Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-04-25
Within the Prison Doors.

Within the Prison Doors.
The sorry procession, Iudicrous in
spite of its wretched significance, as
Falstaffs army, marched from the
landing to the broad doors whose stone
steps had been worn by the feet of
thousands of the city's criminals.
The door of the great castlelike iail
swung back grindingly on it's heavy
hinges ITO the right shouted the
man with the voice of a tugboat whis-
tie, and the motley human assortment
went in at the open door of the ward
ems Office Warden O'Fallon, white
haired, bureaucratic of manner, with
crisp, metallic voice, sat at his desk
and peered from under bushy brows at
the women Jayert himself could not
have been less emotional.
Your age?" he said, peering under
the bushy brows at Katherine.
''Twen-Oh. well, 80"
And your" to Charlotte.
Il am "a"
I brought her up volunteered the
voluble Katherine
And right badly, should saw"
came in the wardens crisp, biting
tones Murphy, call Miss Moriarity."
The matron, stout, soft-voiced, firm
Wllled, entered She looked the WON
en- prisoners over with level glance.
Katherine preened and fidgeted, trying
70 display her prettiness in a good
nght. She flushed when she saw by
Matron Moriarity's cool glance that
Ter her she had no individuality She
was merely on 'of the new batch"
The First Night in Jail
Come this way" said Miss Mortar
lty, and the female prisoners followed.
marching in PAYS, Katherine still the
companion of the bent, mumbline
Italian woman leering at her own I'm
translatable jests; Charlotte striding
beside the negress. Across a wide
rooted court whose stone floor rang
with echoes of the footsteps of the
prisoners, Miss Moriarity led her or
rather drove the prisoners, to the fe-
male department of the workhouse.
Inc long, high-walled, narrow room
repeated the sound of their footsteps
holloWly, for the female department
was empty. The women were at work
in the laundry, the kitchen, or the
sewing-room.
The women sat down upon their mar
row cots for the very good reason that
there was nothing else to sit upon. In
the narrow, grave-like room, white |
washed walled, was a small, rough. |
triangular bracket that held a candle. |
drinking cup, with space left for one |
book, small Testament At the foot /
vas an electric light On a rough
stand stood a basin. That was all.
fhe prison smell hung heavy upon the
my room, for the only means of ven
1lat1on was the barred door, through
he spaces of which filtered a slight
lint of the outer air that came through
he corresponding windows in the
treat gray walls opposite the cell.
No Dainties at This Meal.
Such a supper! No truff1es, no lob
ter, no champagnei Merely dry |
read and bologna and coffee, eaten
rom tin plate, or drunk from the
heapest tin cups with but one aid.
or knives and forks are prohibited at
'lackwelFs Island. There, primitive
ands and primitive teeth are sup
lemented by one tin spoon Instead
damask napery were rough, narrow
cards, scrubbed clean, but boards,
eyertheless
This, after the sunny, velvet carpets
nd si1ken draperies of their rooms at
ne Waldorf-Astoria-t truff1es and
,bsters and champagne and scented
Cigarettes. The elder of the Poillons :
ampened three handkerchiefs while
he sat there waiting for the nasty
zeal to be over
The Poillon sisters on their first
vening at Blackwell's displayed no
ppetite. At the end of the Is min :
tes meal they Joined another process
on. 1T seems to me they do moth I
lg but march here" complained Char /
ute, peevishly. She met the steel
ray eyes of the matron I
You will find out differently to- ;
lorrow, she said, dryly. There will
2 professions, but there will be work
so''
To cells Is and 10 they went again
ter tea There, although the cleo
lc light may burn until half-past
me, there was darkness, and hilari-
is negress ratified the door of her cell
Id cursed softly because the sound I
her neighbors' sobbing fretted her.
Beginning the Long Day. :
At five the next morning the gong :
'unded- Every prisoner sprang out
bed. If she fingered she would be +
lnished- Punishment, she knew,
cant brief interview with the ward r
|, and then the dark cell behind the i
6 iron door at the end of the mess
III. The dark cell, every prisoner | 3
nteI you, breaks the boldest spirit :
i'd renders the widest captive hum
e in a few hours. 1t is thew tell