The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-22
EIGHTEEN PRISONERS
TO FORT MADISON
Transferred From the Anamosa Re-
formatory-Are Mostly Long
Term Men.

Cedar Rapids Gazette: There was
at the union passenger station last
evening special car 1t was not the
special coach of a railroad president,
nor special carrying joyful delegates
to lodge convention In 1t were
eighteen men and five guards. The
eighteen men were on their way from
the Anamosa reformatory to the Fort
Madison penitentiary. 1t was safd
that they were sent to Fort Madison,
because they were not considered pro-
per subjects for a reformatory Three
have life sentences to serve, and not
one has less than five years to speno
in prison. The shortest term that had
been given by the courts to any indiv-
idual in this car was twelve years.
AS the car was switched to the
union station, woman with tears in
her eyes, followed the switching train.
| When the train stopped the woman
stepped to the side of the coach and
conversed with one of the prisoners
She was the prisoner wife. and had
been following the prisoners, buying
transportation on the same tram
which carried the men to Fort Madi-
son. At the station she cared moth
ing about staring oniookers while talk
ing to her husband And the prison
ers, respecting this meeting of sepa-
rated man and wife, pretended not to
see the man leaning from the car
window and the woman on the track.
Following an unwritten law, they
made sacred the words between hus-
band and wife. Although the husband
was crowded by his comrades of the
prison, it was evident that none 9TH
er than he heard the words of conso-
latioa from the woman.
The prisoners seemed in mirthful
mood. They came from within stone
walls and iron bars to ride through
scenic valleys and hills where they
could see free men working in the
fields or driving along the road. ano
in cities where they could see women
and children returning from shopping
and men on the way home from their
labor. The contrast between the
scenes of bondage with which they
had become familiar. gave them
holiday spirit. While there was evil
dence of the atmosphere of the chain
gang, there was no iron bars. no steel
chains around the mems feet 1t was
a modern prison gang. The guards
seemed kindly. The prisoners were
treated with cigars. They were al
lowed to converse and even to joke.
But while a man here and there
passed humorous remark or called
attention to some peculiar incident or
scene in the outside world. sorrow
was evident in this car. For long
minutes each man turned his eyes
from the scene Of free civilization.
and hung his head The lines on his
face contracted, his lips closed, his
eyes stared into vacancy and the con-
tour OF his profile plainly told that In
his mind were thoughts of the free
dom he had once enjoyed and that ba-
fore his eyes there was vision OF
other scenes
Mayhaps the kindly treatment from
the guards, their freedom to converse.
merely enhanced the contrast between
their condition and the conds>on of
the world outside OF the prison car,
impelled them to make resolutions to
lead another life when he walked out
of the prison. Such was the opinion
of onlookers.
The car was in charge of Chief
Clerk G. L. Parker and Guards l.. A.
Trump, Homer Smith, NJ. F. o'Tool
and H. v. Powers.