The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1912-10-03
THE SILENT CELL.
BY Harold Carter.


the experiment, sir" said the CHIEF
warden of the state penitentiary.
"But you say there is no physL
cal torture, warden" said the
member of the pardon board.
Nothing but darkness and soil
tude to tame refractory prisoners.
Why, my dear man, l can spend a
couple of hours there and come
out fresh as a daisy. I'm sailing
for Europe tomorrow to investi-
gate the prison systems of differ
emit countries, and l want to add
this last experience to my investi-
cations here"
LET ME put in comfortable
couch for you, then" said the war
den.
"No, sir. / shall go as a con-
victed prisoner does. And, by the
way, to heighten the illusion, I'll
put on stripes"
every well, sir. Your desire,
as l understand, is that all your
surroundings shall be such as to
create In your mind the illusion
that you are prisoner under long
sentence?"
"Quite So" said the member OF
the board.
The warden called a trusty,
while the member was discarding
his clothes for the stripes. Take
this gentleman to w s." he said,
and the convict and visitor set off
together. They descended a
gloomy stone stairway and stopped
at the door of a cell, above which
the light burned dimly. The
trusty turned the key upon the
visitor and extinguished the gas
The visitor was left in complete
darkness.
Cautiously he felt his way
around. The cell, as far as he
could ascertain, was about the size
of hall bedroom, and absolutely
empty. The walls were perfectly
smooth. There was not the faint
est light or sound. The visitor
could not determine in which d.
rection the door lay, for it fitted
completely into the walls.
He sank down upon the hard
floor and closed his eyes, striving
to- busy bis mind with thoughts OF
his work. He lad said farewell tC
all his associates; on the morrow
he would be aboard the ship. And
suddenly the thought came ia
him: if he were really forgotten
he might languish there for all
eternity. Nobody would know OF
his whereabouts.
One hour, as he adjudged, slip
ped by, and another. He grew i'm.
patient. He strained his ears to
catch the approaching steps of the
warden. And when they were
long, long overdue, he heard them
very faint, in the corridor. A tral
door was let down from some.
where, and in the pale light the
visitor perceived loaf of coarse
bread upon an iron tray.
Here's your days food" said
a voice gruffly.
Excellent, warden" said the
visitor, laughing nerovusly. "But
isn't my time up yeti"
Git out" said the voice. "SiS
days more here for yours, F ga
Say, let me out" cried the man
INSIDE. 81 said two hours, and it's
long past that now. I've got my
boat to catch"
well, I'm gol-darned," said the
voice, admiringly. Pretending tc
be the man from the pardon board
amt yer, Bill Castles. It's again
the rules to talk to yes, though
so take yer medicine" And he
was gone.
Stupefied, the nan remained
crouched within. Had the trusty
really walked out in his clothes
and left him there? Surely prison
discipline was more strict and in.
telligent. And yet, would they
play such trick upon him, high
official of the state2 He waited
Then the hours began to roll by
A terrible fear beset him, and hi
began to shout, moderately a
first, then more and more loudly
IT LOOKS LIKE A CRIME