The Washington times., 1908-03-08

!
Of murder in the second degree. Before
the prisoner left the penitentiary
Machen took him aside and gave him
some sound advice and incidentally told
him to secure work in some place where
be was unknown.
Several weeks later" said Machen.
II met this young man on the street IA
Moundsville one night and he told me
that he had followed my advice and that
/ he had been made a foreman at the
place where he was employed. II this
system OF parole which is in vogue in
many States would be applied TO Fed
! eral prisoners there would be fewer
hardened criminals in the United States.
/ 1 sincerely trust that the Department
Of Justice viii give this matte serious
consideration"
Allowed Great Libe.t-s.
At the prison Machen was subjeC ted
to none of the degradations that the or
! binary criminal must endure. He wore
| his lair as he had always worn IT, and
the mustache which adorned his upper
! LID remained their during his Incarcera-
/ ton He was even excused from wear
| ing anything that would mark him as
a convict as he walked at will through
/ ~ VI - VI -fAU4AA01N lllC-
When his work in the prison office
was finished his time was practically
/ his own, and he usually employed Il
walking IN the country. He yer. fire.
quentiy visited the town, and occasion
ally enjoyed such amusenents as were
offered there. His quarters at the pris-
| on were comfortable. and instead OF
narrow cell, such as is assigned TO the
nVrffTgF D.
enjoy the comfort OF large room in
which a bed had been placed
Gave Dinner to Sick Prisoners.
Because OF the position held by
| Machsn In the warden's Office he came
| in close contact with many Of the
/ prisoners and by the many kindnesses |
he showed 10 them. many OF whom had
not friend in the world, he endeared
/ himself to these men. His interest IN
his fellow-prisoners was demonstrated
few days before his release. AT that
time there were fifty or sixty prison
ers confined in the hospital For these
MacAen provided, from his own purse.
| a chicken dinner. with all the fixin's.
much 10 the delight 0f the disabled
| convicts.
One Of the incidents Of prison life
! -.l--ch touched Afachen deeply was the
| hopeless detection which hned Samuel
| Croft from the moment the conspiracy
| prisoners started from Washington.
sam Croft" said Machen, was
pulled out Of a sick bed TO make that
| journey to the prison. His condition
became worse as we neared Mounds
vile and oy the time we arrived at the
| penitentiary Il was so serious that I /
begged that he be given immediate /
medical attention A physician was 4
called and Sam recovered temporarily. !
but lie never recovered from the er- /
fects Of his conviction.
Croft Protested Innocence.
'He was assigned to open the papers
sent TO the prisoners. and therefore had 1
much leisure time. 1 had made II a rule 4
10 walk about the prison yards about 4
three miles a day. but I never could IN
duce sam to join me. He would wait /
Tor me On bench near the prison gate, /
and as we sat there ard talked OF many
things he would almost invariably wind ]
I'D the conversation by saying: Gus.
you know there was nothing crooked /
between u. don't yOuP"
Friday night Machen said goOd-bv 70 |
all of the Washington prisoners. with
whom he had become intimately &C
quainted. At II o'clock he went to the
discharging room. Captain Dawson.
who ordinarily goes home early in the
evening. had remained up to say good
by to the prisoner. OF whom he had be-
cons SO fond. Machen sat with his
bach to the clock, a. though ne could
not stand the strain Of watching the
minute hand slowly drag its way around
the dial. Although he had not smoked
in years, the former postoffice official
finally accepted a cigarette from a
friend and pulled at IL aervously for a
moment and then threw il away.
Finally the clock began to strike the
hour of twelve.
Times up" exclaimed Dawson as
he extended his hand 10 Machen, who
arose quickly and walked to the cage
like gate which permits passage to the
outer world. Dawson accompanied him
down the street, and when the two men
neared the station Dawson again held
out his hand and said:
miss You Awfully."
Gus, I've said nIos- everything I can
say I can only add that Wen miss you
awfully."
Machen shook the captains hand
warmly and replied:
Captain, can't say that am sorry
to leave you. But I want to say that I
appreciate everything that you have |,
done for me. I shall never forget it.
Good-by."
After he reached the station Machea Ii
sent telegram to his wife. informing
her that he would arrive home about
noon. As be boarded the train the now
free man remarked that he was paving
his fare for the first time since he en-
tered the Government service. He sat
up awhile chatting with the Washing
ton newspaper men who had gone to
Moundsviiie 20 accompany HIM home. |
as the lights Of Moundsvflle faded ONT
Of sight Machen remarked:
i nope that's the last I'll see of that
place"
When Machen finally turned in, the
za1l7assalllsaal
- q