The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-08

! And they live"
I'm East Point, also Old Mr. God
win was not very friendly with his
sister, whose grandchildren they
were. They were the only other heirs
living. and although Sanford never
had anything to do with it, l think
they always imagined that he tried to
prejudice the old man against them. "
Il shall want to see the Elmores,
or at least some one who represents
them, as we'll as the district attorney
up there who conducted the case But
now that | am here, | wonder if it
! is possible that ! could bring any
! influence to bear to see your hus-
| bando"
Mrs Goodwin sighed
perhaps there may be some way
if | plead with the warden. Perhaps
you may be considered his counsel
now-you may see him"
, A half hour later, we sat in the big
| registry room of the prison and talk
ed with the big-hearted, big-handed
warden. Every argument that Ken
| nedy could summon was brought to
| bear. He even talked over long dis
lance with the lawyers in New York.
At last the rules were relaxed and
Kennedy was admitted on some tech
nicality as counsel Counsel can see
the condemned as often as necessary
We were conducted down flight
OF steps and past huge steel-barred
doors. along corridors and through
the regular prison until at last we
were in what the prison officials call
the section for the condemned. Every
one else calls this secret heart of the
grim place the death house.
1t is made up of two rows OF cells,
some eighteen or twenty in all. lit
tie more modern in construction than
the twelve hundred archaic caverns
that pass for cells in the main prison.
At each end OF the corridor sat
guard, armed, with eyes never off the
rows of cells day or night.
In the wall. on one side, was a
door-the little green door-the door
from the death house to the death
chamber.
While Kennedy was talking to the
prisoner, a guard volunteered to show
me the death chamber and the
chair"
Meanwhile Kennedy sat in the little
cage and talked with the convicted
man across the three-foot distance be-
tween cell and screen. I did not see
him at that time, but Kennedy re-
peated afterward what passed, and
it so impressed me that l will set it
down as if l had been present.
Sanford Goodwin was a tall. ashen-
faced man. in the prison pallor of
whose face was written the determi-
nation of despair. man in whose
blue eyes was a queer. half-lnsane
light of hope One knew that if it
had not been for the little woman at
the window at the top of the hill. the
hope would probably long ago have
faded.
The alkaloid was present, that is
certain" he told Kennedy. "My wife
has told you that. 1t was scientifically
proved There is no use in attacking
that"
Later on. he remarked: Perhaps
YOU think it strange that one in the
very shadow of the death chair
the word stuck in his throat-"can
talk so impersonally Of his own case.
Sometimes | think it is not my case,
but some one else's. And then-that
door,
He shuddered and turned away
from it. On one side was life, such as
it was; on the other, instant death.
No wonder he pleaded with Ken
nedy.
"Whv. Walter" exclaimed Craig. as
we walked back to the warden's Of
fee to telephone to town for a car
to take us up to East Point, when
ever he looks out of that cage he
sees it. Think of the terrible hours
that man must pass, knowing OF the
little woman eating her heart out. Is
he really guilty. | must find out. II
he is not, | never saw greater trag-
edy than this slow, remorseless ap-
proach OF death. in that daily, hour
" shadow OF the little green door
East Point was a queer old town !
on the upper Hudson. with varying
assortment OF industries. Just out
side. the old house of the Godwins
stood on a bluff overlooking the ma
jestic river. Kennedy had wanted to
see it before any one suspected his
mission. and a note from Mrs. Cod
win to a friend had been sufficient.
Carefully he went over the desert
ed and now half-wrecked house. for
the authorities had spared nothing in
their search for poison, even going
over the garden and the lawns in the
hope OF finding some OF the poisonous
shrub hemlock. which it was con-
tended had been used to put an end
to Mr.. Goodwin.
As yet nothing had been done to
put the house in order again and. as
we walked about, we noticed pile
of old tins in the yard which had not
been removed
Kennedy turned them over with
his stick Then he picked one up and
examined it attentively.
"H-m- blown can" he remark
ed
Blown" | repeated.
"Yes. When the contents of a tin
begin to deteriorate they sometimes
give off gases which press out the
ends of the tin. You can see how these
ends bulge"
Our next visit was to the district
attorney, a young man. Gordon Kill
gore. who seemed not unwilling to
discuss the case frankly.
81 want to make arrangements for
the body" explained
Kennedy. Would you fight such
move"
Not at all, not at ALL he answer
ed brusquely. Simply make the ar
engagements through Kahn. / shall
interpose no objection. 1t is the
strongest. most impregnable part of
the case. the discovery of the poison.