The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-06-08


ferent place to the old jail from
which It got its melancholy eognomen.
To-day there is not the slightest just.
fcatioa for the lugubrious epithet ap-
piled to It. but In the old days. when
mans inhumanity to man was less
form OF speech than cold. merciless
TACT, the 'ETombs" described an intol.
cradle and disgraceful condition fairly
accurately. Formerly the cells IN
which the unfortunate prisoners were
confined while awaiting trial were sit.
uated deep under ground and had mel.
Their light nor ventilation. A man
might be guiltless OF the oReuse with
which he was charged. yet while
awaiting an opportunity TO prove his
innocence he was condemned to spend
days. sometimes months. in what was
little better than grave. Literally.
be was buried alive. A party Of for.
eiSners visiting the prison one day
were startled At seeing human beings
confined in such holes. They look
Ike tombs." cried some one. Now
York was amused at the sin$uiarly
appropriate appelladve and it has
stuck to the prison ever since.
Bat times change and institutions
with them. AS man becomes more
civilized he treats the lawbreaker
with more humanity. Probably soci-
ETY. will always need its prisoners.
but as We become more enlightened
we insist on treating our criminals
more from the physiological and psy-
Geological standpoints than In the
cruel, brutal. barbarous manner OF the
dark ages. In other words the sociol.
ogist insists that the lawbreaker has
greater need of the physician than he
has Of the jailer.
To-day the city prison is a tomb
IN name only. It is admirably con-
structed. commodious, well ventilated
The cells are large and well lighted.
with comfortable cots and all the
modern sanitary arrangements. There
are roomy corridors for daily exercise
and luxurious shower baths can be OBJ
tanned free for the asking. There are
chapels for the religiously inclined
and library for the studious. The
food is wholesome and well prepared
in large. scrupulously clean kitchen
situated on the top floor. Carping
critics have. indeed. declared the
Tombs to be too luxurious. declaring
that habitual criminals enjoy stay
at the prison and actually commit
crime so that they may enjoy some Of
It's hotel-like comforts.
1t was with a sinking heart and
dull, gnawing sense OF apprehension
that Annie descended from south
bound Madison avenue car in Center
street and approached the small por
tai under the foTbidding gray walls
She had visited prison once before.
when her father died. She remem.
bered the depressing ride in the train
to Sing Slug. the formidable steel
doors and ponderous bolts. the narrow
cells. each with its involuntary occu.
pant in degrading stripes and closely
cropped hair. and the uniformed
guards armed with rifles. She remem.
bered how her mother wept and how
she had wondered why they kept her
poor dada in such an ugly place. To
think that after all these years she
was again to go through a similar ex-
perience.
She had nerved herself for the or
deal. Anxious as she was to see How.
ard and learn from his lips all that
had happened. she feared that she
would never be able 20 see.him behind
the bars without breaking down. Yet
she must be strong so she could work
TO set him free. So much had hap
pened in the last two days. It seemed
month since the police had sent for
her at midnight to hurry down to the
Astruria, yet It was only two days
ago. The morning following her try.
ing interview with Capt. Clinton in
the dead mans apartment she had
tried to see Howard. but without sue.
cess. The police held him a close
prisoner, pretending that he might
make an attempt upon his life. There
was nothing for her TO do but wait.
Intuitively she realized the neces.
sity Of Immediately securing the SER
vices Of an able lawyer. There was
no doubt Of Towards innocence. but
she recalled with a SILVER that even
innocent persons have suffered CAPT.
tai punishment because they were un.
able to establish their innocence. so
overwhelming were the appearances
against them. He must have the best
lawyer to be had, regardless Of ex.
pense. Only one name occurred to
her. the name OF man OF interna.
tional reputation. the mere mention
OF whose name In courtroom filed
the hearts OF the innocent with hope
and the guilty with dread. That man
was Judge Brewster. She hurried
downtown IN HE oAca o,d Matted -,