tempted Tom. smoldering mis-.
cry was In danes az this chance Of
quenchlng IL for the nonce. lie might
have followed suit had not bis com,
panion produced screw hammer IN
payment for the liquor. Tom glanced
az the implement and then az bis mate
/ You're never going to pay with that
MacY'
-An' what for nol"
There's the farm brand staring yot
IN the face. II ISN'T yours"
II What's pboot IT, II man mayn''
blk the coves. wha may he bllk' The,
gle Us nae wages for our work. 70 w
maun help oursels'"
And as this was the principle OF al
present and indeed OF the average con
vet throughoE; the colony. honest Ton
! had no choice bur 70 turn on his bee
, and walk away amid the exec-ation
OF his fellows. but not hand wa
raised against him He bad sill, RI
) eye and the bearing that discourage !
blow. Even the elder sullivan ha,
given Up tapping and rappIng bin
with that bamboo wand which wa
: forever quickening feion fingers an
sowing black murder In felon hearts.
But the Inciden, II the screw ham
mer made an unpopular man Of ToI
! among his fellows. and worse was |
come OF It. The theft was brougf
home 10 the man Macbeth. and th
very next night Tom met him with
white. pinched face and his coat o
!. back TO front. @r=:. -
= f.n N. <a.rt~nKnI