The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-01-20
WALSH BEARS
Up WELL IN
PRISON CELL
Prisoner Inquiries About Rules of Con-
duct-Eats Hearty Meal of Prison
Fare Despite Gloomy Surroundings
lis Photographed by Fellow Convict
TO Work in Library.

! LEAVENWORTH, Kas, Jan 49,
On little iron cot in a cell of the
federal prison here, John r. Walsh
VINO today began serving a five veal
sentence for misapplying funds of the
Chicago National bank, spent his first
night in the penitentiary
| If the change from a luxurious room
in his Calumet avenue mansion il
Chicago to small barred space work
CO hardship with the prisoner he
did not show it. He has accepted his
new situation with smiling good grace
He is outspoken in his approval of the
kindly manner in which he has beer
treated since his arrival at noon today
! Behind his grave front there is be.
! lieved to be a secret belief in his owr
mind that he never will live out his
sentence. Tonight it became known
that, while Walsh was talking in
! private with an old friend-a man
like himself, with white hair, whom he
has known for half a century-he re-
marked, sadly:
Il don't believe 1 ever shall live out
my sentence if l am not pardoned"
The new surroundings did not make
Walsh-who is known as "Convic
6S61"-nervous. He sat calmly in his
cell tonight and read until the bis
gong sounded, lights out" at 9 o'clock
Then he disrobed and retired Wher
q guard passed the cell a few minute:
later, the ex-banker was seepins
peacefully.
| When the convicted. banker wa!
;shCwn his cell, he asked several ques
tons about rules governing his incar.
ceration.
Just tell me what to do and I will
do it," he said. 'If / Violate any rule!
1 assure you it will be through ignor
ance only"
Little attempt was made today t,
teach the new prisoner the rules
Prison officials thought it best not t.
burden his mind with little details o
lprison life until he had becom
Thoroughly rested from the trip. Man,
persons who saw the convicted finan
lcier enter the prison today wit!
lsprightly step and smiling countence
predicted that relapse would follow
lWhen he was settled inside the walls
1t was said that Walsh was strain
ling every effort to make himself ap
ipear cheerful before his friends. Few
men, even two score years yOunge
ttan this gray haired convict, hav
walked so calmly into prison as did he
! Warden R. w. McClaughry, an oil
Ipersonal friend of Walsh, was one o
those who feared the prisoner nigh
suffer a relapse After talking wit!
him tonight, he said:
walsh is bearing up well. / an
surprised at the vitality he shows.
dc not predict a relapse. He probabl.
will be able to take up some regula
employment in a few days"
DR.. l.. Blake Baldwin, the prisoner
SON law, has decided to remain I'M
ference with DIR. A. F. YOhe, prison
physician. and tell him the exact phys
Iical condition of the aged eX-banker
Prisoner Has Good Appetite.
One thing that has given confidence
10 the friends of the prisoner is his ap
tpetite He took his first meal in prison
Itoday. 1t consisted of warm biscuits
fried potatoes, onions and plain coffee
Walsh ate heartily.
Within 20 minutes after the warden
office had been reached, preliminary
arrangements for WalShs beginning
his sentence had been made. He shoos
ihands with his son, John w. Walch
his SON law, DR.. l.. Blake Baldwin
mis- attorney, E. c.. Ritzher and United
States Marshals Hoy and Middleton
who accompanied him.
Good bye he said firmly, and Their
! turned to the warden as signal thai
he was ready to begin his sentence.
His photograph was taken, another
convict acting as photographer. The
picture showed Walsh in the street
clothes in which he arrived. In a few
days after he has recovered from the
fatigue and excitement attending his
trip from Chicago, a second photo
graph will be taken.
AS he is in poor health, Walsh was
sent to the hospital for observation.
! He will remain there for seVera
days, until he is fully recovered, when
| if he is able to work, he will be as
signed to duty in the prison library
His duties in the library will De
those of special clerk to the librarian
Chaplain Frank J. Leav1tt, IN the
work of overhauling and recataiogu-