Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-07-15

taken to prevent the theft Of tools and
a missing pair Of scissors would have
resulted In search Of the cells Of all
thoe who worked In the cutting room.
he was compelled to cut the cloth
right under the noses Of the guards
In the cutting room. 1.-The Butcher"
and "ldaho Shorty" sheltered him as
much AZ they could as he worked fur
lively and quickly. and, finally. after
two ruonrhs, the first piece Of the coat
was made. 1t was struggled into the
cell and stowed away In the mattress
Of Bills bunk. Stolen needles and
thread were used to sew up the seams
Of the mattress again.
Montgomery could have stolen q
sharp knife from the machine shop so
that Bill could work in the cell, but
the old burglar would not let him run
the risk. Discovery of such theft
would have meant the loss of disk
and chevrons and transfer to some
other branch of prison work.
The second autumn in prison passed
into the second winter and Bill still
stuck to his task. Spring came and
all of the pieces for the coat were
ready and in the cell, safely hidden
away. To assemble them Bill would
have to make every stitch by hand.
At night, after the supper hour. the
two prisoners washed out their towels
and hung them on piece of string in
their cell Behind these the burglar
crouched as Montgomery watched at
the door. He sewed until the lights
went out, but the work was slow and
painful. He had no thimble, and one
finger after another was worked into
pulpy condition. The making Of the
coat took all summer, but Bill was so
interested in the task that be even
sewed in his bunk after the lights were
turned off, feeling every stitch In the
dark with raw fingers that spilled
blood, but with patience that never
tagged.
Another year was started. and the
coat was finished. Bill stole the cloth
for the trousers which would replace
the tubelike neither garments of the
prison uniform.
All the while No. 60,1OS was perfect
Ing himself in mocha meal work. Soon
he was informed that be would be the
man to succeed the convict foreman
when the latter was given his liberty
AS foreman of the shop Montgomery
would have degree of liberty given to
few convicts. On busy days be would
be exempt from roll calls. and when
the care Of machinery required it be
could spend his evenings In the shop
He would superintend the acceptance
and assembling Of all new machines
and parts Of machines and the disposal
Of the old.
The coveted white disk remained on
his sleeve. and new chevron was
added with each year.
"We'll wait until you get the Job as
foreman" Bill decided. "When you
take charge and get the hang Of things
then we can plan the way out. An
other year or two amt going to hurt
you. You want to get such a start
once you're out, that they won't close
in on you and drag you back, kid. It's
worth waiting for"
One day No. 6O,108 was called from
bis task and given new blouse. On
the left sleeve was clean white disk
and under II, where the chevrons had
been, white star. This signiied that
he had served Eve years with perfect
conduct That same day the convict
foreman went before the board Of pa
role and was allowed time of due him
for his good marks shown on the pris-
on record. He was allowed a day for
every three marks, the total being sub
tracted from his sentence.
Montgomery became the foreman and
took charge of the machine shop force
He was now twenty-six years old and
had developed from scrawny coun
try boy into well built and handsome
man. His eyes were grave and his
mien serious. He appeared to be we'll
beyond thirty years of age.
During the early part of this ffth
year Montgomery had begun to steel
himself for the news from home that
would tell him that his mothers life
was closed. She was hopelessly blind.
wrote Miss Wadhams, and was worn
to shadow. He was ready for the
trial and knew that it was at hand
when trusty brought him a black
bordered letter with an order granting
him permission to retire to his cell for
the rest Of the day.
Bill found him praying beside bis cot
when he came In at the close of the
days work. The black bordered en-
velope in Montgomery's hand told him
as much as words could tell him. He
patted his grieving companion on the
shoulder as father would caress
son in dire trouble.
In the shelter of their towels. stretch
ed across the cell, he drew the com.
pleted gray suit from its hiding place.
Montgomery rose to bis feet.
''They put in the new machinery this
week, kid. don't they?" Bill asked.
Montgomery nodded.
And they ship out the old ma.
chinesT'
"Yes"
"Well, it's time to make the get.
away"
M hn no~%s~-oI\