Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-07-21
SEESMANY CHANGES.
CONVICT FOR 81 YEARS FINDS A
NEW LAND.
Trolley Is a Revela tion--Auto SPIeases
Man Who, Young In Years, Has
Grown Old Behind Prison
Walls,

Chtcago.-After spending 81 OF tho
best years Of life with the horizon Of
his world limited by the stone walls
of Joliet penitentiary and his ambis
tons ground down by the routine of q
convict's existence, John Gale, aged
49, but appearing to be so, stepped
into the outside world the other day.
He began his sentence when he was
% years old
Mathew j. Huss, president of the
Luxemburger Brotherhood of America,
through whose efforts the pardon was
obtained, met him at the gate Of the
penitentiary. Gale came to this coun-
try from Luxemburg % years ago. He
had been here only a few months
when in a fight at Evanston he killed
fellow laborer with a Ratchet.
A trolley car stopped in front Of the
penitentiary and the men clambered
, on. Even in the penitentiary walls
the prisoner had heard the clatter Of
those cars but he had never ridden on
one, and his ideas of what they were
like came only from surreptitious ac-
counts by younger prisoners.
But he showed no surprise An
ordinary man might ask questions or
attempt some pleasantly, but some
thing more startling is necessary to
evoke flicker of emotion from a man
who has lived convict's routine for
~ years. It was not in his life to ask
"Why?" but to go forward, unseeing
and unthinking.
An automobile swished past the
open window and he jumped. That
was new sensation, and he glanced
| apprehensiyely at his companion for
the result of the involuntary emo
ton. Then he looked relisved, for
he was no longer in prison. where
breach of discipline would evoke pun
| ishment.
Every mile they rode into the city
| unfolded a new wonder. The released
prisoner had no idea there were 80
many human beings almost within
sound of the prison walls but yet as
| far away as the equator. On one side
were piled the miles of stone, and Mr..
Huss explained that they were from
the drainage canal. Prisoner Gale was
interested in stone piles, for he was
familiar with breaking big stones into
smaller ones.
At the end Of Archer avenue they
changed cars, and he was told that he
was in Chicago. Miles and miles of
houses, in every one Of which were
people coming and going. whirled past
his line of vision, and he was dis
traught with the strangeness of the
scene. He realized the narrow life he
had left. He had seen the same faces
every day and the life had grown
natural. Here were hundreds hurry
ling past him on every side, and why
shouldn't they all be against him who
for ~ years hadn't known friend?
When the men left the car at State
street Gale started ahead in the steady
prison step. He bumped into man
and was pushed aside. A woman gave
him shove. Again he started and
| the jostled passer-by scowled at him
in anger. Confused, and helpless he
stood in the middle of the sidewalk
until MI. Huss, grasping him by the
arm, led him down the street.
The men who obtained the pardon
believe that in a few days the former
prisoner will adjust himself to life
of freedom and be capable OF start
ing at some work. He will make his
home with his sister.