The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-06-24
Chronicle: Do you remember Abe

Il was shocked said Raphael yes
terday. q had not seen Ruef since
his incarceration, and the man that
finally slinked into the wardens Of
fee was stranger to me. His face
was of a pinkish, blush hue-I think
they call it the prison pallor-his
eyes shifted constantly. He did not
once look me squarely in the face.
His fingers never stopped twitching.
Hello, Abe l said.
Hello, he answered in colorless
tones. ! hardly knew what to say;
I could think of no common ground
of conversation. Finally I memem.
bered that he knew the Kohl family
we'll
Did you know Charles Frederick
Kohl was shot yesterday l asked
him.
"Who?'
"'Why, Kohl, the millionaire, son
of the man who built the Kohl build
ing in San Francisco
"T don't remember him
" Why, surely you remember the
Kohl family-one of the best known
families in San Francisco?'
ooh, yes, I remember now. Too
bad, wasn't it?' But there was no
expression in his voice and he asked
me no further questions. He
evinced no concern in the outside
world. He heard me tell of recent
political events in San Francisco, of
men he had known long and init
mately; but no CLEAN of interest
shone in his eyes. j seemed to be
talking to a man whose mind was
far, far away.
"The guard told me They all get
that way It is a common mental
condition of all convicts. Incessant
brooding over their prison terms be-
gets melancholies. They lose hope.
I watched the different squads go
into the lookup at 5 o'clock Friday
afternoon and saw the same hunted
look in their eyes and faces that |
had noticed in Ruef.
What's the reason?' l asked a
guard, and he smiled grimly and
pointed his finger. It was toward a
small tower on the prison wall that
the hand of the guard pointed.
81 saw in the tower another guard
with a gun. While looked two con-
victs separated themselves from the
striped line that glided into the lock,
up and walked back in the direction
of the tower. The guard who was
with me raised his hand and sig.
nailed. The guard in the tower sig.
nailed back.
IF I hadn't done that those two
ICONS" would have been shot the
guard told me. That's the reason
why they have that hunted look
They're afraid of being shot Those
two who just went back are allowed
out in the Enclosure for a little time
because of extra work.
Let me show you something,
continued the guard. He threw int
the lookup a cigar butt he had beer
putting. There was the flash of :
striped figure and the next instan
instant the butt was in the pocket o
of a convict.
They get like dogs, said tn,
guard. Some of them think they've
been here five years when they'v,
been here only five months. Ruef il
that way and he's been here onl.
since March eth"
! Herbert F. Repsold, son of a mil
lionaire wine merchant of San Fran
cisco, passed Raphael in the stripe,
line that lockstepped into the lock
up. Repsold gained fame as tn
"perfumed burglar" He is servin
a sentence of fifteen years.
"Repsold saw me-" said Raphae
but as he passed he turned his hea
away. l saw several young fellow
in the line of convicts who looked t
be between the ages of 10 and 2:
They were punched with men VIII
looked to be hardened criminals.
81 learned that there is no di
tinction made in the class of prison
ers, In some of the cells there al
four convicts. Perhaps one or tW
may be youths who are in for II
first time. They are thrown in co
tact with old-timers.
Now, while physically San Que
tin is a model prison, as I found
on my visit of Friday, morally i
method of handling convicts
wrong.
ct is not right to place youth
good family with the lowest erin