Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1912-06-01

searched By a matron for concealed
weapons. a humiliating ordeal. TO
which even the richest and most In
fuential visitors must submit with as
good grace as possible. The matron
was a hard looking woman OF about
80 years. in whom every spark Of hui
man pity and sympathy had been
killed during her many years OF con-
slant association with criminals. The
word prison" had lost It's meaning TO
her. She saw nothing undesirable in
Jail life. but looked upon the Tombs
rather as a kind OF boarding house in
which people made short or long So
journs. according to their luck. She
treated Annie unceremoniously, yet
not unkindly.
80 you're the wife OF Jeffrles,
whom they've got for murder. eh7"
she said. as she rapidly ran her hands
through the visitors clothing.
Yes faltered Annie, but It's all
a mistake, assure you. My husbands
perfectly innocent. He wouldn't hurt
a fly"
The woman grinned.
They all say that, NM" Lugubrf
ously she added: IL hope you'll be
more lucky than some others were"
Annie felt herself grow cold. Was
this a sinister prophecy? She shud-
dered and, hastily taking a dollar from
her purse. slipped It into the matron's
hand.
May go now2" she said.
"Yes, my dear; / guess you've go.
nothing dangerous on you. We have
to be very careful. / remember once
when we had that Hoboken murderer
here. He's the teller that cut his
wife's head off and stuffed the body
in barrel His mother came here to
see him one day and what did | find
inside her stocking but an innocent
looking little round pill. and II you
please. It was nothing less than prus
sic acid. He would have swallowed II
and the electric chair would have
been cheated. SO you see how careful
we has to be-"
Annie could not listen to any more
The horror of having Howard classet
with fiends of that description sickened
her. To the keeper she said quiclSly'
please take mo to my husband"
Taking another dollar from hel
purse, she slipped the bill into the
mans hand, feeling that, here al
everywhere else, one must pay FOL
privileges and courtesies. Her guide
led the way and ushered her into al
elevator, which, at a signal, started
slowly upwards.
The cells in the Tombs are arranged
in rows I'm the form of an ellipse II
the center of each of the six floors
There is room to accommodate go
prisoners Of both sexes. The men ar
confined in the new prison; the won
en-, fewer in number, in what remains O
the old building. Only the center of eac
floor being taken up with the row
OF narrow cells, there remains q broa
corridor, running all the way roun
and flanked on the right by high wall
with small barred windows. An oil
server from the street CHANGING up q
the windows might conclude that the
were those of the cells in which priI
oners were confined. AS matter c
fact. the cells have no windows. only
grating which looks directly out int
the circular corridor.
AT the fourth floor the elevate
stopped and the heavy iron doc
swung back.
This way" said the keeper, stel
ping out and quickly walking alon
the corridor. He's in cell No. ass"
A lump rose in Annie's throat Tn
place was well ventilated. yet sh
thought she would faint from CHI
king feeling Of restraint All alon
the corridor to the left were iro
doors painted yellow. In the uppe
part OF the door were half doze
broad Sits through which one coul
see what was going on inside.
Those are the cells" volunteers
her guide.
Annie shuddered as, mentally. sh
pictured Howard locked up in such
dreadful place. She peered throug
one Of the Sits and saw narrow ce
about ten feet long by six wide. III
only furnishings were a folding c.
with blanket, wash bowl and Law
tory. Each cell had its occupant. me
and youths Of all ages. Some wei
reading. some playing cards. Son
were lying asleep on their cots. pc
hsps dreaming OF home, but most