Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-07-12
"wlLLiE" SELL Is FREE.
After 1852 Days imprisonment no
Sees Light Of Day.

After 1852 Days imprisonment no
Sees Light Of Day.
Lansing Kas.-"I wish you would al.
fow me to Occupy my old cell tonight.
have no place to go. 1t is the only
home ! have known for SO long that
would be lost should l venture out
tonight"
And William Sell. after twenty-one
years OF life In the Kansas penltentiary
was allowed to pass his first night OF
freedom In his old quarters.
Sell, convicted twenty-one years ago
OF the most atrocious murder In the
annals OF Kansas, was liberated on re-
ceipt by the warden OF q pardon from
Governor Hoch.
This IL about the happiest moment
OF my life." said Sell. when the pa
pers giving him freedom had passed
into his possession. ana Warden Has
kell had addressed him as Mr." Sell
and given him permission to violate
the prison rule In regard to addressing
q visitor.
Before pardoning Seli-who. with
one exception, was the Oldest prisoner
In the Kansas penitentiary In regard
to time OF service-Governor Hoch ar
ranged for his immediate future. State
Senator Grifin. member OF the pardon
board. had promised the governor that
Sell should be given employment In
his drug store at Nortonville. Kansas.
An unforeseen circumstance. however.
prevented Mr.. Grimm from reaching
Lansing In time. and. realizing his ig-
norance OF the world. Sell did not care
to run the gauntlet OF the morbidly cur.
ious by making the trip alone. SO he
remained another night In prison.
John higgins. parole ofiicer OF tho
pcnitentiary. accompanied Sell when
he escorted him to his new home NJ
Sostonsillc.
How Il Feels.
''How does II feel. MIR. Sell. to be n
free mani" was asked ns the party was
making their way TO the railroad sta
lion.
"Fccl7" was tho quick reply.
"why. man. II I were 90 live n thou.
sand years and had I commanded the
language Of the most eloquent orator
IN the world. I could not begin to out.
line my feelings. have looked for
ward 10 this moment for an age. II
seems to me.
"Now that Il has come. don't ask mo
on the sunshine. the landscape. the
grccn foliage"
A carriage had been provided for the
trip from the prison to tho railway sta.
tion. but Sell preferred to walk.
Your pardon. gcniicmcn. II I seem
relish. but II you realized what this
first voyage Into your commonplace
old world meant to me I'm sure you
would not blame me,
did any Of you ever sit down and
figure mp how many days II takes TO
make twcnty-onc ycarsy Z thought
not. With just one exception hayn't
been outside those old walls for Just
7.S5: days. Think OF it-..S5: days!
Yes. that's almost an eternity. And
every one OF those 7.S3: days had
night. Years and years ago the days
ceased TO worry mo to any great cx.
tcnt. but those nishts-thcy were aw.
fui.
"wIth Just q little touch Of sunshine
I have had In the last hour. wonder
why I didn't 30 mad from bcin. de.
privcd Of II. know now that the be-
lief that aomc day I should be free Was
tho only thing that saved me. felt
that tho time must surely come some
time when some governor would set
wv ucV. w BtVas't tulHsicc Naf
ever done q pcrsou than my imprison.
mcnt. That the loss Of father. mother.
sister and brother should not be
enough afIiietion for = six'ccn.ycar.oid
boy sccms incrcditabic. Not so In my
.asc. however. Four months after the
murder OF my fathers family was
brought TO lansing. condemned TO die.
You know the rest. Hut. thank God.
there are some people who think
am innocent Of that crime or
wouldn't be here talking today"
The trip from tho prison to tho sta.
ton was nearly as enjoyable to the
members Of the Sell party as TO sSil
himself.
As each object unfamiliar to q per.
son who has not even seen q strcct car
for more than a score Of years mot the
eye Of the recently liberated man II
brought forth some enthusiastic CT.
preston. That a man thirty..even
years Of age could get such INFINITE en-.
joymcnt from watching the passage of
a trolley car as was depicted upon the
face Of Willie Sell seems almost In.
credible.