Cañon City record., 1907-12-26

treated to dinner that will enable
them to forget the fact that they will
not be among their fellowmen in free
dom for many long day.
1t is the rule of the penitentiary not
to allow the convicts to write more
than two letters a month-one every
two weeks-but as a special holiday
favor Warden Cleghorn informed them
last week that he would permit each Of
them to write a Christmas letter and
three-fourths of them availed them
selves of the privilege extended to
them by the warden's generosity.
They have also been permitted to re-
ceive packages from their friends and
purchase candy, confections and other
sweetmeats in any quantity they de-
sired. A great number of packages ad-
dressed to the convicts have Deen de-
liyered at the prison Office by the ex-
press companies and the postal au-
thorities within the last few days, some
of them coming from distant states.
These packages have all been examined
and given over to those for whom they
were intended as rapidly as they ar
rived in order to prevent any confus-
ion Wednesday morning.
Christmas will be a day of rest to
all of the conyicts and they will be ac-
corded liberties not tolerated at any
other time. 1t will be signaliZed by a
complete departure from the usual
plain prison fare for a big dinner to
consist of roast turkey, sweet potatoes,
sauerkraut, celery, biscuits, butter, hot
coffee and mince pie, will be the por-
ton OF the prisoners day.
At . O'Clock in the afternoon the
convicts will be assembled in the pris-
on chapel where they will be amused
and entertained by high class vaude-
vile performance, which will COM
pare favorably with the majority Of
such attractions given by itinerant
companies visiting southern Colorado.
The program will consist of Illus
trated songs, moving pictures, con-
1 tortionist act, two comedy acts, a SER
Ipentine dance and several other num-
bers, all of which will be supplied by
able professional talent, which has
been procured through the efforts of
Warden John Cleshorn, who will su-
perintend the entertainment. and a cit
izen of Canon City who has consider
able influence with the theatrical folk.
During all the time that the dinner
and the entertainment are taking place
| there will be one poor fellow in the
penitentiary who will have good for
| tune in store for him at the end of
| the day, and while he may dream of
it. he will not be sure until he is called
to the warden's office and told that he
is a free man. For there will be, in con-
| formity with the usual custom that
prevails in this state upon a great
holiday, one man pardoned for the
crime that he committed and he will
be permitted to walk out of the pris-
on for the first time, perhaps. IN years
a free man.
Many will be the convicts who will
hope that to them will fall this su-
preme stroke of good fortune. and
probably many will be the disappoint-
ments when the choice is made known.
But all of them will have the pleasure
of hope during the day and nothing
will mar the enjoyment of the holiday.
| for the lucky man, in common with
his fellow prisoners, wiz be kept in
ignorance Of the thing until the conclu-
sion OF the entertainment. Then while
he will be happy the rest will not be
unduly cast down, for they will real
| ize that they are no worse OF than
they were before and they will have
had one day at least to mark with y
red letter in the course of the somber
year.
The pardon will arrive at the penI-
tentiary. duly signed by the governor.
tomorrow morning and the warden will
be the only man who will know the
identity OF the man to be freed. and he
will keep his knowledge locked In his
! breast until the time comes for its an
nOOncemNnt