davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
THE DEVILS ANTECHAMBER
A Graphically Impressive Picture OF Life in
the Tombs, One of the Worlds Most
Famous City Prisons
WHAT THIS is

My here is description of prison. of the pris-
life there and exposition of prison thoughts and
feelings from within by into whose SOUL the
phrase is, the iron has entered
For several this particular thing has not till now
been successfully this country But ought TO be
and the obligation to do happens to fall on me- Cir
have put forward spokesman and inter-
prefer this and silent brotherhood of which
| was one and from which have come forth.
Civilized society responsible for its prisons and for the
the prisoners well for the conditions that
brought the latter under the punitive of the law But
society vital knowledge of what penal i'm
of its effect upon the subjected TO it, and
upon those appointed to administer it, Society has
opportunity to learn something of these matters and
heeupon decide with intelligence what if anything
it behooves it to do in the premises.
have allowed a thread of personal narrative
through the story, which strung reflections and
gesons arising from the facts presented have done this
with wish exploit my private affairs but in order to
give the composition natural human FORM and to nst into
the life which abstract propositions lack The reader is
quested TO c0nsrue the personal meaning not
myself in particular, but the Prisoner in his cell
Whatever further explanations necessary may be
found in the story itself JULIAN HAWTHORNE.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
A Vision of the Courtroom.

But then came the thought that had
often visited mo in the past months. as
] sat IN the dingy courtroom and
listened perfunctorily 10 the legal
wTangle. the abuse and defense. the
loug.dTawn testimony of witnesses. the
comment OF the precise and genial
Judge. and contemplated idly tho iaded
uncomfortable jury. the covert whisper.
ing of assistant district ATTORNEYS and
postofiice inspectors. the dangling mans
and tho piles of documents-wheu T
had asked myself. lis all this real. or
arc they transient symbols importing a
concealed siCnificance7 Then, TO ms
Imagination, the empty walls would
seem 20 melt away. and saw a great
benign face and ngure above the bench
of the judge. holding a trial of those
wh. labored 20 busily-a trial not
entered i'm the books, and alien from
that which occupied us; and recording
judgments. uuheard here. but eternal.
Was that tho rcalityl Then lei come
what might on this plano Of foolish
contention. where We strive to cover
the immu'ablc with the petty mask OF
Our mutabilities. We sweat and toll
for cuds which wc know not. and our
paifrv and blind decisions. our
iriumphs ard failures determine moth.
inE hu' tic degree of our own
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
An Obliging Marshal.

Yes, but this palpable word has It's
place and function nevertheless, to be
accepted and used while time lasts. If
those who tried me were on trial, [ had
no personal concern in the matter. My
business, now, was to keep pace with
my companion, who obigingly allowed
his arm to swing with mine, so that
passers-by, even If they could afford to
divert their attention from their own
footing on the muddy pavements, and
from the management of their UNI
brellas, would not have noticed the
bond uniting him and me. For this
courtesy-the only possible one in the
circumstances-I took occasion TO ex-
press my recognition, to which he re
sponded with easy friendliness. "We
don t never make no trouble for them
as don I go to hunt none, was his re-
mark.
We were now in Center street, and
the Tombs was close at hand; and /
drew into my lungs full draughts of
the open air, murlsy though it was, re-
flectiDg that my opportunities of doing
so IN future would be limited
Here were the steps supporting the
tall steel gate, through which, in former
days, l had seen many a poor devil
pass; 1t was now others turn to com
miserate, or jeer, tho poor devil that
was myself. There was no deay-we
seemed to be awaited, and in the next
minute l had felt what 1T is TO be
locked into q prison. / was behind
bars, and could not get out at my own
will-nor at any one else s, for that
matter; only at the imSersonal fat of
the machine.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
The Devils Antechamber.

Ny marshal chatted and laughed
moment with the keeper, then gave him
his buxom paw in farewell | was led
through stone passages, past rows of
barred cells from which peered visaces
OF reilow prisoners lncurious and pre-.
occupied, or truculent and reckless
men under indictment and without hail
convlcts making appeal, and culprits
jailed for minor oifenses. Such men
were to be my comrades for tho fu-
ture. Some were out in the corridors,
pacing up and down or chatting with
friends; for the laws Of the Tombs are
uusearchable.
1t is q unique place, q Devils Ante
chamber, where almost anything except
what is decent and orderly may hap.
pen: 1t is not so much n prison or
pententlary as a human pound, where
every variety of waif and stray turns
up and sojourns for while; murder
ers, pickpockcts, politicians, scape-
goats; confidence men, old profession
ais, first-time offenders, even suspects
afterward to be proved innocent
There is nothing that I know OF to pre-
vent thoroughgoing convicts from get.
ting in here temporarily; the Tombs is
Of Catholic hospitality But they do
not properly belong here; IL is but their
hallway house-the Antechamber.
And discrimination must be observed
in classifying the inmates; no one here
likes TO be regarded as beyond hope OF
bettering or escaping from his restricted
condition. He wears his own clothes
for one tbing-and no small thing; he
is not known b. 2 number: it is not
! believe, en- regle TO club him into
insensibility NJ viii and with immunity
or TO starve him 20 death. or so much
as TO hang him up by the wrists in
dark cell. The guards or keepers do
not 20 about visibly armed with re-
volvers or rifles; talking and smoking
are not prohibited: the grotesque as,
semblagc IS Jet out into the corridors
occasionally, whore they shamble up
and down and exchange observations
hour outdoors in tho stone paved
high.walled yard.
Moreover, extraordinary liberties can
he obtained, IL you know how 10 90
about IL. and possess the means Of
bnndngiDg inconvcnient eyes. Not only
are we permitted to stampede our
quotas OF bedbugs, but leave NAV he
had 10 decorate our cells with souvenirs
of art and domesticity. 10 soften our
sitting down appliances with cushions.
20 drapc the curtain of modestv before
the grating Of restriction. 20 carpet our
stone flooring, 10 supply our leisure
hours with literary nourishment. 10
secrete stealthy cakes and apples for
bodily solace. 20 enjoy surreptitious and
not over hazardous corridor outings
when others are locked up. 10 write
and receive any sort OF letters at anv
times. without having them first read
and stamped By licensed letter ghouls
More. there was at least one man
among my companions there who con.
trived, by devices which I never sourb,
10 fathom, % pass the immitigable out
ar gates themselves every day, attend
as many hours as might serve, return.
ing quietly IN time for last rollcall.
He took n keeper with him, OF course.
but only in order 10 as-uage possible
anxiety on the part OF those RESPONSE
bic for his security; and ono cannot
help suspecting that rs soon a. the
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
Punishments That Improve.

Revolving these matters, l could
only come to the conclusion that they
pointed in ono direction, namely, to-
ward the anachronism and absurdlty Of
our whole theory of punishment by i'm.
prisonment AS ] shall have plenty of
cause To give full discussion to this
subject laier on, / viii only touch it
here, but the fact IS that we imprison
malefactors or law-breakers (not al
ways synonymous by any means, since
there are a score of artificial crimes
for one real one) not because we be-
lieve that TO bc the right thing for
them. but simply by reason of our in
ability to imagine anything more suit.
able and sane Moreover. there are the
steel and stone Jail buildings them
selves, which cost much in money and
more in graft: what shall be done with
them7 The wardens and guards. too
all the fantastic appanages of these in
stitutiors-are they to be east lDcon-
tinently upon a frigid wsrldl
The law. in short, lags leagues and
ages behind the moral sense of the COM
munitv. so encumbered with its bag
paee train that il can never fetch up
lost ground. We know perfectly well
that the only punlshmcnts that can
improve men are punishments OF con
science from within. and love from
without-which Is practically the same
thing: and that punishment by lmpris-
onment il punishment by hate in fact.
whatever Il NAV be in theory, and
therefore diabolical and destructive. II
can only inflamc and multiply the evils
IL preteud- 20 heal; and this IS no the
ory-. but a certified and established
truth Everybody who has been through
IL. knows il. everybody who dares 10
think may know H.
The whole thing - ridiculous, huge
and clumsy absurdiv, stepping on IT'S
own feet Jaud smelling 20 heaven. And
here in our America ~ IS today worse
than i'm Italy or Russia, in some re-
srerts. because We know better that u
Is wrong. and therefore try TO hide rs
cpormitie- from open daylight. We lie
and dis-imulatc about u. Investigators
yhitcwash n, conservative citizens de.
precnte cxaggcration about H. wardens
and cuards-some Of them. not all
arc more wicked in their secret prac.
tices with convicts than they would be
II thcy did not know that they would
be stopped N the community knew OF
thcfu And N was inevitable that only
q low type OF men would accept posi-
iious a. guards and wardcns, because
no honest man worth his salt could af-
ford 20 work for the paw that these Of
ficials get: and the latter themselves
would not work Tor t. did they not de.
pend upon stealing twice IA much, or
more. by the grntt.
But the system, inwardly rotten,
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
Liberal Rules of the Tonbs.

the keepers of it are good nstured
people enough, with sense Of bumor
and free from trammeIs Of principle,
Official or ethical. Their great severity
is exercised toward those who stand
outside the gates and crave permis-
sion 10 visit their friends within;
these ind the way nrduous and beset
with pitfalls OF ''orders, hours aud
other mystic rites, except where they
blow in miraculously. enforced by
breath from on high.
The inmates themselves. meantime.
get on quite prosperousiy, so long "a
their money or money I, worth holds
out. There is no license Of aptitude on
their guardians part 70 club them for
relaxation 5 sake or 70 kick them into
underground dungeons for "observa.
tioD (you VIII understand that term
By and by). or in apv manner 20 hold
q carnival Of wantou brutality with
them. The general idea is merely 10
keep them somewhere inside the build
ing for the appointed Or convenient
time: beyond TINT a liberal view Is
adopted OF the conditions Of the so
journ. They can buy eats 10 suit
themselves and have them served 10
them in their own cells; they can hold
communication with one another and
with the outer world; I suppose they
could wear evening dress after .
o clock If they wanted 20. Thcy are
not victims of despotic and ire
sponsible power. and this IS not only
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
The Irresistible Machine.

The prison officials who stand near
on meet your eye with leer Of ia
uiiarity; they have haBdled thousands
on men in your situation; they will
nave q grin or a growl for any remon-
,francc or protest you may make !;
uowcr over you hss been given to
chem: IN you there Is no power. You
,auuot blame them: their authority
was dcputsd 10 them by men above
thcW, who IN turn received u from 9th
ofs, they are parts Of the great ma.
,hinc. working irreSistibly and auto
n1tically.
The Judge is blsmeless. be had said,
The verdict of the jury makes il my
Painful duty 10 sentence youi The
iury is not 20 blame; they had decided
upol tho evidence, IN accordance with
heir oath. The witnesses who bore
testimony against you--did thcy not
testify upon a solemn adjuratiOn 10 ut
Ter nothing but the truth, at the peril
Of their immortal soulsl The indiet'
fusuts 10 whose truth they bore wit
ness--weTo they not made and brought
by officers appointed by law 20 seek
only impartial justice. and sworn 20
eek il without fear or favor7
Go back yet another step If you will,
and consider the inspectors aud detec-
tiyes who gathered the complaints
against you--is the beginning with
then7 80; they did but act for the
protection Of the community against a
crime of which YOU were suspected
which was resolved 10 be crime hy
he representatives Of the nation In
congress asscrnbled-tbat is, by the ma
tion itself. You yourself. therefore
- part OF tho nation. share with tho
rest the responsibility for your present
rsodicament. Then. whether the YER
dict against you were right or wrong
whether you he innocent or guilty
the blame AZ last comes home 20 Won.
Such - the reduction al absurdum-
the lawyers argument. technically
flswless, though proceeding upon n
transparent fallaey. That fallacy [
~ the moment is the renorters'-
Have Won any statement 80 makce'
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
The Ostracized Murderer.

The head keeper of tue meuagcrie
1 saw but once or twice; he was uf
Falstaffian proportions, with Il cleaf|
and steady masculine eye and de;
meanor OF genial and complaccnt al'
thority. He knew what and when To
sec and not TO sec, and had his own
measure OF the legaiities and the pro.
prietics. Little gusts of Investigators
and reforms passed by him as the eddy
ing dust Of the street sweeps by granite
skyscrapers. 81 y suis--J y restel (
was his motto. The subordiuates bad
general Irish complexion TO my feels
ing; they we're there TO gather ups un.
der the humorous guise of marshals OF
order. They were atfable and easy,
going as far as they could with only
SO much show of resistance as nnght
lend more value TO their yielding.
The prisoners were as heterogeneous
as the contents OF ragpicker auc.
ton. Yet they associated with little
friction, herding uniformly KIND WITH
kind, only rarely lending themselves
to transient ructions, They played Int
lie iokcs on each other; fat and seri'
Gus captive was sitting of an eventnf
at his cell door, absorbed in the P6%
sal of a widespread newspaper a
cpome-hke passcrby in the corridor III
an unsuspccted match, and sndoeniy
the newspaper was a shceC Oh iiau'Vt IL
There were uglier spectacles. we
had among us q fresh murderer, Mno'
after killing his wife. had retsinesa. es.
grudge enough against her TO hacA yn
her head. He kept darkly 10 his cell,
sitting hour after hour with his bcaa
leaning on his hand and eyes uDswers-
iuply dowucast His crime was not
popular in that company, aud nohs ns
sought his companionship. AT inc
other end Of the scale werc dazea.
foreign creatures, guilty Of they knew
not what, gropingly and valnly SUN
ing to understand and to make tnein.
selves understood. There was .no
scum of the cutters; and thers WeiS
men Of intellect and high breedlnpl
arming their hearts to resist sname 80
despair, and bending. to soften Luz
plight Of children OF misery oe'O"
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14

crumbles; and IN the interval remain
ing before il falls, the devil is getting
IN some of his most strenuous work. |
know, and rejoice, that enlightened and
magnanImoUs methods are obtaining in
some places; hearty and brave men,
here and there, are making themselves
wardens of the good in men instead Of
eXploiters Of the evil But in most
prisons-among them, in that one down
in Atlanta, whence | come-the devil
Is labOrng overtime, conscious that his
time is short.
The worst criminals therc-as God
sees criminals-are not tho men in
branded attire who sit in their cells
and slouch about their sterile tasks,
but men who walk the ranges in uni
form and who sit in the rooms OF man
ayers; for the crimes of the former are
crimes of poverty or of passion. but
those of the latter are voluntary, un-
forced, spontaneous crimes against hui
man nature itself They are upheld in
high places; they are fortified by diff
6culty of technical proof: they arc
guarded by the menace of the spy sys.
tenn and OF criminal libel; but there is
some reason TO think that their term
is near.
But let us return to that queer ante
chamber of the devil at the corner of
Center and Franklin streets.
There is picture by that strange
and unmatchable English artist Of the
eighteenth century, William Hogarth,
Of the mad house in London known as
Bedlam. If he were hero he might
draw companion picture of the
Tombs. The Que is as much as the
other q crazy. incoberent, irrational,
futile place, yet cmbodyiug very ac-
curately certain aspect of the civic
attitude toward the insanity Of vice
and crime Of the day. There is moth
ing intelligent, purposeful, trenchant or
Inn ma, nd h., ,,..,rlu..A
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
When Soul Gazes at Soul.

The soul of the newcomer blancne'
and shivers occasionally as ne con.
templates the grisly, crazy scene apa
he thinks Of all that menaces thsl
women at home. And when, IN w
visiting hours, the women come suu'
stare palely at the faces OF those nv
love between the bars, wishing 10 cn1v-
them, but appalled, and made gluay ~
the abiect and sordid horror OF 'ue
solid fact. those who stare back
them and try 10 smile feel the gia,Iuh
Of the wheels Of life on the nhIsu 90
tom of things. But q man nlapp0Un
must not give way; there must DC %
triumph over him Of these assaui's Ell ell
underminings of the enemy. ~,
gaZes AT soul. but the talk is suPy
fcial and trivial. He IS drownins
the gulf. and sho stands yeatnins oin
the brink, but there shall be no
outcrics or outstretched arms
cnnd;t;on wrought bv men, not counte,
papccd by God, and the sPi'''
command the flesh TO endure.
Punch the button and listep 90.
more 70 the refrain. 4" You shoulu Oa
thought of that before! bnt TaI tai;eys eve
uosterity ever be induced TO pc,,e ~,
Tint such inhumanitics could nave ~
committed In tho divine name " -
I am not qualified TO write To.
Of tho devils antechamber; l aG%
there but ten days, as we recAos ,' u5ay
ON cool and clear Easter oufn",h
morning the summons came 10 sanied
10 further adventures, Accom- The
bv three deputies, but free OF les %
Henkel handouts, we passed INC o. a
and trod the sunny pavements; nron
clond @ in the blue sky nor taint Hpus Spus
the pure wings of the free ar, u,,;s;ble %
that saw us pass suspected our o i1x,snJs t1hosghs
fetters. Yet 20 me az least the nvetnsI
eoSr, soa % room aud prison. that the s,sr tetisT'
yyg, wcre a dream aud freedom tho sdn;s reai,,s,
was not accessible then The aoT aoT'abbs The
OF physical bonds seemed 70 Ien'V nnds.
jmprisonmcut more, not less
But we stepped out bFiskly ."
brcatbcd while VIC might.
downright. 1918. by tho Whec,of ''"
dicate. Inc All rights roseTVe''
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14

good for them, but also for the keep
ers, who are not led into the degra-
dation and monstrous inhumanities
which the possession of such power
breeds in regular prisons.
Most Of these prisoners expect TO
get out before long, either to 90 on 10
more permanent quarters or to be
liberated altogether; many Of them
emerge with comparatively small loss OF
social standing; for, indeed, highly re-
here, The TOmbs Is not regarded as a
final or fatal misfortune in man IS
career Yet II has its drawbacks.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14

two found themselves under the free
sky, the keeper betook himself 10 some
friendly saloon, moving picture palace,
or other inviting retreat, and only saw
the otheT again when they met by ap-
pointment in their trysting place.
1t was safe enough no doubt; the
prisoner would hardly think IT worth
his while to attempt actual disimprison-
mcnt; he was content to sleep at night
in his coy and comfortable cell But
the Moral Powers who hive in white
waistcoats and sanity collars might
have been restless IN their innocent
sleep. had they known what things are
practicable under the austere name Of
incarceration in the city prison.
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14

pearance Of bravado he is ready to
record either.
No. will do none OF these futile
things. In such extremities, man 3
manhood and dignity come 10 his sup
port. | am helpless, to be sure, but
only physically so. All this portcntous
paraphernslia of court and prison can
touch nothing more than my body
my spirit is unscathed. 1t is the an
cient consolation, coming down through
poetry and history even to me. The
SoNernmeDt-the nation-can DESTROY
my lte. separate me from my people,
throw mud on my name: but they can
not take away one atom of my con
sciousness of the truth. And it is bet.
ter TO have that consciousness than to
retain all the rest without it, Blessed
ethical truisms. which come to our sue.
cor whom all else falls Rwayl
Accordingly, the reporters were sup
piled with few grave, not sensational
words. suggested by the spur of the
moment; they receded into the back
ground, and Marshal Henkel, jealous
10 do his whole duty, and prevent the
escape Of an elderly gentleman through
locked doors, echoiDg corridors, and the
resistance Of half dozen lusty guards,
advanced to the front of the stage and
gave the order "Hand cuffsl' Know.
ing my marshal as ] did, I WAS prepared
for him, and extended my arm, till !
felt the steel close round 1t with q
solid snap. ! was a manacled convict,
and the community was eeyed
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-12-14
Tophet's Own Speech.

Dirt is one Of the more obvious Of
these; | might call 1t flth, but it de-
pends on how one has been brought up.
The impurity, at any rate, is not con.
fined to the surface of the cells floors
and walls, but IL crecps into the current
language and pcrmeates the atmos-
phere, ] am convinced that there
never has been or could be "A bouseful
OF people who hear or use fouler and
more unremitting obscenities than arc
those which flow sewer wise and un-
hindered from the lips of many Of this
population.
1t dribbles and cXgurgitates, black
and noisome. at the slightest provoca-
tion-nay, at none whatever. but with
the delight OF the past master and art
ist in varbaI fastincss, anxious to dis.
play bis crudition. 1t Is corruption
of thought and expression so foul and
concentrated, and withal so limited In
lts vocabulary and scope, that IL fast
ems itself in tho ear by dampable
iteration which no diverting OF the at
tention can overcome; and IL announces
a depth OF moral and mental debase-
mcnt which seems as far from human
as from merely animal possibilities; It
- Of the uttermost soundiDgs Of tophet,
and would probably be modified by
fresh-heated gridirous even there.
This speech, or vcrbositv ratber-for
II has none of the logic or continuity Of
mortal uttera nces--does noe continue
unlnterruptcdly during the day. but oh.
serves special hours. when the guards
are paying even less than their usual
attention 10 the vngaries of their
charges. OF these periods. the hours
OF carly dawn arc the most fertile