The Washington herald., 1915-03-11

Presently VIC march in single file, over dry
path. For long time no ono speaks. That cheer
If, voice calls out: Say, haven't had the fu-
neral yet"
i We make another effort to talk.
Meanwhile VIC arc nearing the boundaries OF
tho prison. heavy team approaches, drawn by
1.-TWO horses On it sit four striped figures. Ono is
,loucfiuc in the front scat, the rcins dangling
from his hands. He looks at with sleepy in
Itcrcs
Those men do not seem depressed
We glance up at the graveyard on the hillside.
"Thcrcs where he's going today" says voice.
But see signs OF a new-rnadc grave A stage
comes along the road 1t passes and then turns
and follows The driver invites us to step in. We
climb tho steps at the and presently VIC drive
up the gradual ascent through the prison grounds
to the wardcnS office. Striped figures passing
! by the road that along the wall. In front OF
the entrance to the prison yard there is small
group OF men, most Of them in overcoats and
SLOUGH hats As VIC descend sec the warden
coming up the road from the direction OF his
house He looks very tall and erect. His smooth
shavcn face is ruddv with health He smiles
| pleasantly.
is there any chance OF a reprievc" someone
asks
The warden says: "No
VIC stroll down to the crowd in front OF the
entrance. They are the inVtcd guests, shcriffs
politicians. newspaper writer's and few curiosity
seekers They are talking and laughing and
making introductons "These people act ii
II they were going 10 vaudeville show hear
someone say. l wonder how they really feel
Some OF them looked troubled One has sunk into
a scat apparently resting for the ordeal
Soon line OF men draws OF the crowd.
We fall into the procession. The men are holding
up their white cards of invitation. As pass
the guard he grccts us genially. We walk through
the tunnel leading to the yard There few
lpcopc about Three guards stand on the porch OF
the office and across the yard there is group of
striped men. | glance at the row OF condemned
cells. | only face peering through the
lattice Many OF the cells seem to be empty.
recall hearing that when man is hanged in
this prison tho prisoners locked up. ! wonder
lii such can be the case today. Someone explains
that only the outside men in their cells the
construction gang mainly. The in the jutc
mill arc working In that lower tier OF cells under
the condemned corridor | many eyes and
shadowy striped figures. And there to the
fright, in big room where hundreds of men sleep,
there arc groups of striped figures at each window.
looking over another's shoulders,
notice the prison smell pungcnt, disagrccablc,
the smell of disinfcctants.
VIC walk down flight OF steps and find
selves between two tall brick buildings. Then VIC
mount a long iron stairway. We enter big bare
looking room and pass into another big room,
where several thick ropes arc holding great iron
weights. | look quickly around in search OF the
scaffold. But none. Directly i'll front of INC
stand two large iron doors Through the narrow
slit between them [ can sec figures moving. 1t ia
beyond those doors that the scaffold stands A
young near me, with round pink face, seems
TO be turning blue. About me there several
faces that look like | hear man ask
another how he feels. The reply comes quick and
short: "All right"
glance at my watch 1t is seven minutes of 10
Someone says that, after all, the hanging will
take place till half past TO- The warden, it is
suggested, may have it put off in the hope of a
windows in the room closed. I go out for
fresh air with several others and l stand at the
head of the iron staircase
Beyond stretch the prison buildings OF rough |
brick, with frail-ooking iron balconies and stair
cases. catch curiously mingled suggestion of
antique grandeur, of rough construction and OF
whitewash. The whole prison seems to be at
peace guard far below is leaning against the
wall seemingly without care.
For a few minutes we talk about the about
to be hanged. He was convicted on crcumstantial
evidence. He said the woman had died natural
death. But when he found her body in the house
where they had been living together he was afraid
it would be discovered they weren't married. So
he had buried her and told the neighbors she was
on visit.
One OF the guards begins to describe hangings
that have taken place here in his time. wish that
he would speak OF something else Someone tells
a funny story
The word comes that we are to go in.
Ito be continuedl