davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
FATHER AND SON ARE
 TN PRISON TOGETHER

There is much of this clannlsh inti- macy, which draws men closer where all are close. For another Instance there Is at the peniteniary a father and son. John and Monroe Champion sent for five years each from Etowah county for assault to murder.
 In this most unusual prison. few stay for a long time. At present the oldest resident by lengh of stay is Aaron Johnson or Fatty" the negro cook. He has been there sixteen years of a life term for murder. But he Is prob ably the buiest of the 210 and the years have not told on him. He hur- ries about the place. rotund and Jovial. administering to the needs of the in rer men cooking each day the sim pie. whlesome viands of meat. and N-eaa. and potatoes. with vegetables in season from the prison farm, and on occasional sweet-pie or cake-for des- sert
 Such is the state penitentiary. Ala bama's oldest state prison, and the least rigorous. It is essentially pri- son with a system. though it is hard to find the system as yiu look at the striped people and their general con tentment. But the system is there. and has been for 10 years. so that it is inbred and a part of the place.
 It is a system. from the time of aris- ing. when the squads are sent to the
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
OLD MAN RAILS
 AGAINST CATHOLICS

There is old man McGuire, once a prominent and well-to-do citizen of Mobile, who was sent for life-term to expiate a murder. He has been there ten years. The monotony has caught him. And now he waIIders about the yard laughing in a hollow, unmeaning manner. He is always laughing. even whens he rails against the Catholics. He will say that the church got him into the prison. and will begin a tirade against the church. and then laugh, and laugh, as always.
 There Is a negro, Will Cunningham, who has collapsed suddenly. Will Is serving a term for Kidnapping. having forcibly abducted a deputy sheriff of Talladega County, who had come to arrest him. The officer was held a prisoner for three days, but escaped.
 Only month ago, says Captain Rob- bins, the negro was as big and strong and sound as any, apparently. And within a fortnight, he collapsed com pIetely. An evil day of the "blues" came for the negro. and now he Is transformed into a veritable skeleton. He stumbles about the yard. having lost the use of his limbs, partially. He talks without meaning, and for. him. toA ha Is
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
oENrTENTIARY AT WETUMPKA, WITH SEVENTY YEARS OF
 SYSTEM MARKED BY THE SERENITY OF ITS INMATES
Is Hospital of Alabama's Prisons Where Go Sick and Disabled Convicts; Pathos Without Grim ness Marks Lives of Maimed Prisoners Many Curious Types.

fields or to the shop. and the disabled to work as best they may. They are all accustomed to the simple require- ments, and few ever balk at the sum mons of the bell.
 Once in a while there Is a recalcl- trant. The punishment for the dis obedient men children is meted out in a whipping. the number of lashes ap- portioned to the offense. But there is not much application of the lash.
 The system never ends or reiaxes. It calls them to quarters at night. when the sun is gone. The big court grows silent, the lamps are lighted. the shadows are heavier.
 There Is no tramp. tramp of guards The system has abolished that. Just a great silent court, with the light of the lamps mingling with that of the moon.
 Silent, and still, and peacefui-take no account of what goes on beyond the
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
LIFE-TERM MEN ARE
 THE PRISON TRUSTEES

There are fourteen "trusties" in all. seven of whom are life-term men. And it is an odd coincidence that each or the seven, who serve life terms for murder has slain a kinsman or a friend. There are two for the murder of brothers. one for killing fatheg. one an uncle, and Colwell. for the death of his sweetheart.
 The life prisoners, they explain, make the best "trusties.' better than the short term men. For the "lifters" have not the gnawing discontent which comes of the weeks and months of waiting for the end of the term. as have the short term men.
 There are exceptions, Of course. Sometimes the monotony of the hope less years grips the long-term men. The same surroundings, the same com- panions for the most part, the same fife with a good bit of inactivity-and the man who Is affected by the conta- zion draws off to himself-to brood.
 Sometimes the spells of despair are temporary. But again the breeding strikes deep. The stricken man be- comes peevish; more and more soli- tary. Then he begins to talk to him. self, and his reason totters.
 That Is the end for some-for good many, says Captain "Bill' Robbins, one of the officials. Then. If the unsound mind brings violence. the unfortunate victim of his own crime Is sent to the asylum; sometimes. however, imbecii- ity comes, just simple, pitiful idiocy the stricken prisoner is suffered to roam about the prison yard-harmless and near to the end For life does not
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
NEGROES LOOK FORWARD
 TO THE CHURCH TIME

The negroes, indeed, look forward to the church time, for the negro. and even the negro in stripes, Is religious be- ing And all throughout Sunday, when ever the official sermon Is not being preached. there is always a little throng of negroes inside. and some recreant parson in stripes-there are several ne- gro preachers in the "pen"--expounds the Gospel to his fellows in misfor- tune.
 It is on Sunday that the visitor should go to get more of an exact idea as to the life of the prison and its in- mates. For then it is that the benches under the trees are filled. ana tns walks about the court are thronged with the striped people-all with the appearance of being satisfied with things. If you look within the sleep ing quarters you will probably see one or two of the despairing ones stretch- ed on their beds and weary of the mo- notony But the most are outside Tn the abundant warm sun.
 There are visitors. many 'of them. white and black. For the indulgence of the prison officials toward visitors is one thing which goes far toward shearing the convicts' life of much or it's horrors. Visitors can come at any time and stay as long as they deslre during the day. There are family re- unions SOHetlIlco, "'NS dreu. or father and mother. or brother and sister come within the Walls to visit their kinsman. But the most or inc visitors are for the negro pris- oners. the white people come less or ten to visit.
 But if there are few white visitors there are many of them who come as sight-seers. They stroll about the court. some take pictures where they can. Then, to watch the morbidly fas- cinating kaleidoscope of the shifting forms in black and white, they sit on one of the benches below the trees' or on the prison office porch.
 Then comes Dave Grey. murderer wih his mandolin, Jim Armstrong, who attemnted a murder, with his violin. Dave Davenport, who also tried to Kill with a bass violin. and Abe Mc- Cferkin. another of the would-oe nom icides/ with his guitar. All or th1 ouartette are negroes. all are nat uIai n musicians, and all want com or two from the visitors. And they play, anu tbe square. clean sunny coust LOOKS good. while the tlnkle oi '"e resounds merrily.
 It is all there for the Vlsltor to aee' the contentment and the despair, the men and their stories, and thelr per sonaltiies. There Is little eise' say those who know the prison. nat nat is to be seen Is not superhciaI' put 'ne real nature of things.
 All the year round. the men live here in expiation of the crimes of which iuries of their equals have found them guilty. They gather. old acqualntah- ces meet shamefacedly first, but Ia ter cordially as the first embarrassment wears off. There is $. H. Bailey. TOT merly one of the best known citizens of Opeliia. who is in prison Tor llle for slaving a man, Allen. From Ope- lika also there came Uhland Culpepper at almost the same time, also for mur- der. He killed a child.
 The two are seen together much or the time-they knew each other before and there Is an old acquaintanceship
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
NO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES
 IN SEVENTY YEARS

It Is wonderful. however. that none of the breeding prisoners. all of whom are convicted for long terms. have es- capped. But though the prison has been in use since 1899. there has not been a successful escape. Once, indeed. over the wall by a rope ladder, but the dogs of the prison were put on their trail and they were recaptured.
 Warden W. o. Robbins does not fear an escape now flor he has as his off, cers say. the best dogs in the State. and once out, it Is impossible for the convicts to get far away.
 And. indeed. 1t IS well-nigh impossi- ble for them to get out. even. For the inner court is surrounded by a wall thirty feet high at the lowest. fifty or sixty feet at the highest. where it merges into the main building which forms part of the square. The brick wall, built In 1899. Is said to be still the best in the State. It is six or eigh, feet thick. and goes down sixteen feet into the ground. To burrow out Is i'm possible; to climb over is highly i'm probable procedure. without ladders. and without rope. And to slip past the gate which forms the only entrance. and which is always barred. has never entered the minds of the prisoners du- ring the widest conjectures.
 The prison at Wetumpka was the first of Alabama's State prisons. and at first housed all of the State convicts. The same old building. almost withon, change. which was built in 1899. stands today, an impregnable bastile. But there are changes in the prison CTS quarters. by a great deal The ola cells exist still, place for the pigeons to roost. and for filth to accumulate And 1t is probable that the prisons Of the Inauisition and the Old World. grewsome of aspect than are the cells which were used long ago in We tumpka.
 Each cell of the old regime was not much over three feet wide. not eight feet high. or more than ten feet long In this cramped hole there was one small bed-there are many left yet to inspire morbidness In the sightseer- and nothing more. There was not room for anything more.
 These niches-and they were little placed In one tall building, many In a row. and four tiers high. There was no practical way by which to heat the enormous room. and it brings a shiver to realize that at one time, white men and women of Ala bama were immured in the little cells, whose thick walls and floor and roofs of brick and cement would chill the most valiant heart. during the winter and bring the unfortunates near to suf- location fin the summer time.
 Now. however. 1t Is different. When the call comes at evening, for the striped people to tumble into quarters. the white men betake themselves to
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
Superfluous Hair.
Doctors Say There Is n Harmless, Safe and Sure Way to Remove Superfiu- ans Hair.

DOctOTS Sdy IuCEe IN ,u ShNG
 and Sure Way to Remove Superfiu-
 Ous Hair.
 Dr. Fowler. who has made a thor ough study of superfluous hair growths, speaking of a case in which he used DeMiracle, says: "I applied De- Miracle, and in a few minutes 1 had her lip devoid of hair without any pain whatever. l instructed her to call again in two weeks. which she did. I found about one-fourth of the hair roots were not killed by the first ap- plication, so I made a second~ap pplica- ton. I saw her again in about a month, and found her lip as clear of hair as an infants. I can heartily rec ommend DeMiracle for all the uses for which the manufacturers recommend it."
 It is well to remember that De- Miracle is absolutely non-poisonous, antiseptic and germicidal. therefore 1t will not produce blood poisoning or eczema which is so common with hair removers. DeMiracle is the only meth cd in the world which is endorsed by physicians. surgeons, dermatologists, medical journals and prominent maga- zines
 DeMiracle mailed. sealed in .'a'" wrapper, for S1. Your money back without question Ono red taprJ IL 4. fails to do all that is claimed for 1t. Booklet free in plain sealed envelope by the DeMiracle Chemical CO, Desk 2, 1909 Park Ave. New York. For sale by Nachman and Mertief and all good stores.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
PRISON CEMETERY
 IS NEAR THE WALLS"

The end comes with an awful sud- denness within the "Walls." Five times a month death occurs; five pris- oners are released by an order of the highest court. The body Is packed in a plain pine box, and buried In the prison cemetery.
 For 1t Is seldom that a body is sent home, except among the white prison CTS. With the negroes. those who die are buried near the Walls" And the white men. too, are buried there sometimes. when the relatives do not express desire for the body, nor pay the expenses of transporting the re- mains.
 The excessive death rate Is due, not to unhealthy conditions of the sltua- tion. nor to lack of provision for the sick. but to the fact that most of the men sent to Wetumpka are worn out and unable to work elsewhere. There are few of the 210 convicts who are not invalids, some in dying condition from tuberculosis.
 Wetumpka Is the sanitarium of Ala bama's criminal world. Perverted in mind and diseased in body, they go thereto be cured. or to die. For when they get out. few return.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
GRADUATED FROM YALE
 JUST BEFORE TAFT

A most positive objection to the pie ture- taking came from Dr. W. J. Ber- ry, who was sent from Montgomery to serve a term for forgery. pr. Berry is a graduate of Yale. he says. of the class one year before that of President Taft. He is proud of a pin which he shows as that of college society, to which he belonged.
 Dr. Berry. while in Montgomery more than a year ago, brought himself with in the tolls of the law when he ob- tained hundreds of dollars from vari- ous members of the Catholic Church of the city, including Father Savage, pos ing the while as a communicant of high connections.
 Dr. Berry has the appearance and the address of a man of culture. and of innate knowledge of the world. His countenance borders on the intellec- tuaI, and altogether he calsl for a sec
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
Votes For Danish Women.

Copenhagen March 13-All Danish women over twenty-five years of age. will. after this date have the right to vote and come forward as candidates In the elections for the Copenhagen Municipal Council. The women. how ever display no enthusiasm.
 There are forty-two seats. and the Socialists. the most powerful and best organized of the parties. have only succeeded in finding seven women candidates. of whom two have resigned on grounds It Is alleged. of personal jealousy. One says that she has developed a weakness of the heart and the second that her housewifely duties are too exacting to permit her to enter politics.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

But Hawk now lies In the hospital with his life ebbing away. unable to move, barely able to speak. the sufferer of a paralytic stroke. His sentence of death has been passed and he acqui- esces, for he acknowledges that he has barely week in which to live. And his time Is out within the month.
 Hawk Is yet young man, and was sent from Huntsville to serve five years for assault to murder. His two sisters in that town have been notified that his time in life Is short, but there Is no answer yet, and it may be that when the five years Is up, Hawk will be rest ing under the shadow of the Walls l"
 But what is the use of lingering with Hawk, or peering into the tuberculosis chamber. where thirty-fve specters lie. fighting for breath. and hoping against hope that the feeble spark will last until the day that will take them home?
 For the 200 other men have each a trouble and sorrow of their own which they are trying to stihe, ana which will come back to them in spite of all. sometimes during the long days or in the dark nights. when they are locked in the sleeping house.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
JUDGE WHATLEY'S IDEAS
 AS TO PRISONS CHANGED

My ideas as to prisons have been completely changed since my arrival here" he said. There has been noth- ing but the kindest treatment since I have been here; no slave-driving, no roughness.
 But Judge Whatley has not yet learned entirely his lesson of elimina- tion of all restraint. He has only been in Wetumpka two weeks and is still just a little aloof. still retains his old-tfme dignity. He winced at the suggestion of his picture being taken.
 He has not yet foresworn his clothes of the old life for the stripes yet; wearing a citizens coat and vest, clean linen and a black tie. with only his trousers of striped duck. But he has been there only two weeks yet, and has been i'll much of the time. Be- fore long, perhaps. the striped shirt and coat will be donned, and the erstwhile Judge will lose his Individuality amid the 200 and more who throng the great square court.
 But there are few like Judge What ley. The most are of the type of Sam Gore. Gore was sent from Cle- burne County, on an eight-year term for assault to murder. He boasts that he is the best moonshiner fin the State of Alabama" and his hands are itching to lay hold on a coffee pot and some corn mash. Just give him the two, he pleads, and he will turn out the 'best liuuor you ever tasted"
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

long. one-story brick building. in the center of the court. In this building g there are rows of beds along each side of the wall, comfortable beds of spring and mattress. There are windows for ventilation and light. and q stove for warmth in winter.
 To house the 1s0 or more negroes there Is a building three stories high From the ceiling of each story swing ing beds are suspended. Four iron bars hang down. to within-thre feet of the floor. at the end of the bars Is bolted the wooden cross beams. which make the bed. It Is an arrangement comfortable for the sleeper. as well as convenient and cleanlv.
 There Is room in the penitentiary. al- together, for probably 800 convicts. There is seldom more than 250. how ever. and the present number of 210 Is only little below the average.
 The penitentiary is governed by W. O. Robbins, an appointee of the State government Mir Robbins. a gigantic statue of man. is fitted both by his imposing physique and his palpable goodness of heart. to rule over the habitat of the diseased in body and per verted In mind. And whatever the grievances and sorrows of the convicts there is nothing that they have against the men who are placed to watch them there is only respect, and. sometimes, love.
 They all admire, and some love. Cap tain Bill" as they call the son of Warden W. O. Robbins. Captain "BiII" Is one of the six guards. all of whom are white men. at the prison.
 There are others connected witt the State penitentiary, but only in quasi official manner. The Ills are treated by a physician of Wetumpka. Dr. Gamble, who has other practi as well. And the pulpit of the little whitewashed church. which stands within the square. is filled by the va" rious white ministers of Wetumpka alternately.
 Every man of the striped people must attend church on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 The church is the only claim upon his time on Sunday. and tere are few If any who grumble.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
THE HOSPITAL STEWARD
 IS COLLEGE GRADUATE

pr. Berry is not the only college man. There is another. Bosworth by name. graduate of Cumberland Col lege. Lebanon. Tenn. Bosworth. how ever, Is more taciturn than the whilom Yale man. He is hospital steward. and moves about the building attent- lively. industriously, polite. sometimes tender, but always reserved
 Bosworth is serving term for forg- cry. He Is another with a pleasing appearance, with grey hair and point ed grey beard, both kept smooth and even by the man who shows that he has been accustomed to far better things.
 But there are no notables at the State prison, to the prisoners-all com panions. Of course the white men and the negroes keep apart. instinctively, but there is no intra-racial difference. The companionship tempers any bit terness which might be experienced. and lovable natures are brought to light sometimes.
 There is one, especially. who seems to radiate with good humor. He Is Charley Colweh. who Is serving a life term for the murder of his sweetheart. Colwell Is a cripple, and walks only with the aid of a crutch and stick :. But his face Is round and good-na- tured, and he holds the confidence of his companions in stripes as well as or the prison officials. For ColWell Is one oF fox ofr,,CfipS
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

locked doors; only peep into the court For it's peacefulness is symbolic of the prison-peaceful always.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
FREEDOM IS RAGING
 WITH ANGEL OF DEATH

There is one who had been hoping to get out soon. Charlie Hawk, young white man of Huntsville. had served the greater part of his i've year term. He had waited and watch ed for months for the approaching day of his release. It comes within three weeks
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

ond look. attracting even from in throng of striped garbed individuals. He invariably switches conversation from himself to commonplaces relative to the prison. and its management, and the contented lives which the most live. He knows them, and is the good fellow with all. The more intelligent he attracts with his own intelligence. his ability to talk on most subjects. and his Knowledge of many things which he has gained during years of travel. With the others he will laugh and relax completely. And with all of his behavior he attracts attention and consideration by his appearance-with his well-kept grey hair and intelligent face and conversation.
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14
More Than Two Hundred in Stripes Live With Strange Contentment in A1abama's Oldest Prison Under Conditions Different from Those of Most Prison Houses

All are accounted for. and the doors are locked
 Such is life at wetumpka. The 21o men who live the life. make up a sub 5ect for years of study.
 MEN OF ALL SORTS
 WITHIN THE WALLS
 There are all sorts and conditions of men; college men and illiterates; men who have known wealth, and others whose poverty had forced them to crime; men who are thrust from luxury to prison fare; men to whom the regular three meals each day, of good, wholesome food, is as something unusual-misanthrope and optimists, philosophers and breeders. Without a continuous task to distract them. they give vent to their real na- lures. and att Wetumpka they are closer one to another than at most other prisons And their real person. ality. not the unfortunate side whose outbreaks brough<~them to the stripes. but the oher real life at home and business Is brought out, and it Is easy to know them. There Is nothing to embttter them. and they relax after awhile.
 There is Judge W. H. whatiey. for one. He has been Probate Judge of SA"J Souh.S' hoW he is serving out a two years sentence for forgery, and has been in Wetumpka two weeks of the time.
 In view of the degradation from the judgeship. 1t would seem natural that Judge Whatley would undergo the metamorphosis into misanthropy. But he has not. ee
 He talks freely of his position. and of his past. He declares that his im- prisonment is the result of a political scheme of his enemies. and that his innocence will come to light shortly. But there Is no bitterness In his speech. Judge Whatley was elected Probate Judge by the Populists, and politics Is his hobby. But he switches from pol itics to speech regarding his family. of whop, h{a xvorda fandar
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

sasfactonha simply bit feel little berbut curedrenewed in
The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-03-14

All are accounted for, and the doors are locked.
 Such is life at Wetumpka. The 210 men who live the life. make up a sub 5ect for years of study.