The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-10-18


three weeks that the law allows convicted
murderers before their execution Per-
haps this was because time had slipped by so swiftly
that he had been unaware how rapidly il went Then
there the glare of the gaseht which always
burned, distressing him The constant watch they kept
also embarrassed him. 1t was while he was seated
upon his baggage waiting for the summons to start
on his long Journey that 'Poman had first became
aware of it.
He had packed everything: his wooden spoon and
his tin bowl the soft soap and scraps of food in
he needed them He kept them rolled in his
flannel nehtgown; and often as he had occasion to
use anything he repackcd it aferward. He had been
aware for long time Of some unknown oppression
and it when he raised his head suddenly to follow
fugitive thought, that he perceived the Eye for the
first time, staring through round hole in the flap of
the door 1t unwinking, hard, and OF an indie
terminate gray
He soon discovered that every movement he made
was under its surveillance By night and day it fol-
lowed him with its unwinkng stare, wearilcss the
gasight that burned overhead in its Opaque globe
covered with wire. Three times each day, when the
flap of the door was lowered and converted into a
dning-table, the Eye became portion of face that
filed the aperture When the flap closed only the Eye
was visible
Poman glanced up furtivey The Eye was watch
ing him.
"Pvc visited him three times, Evans" said the
prison chaplain TO the head jailer "The
in stupor He didn't appear conscious of my presence
at all I could not him bring him to any
realization Of his situation
All, sir, you're to the business" the head jailcr
answered They're mostly that way at the beginning.
He'll be wanting you in few days time. It's curious,
SIR he continued conhdentaly but they seems, most
of EN-, to go through regular stages. Next week
we'll be giving him double quantities of vctuals."
The chaplain went back again and sat the con-
demned mans cot and pleaded with him NJ sucf times
Polman was only conscious that the ntolerabe glare
Of the gasgh had become supplemented with horror
of sound The Of the human voice half deafened
him. and he would crouch in corner shaking his head
slowly from side TO side like captive bear and FUN
bling with his luggage He at this time only
Of the approach Of some portcntous and eliminating
event. which he had been cast for the most important
role
Polman had never thought Of the dead woman
whose life he had let out through bloody kniferents.
He had thought OF the rcd tape upon his lawyers
briefs, Of the judges red hair under his wig OF the
red faced uryman whom he had hated but had not
been allowed to challenge But never not even in the
middle of the white night when his thoughts whirlcd
like lawn-mower had he thought about her All
that they accused him Of had been entirely unbelievable
from the beginning it was not he who had committed
that impossible action In fact, Polman had not re-
inembered anything of that mdiscretion at all. One
moment he had been Poman, the small, respectable,
unmarried tradesman in the little Welsh town. tie
fervid singer and exhorter in the chapel of his OBJ
scure sect his Gaelic mind wildly alive to the realza
ton of an imminent hell for such yielded TO aeshly
lusts yet carrying his secret intrigue with no prick
ings OF conscience the next he was boodspattercd
maniac stupidity staring at broken carying-knfe in
l. nd Ioot-tn in aston Shment the
feebly writhng body of the woman whom he had loved
beside whose body female pug fat, and with glazed
eyes howed dismay. The sight had turned him sick
so that he crept into the street, between haes Of
shouting and gesticulatng people. Afterward some
BODY took him by the arm and led him away.
The next thing that Polman remembered vas stand
ing up in the dock in the court of the assize town
and looking across at the jury. Polman had himself
once served on jury which had convicted prisoner
of burglary The evidence had been entirely crcum-
stantial and largely ncomprchensble to him and his
fellows the Judges charge entirely but they had
brought in a verdict OF guilty because the prisoner
had been tramp and crimes against property must
be nut down Remembering this Polman seeked down
his hair and nodded and smiled to show the jurors
what a respectable fellow he His counsel would
not let him challenge the red-faced juryman though
he could read the hostility in his eyes and instead OF
pleading an albi, as he had been instructed and as
he had agreed to do he argued that Polnan had been
insane Poman's sister who had gone into service in
London when girl and married well there. had come
up with her cockney husband and had told queer stories
about his youth The trial lasted about three hours;
then the jury filed out OF the box and almost mme-
diaeiy care back and the redfaced juror stood for
ward and looked at the judge
"Are you agreed upon your verdict gentlemen.
asked the clerk of the The Judge without wait
ing for the answer snoohed his wig over ms red haf
aud produced from some place piece OF darN 'e'c5
crooking his hand over TO hide it.