The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-09
WHEN M'CLAUGHRY
kept HIS FAITH
Good story is Told Concerning For
mer Warden of Prison at
Leavenworth and at
Joliet.
MADE AN AGREEMENT
After He stopped Prisoner IntN,t on
Escape, He Promised That He
Would Not Tell Of
Incident.
MADE AIN AGREEMENT

| Major R. W. McClaughry. former
warden of the United States peniten-
stiary at Leavenworth, and former
warden in the Illinois reformatory, Is
well known here, and the following
STORY about gentleman's agreement
to which the major was partner.
will be OF interest to his friends. 1t
| is from the Kansas City Star:
| When Major r. ~. MeClaughry, ex-
/ warden OF the United States peniten-
tiary, looks at you over his gold rim
med blasses and says: Now, this is
not for publication you know that
you are going to hear a good prison
story, and realize that you will never
hear another from his lips II you vio'-
ate this "gentleman's agreement"
! II realize the major said, what
lit means to have a good story and
resist the temptation to let 1t out.
/ have been in that position myself.
1t was murderer who relied on my
honor. He Is long since dead. Per-
haps you'd like the story?
| 1T happened shortly after / took
.charge OF the Illinois state prison at
Joliet Among the prisoners was g
| big six foot fellow named Bill
! Richie. a trapper and a perfectly fear
less man. Bill was sent up from g
small town in Illinois, where in a
drunken spree, he committed a cruel
murder.
AT that time Illinois had queer
law which provided that a murderer
lwho confessed should not be hanged.
Bill came to the penitentiary for life.
He had been in the prison about two
months when the incident occurred
which makes this story,
1T was MONDAY and l was in my
office alone, the clerks and trustees
having all rushed of to lunch. |
was busy at my desk when 1 heard
some one enter the room. looked
iup and there stood Bill Richie. not
Item feet from me, with long knife
in his hand, In voice hoafse with
excitement he cried. I am going
through that window there beside
you and If you try to stop me will
kill YOU. and he brandished the knife
Ithreateningly.
Some Rapid Thinking.
ut was certainly an occasion for
rapid thinking. Richie said, /
know you mean just what you say; and
IL don't want to interfere with you, nj II
you insist, but think you are MAX
ing a serious mistake. In the first
place, it was only this morning that
the ex-governor, who. as you know, is
your friend, was hers talking about
your case
i About my easel he exclaimed
lincredulously.
Eyes and he's going to see you
next week when he comes here
All OF this was true, but while ]
was telling it, my mind was busy try
ling to figure out some scheme where
by 4 could get my big service re-
volver out of the locked drawer be-
fore me. I lay back comfortably in
my revolving chair and thrust my
hands into my trouser pockets My
right hand closed Instantly about nv
bunch of keys.
"'And in the second place, BILL
continued, you would be shot by thu
front guard the moment you stepped
tout of that window Have you con-
tsidered that?' I withdrew my hands
land the keys and sat straight, twirl-
ling the keys about my right forefnger
and trying to feel out the key to the
i drawer
81 amt afraid of that guard-you
.llet me past now he growled, and
commenced to menace me with the
knife again.
Chances Of Capture.
but, / argued don't you see the
folly OF taking chances when there X
strong possibility Of your being
killed or recaptured and brought