The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1915-09-24
MODERN RIP VAN
WINKLE RETURNS
George ". Gram al Eighty
five MarVeIS at Sights.
PRISONER TWENTY YEARS.

Electric Cars, Autos and Women's
Styles Amaze Pardoned Wife Slayer.
Remembers Seeing Henry Clay Play
ing Game of Poker-Praises Warden
osborne's Mutual Welfare League.
New York.-George w. Cram, mod
ern Rip Van Wrinkle, awoke here after
alternating over twenty years near
the foothills Of the Catskills. But I'M
like his legendary predecessor, Grams
exile was involuntary. He has been a
prisoner In Sing Sing and was the
patriarch of the grim PRISONS con-
victs. At eighty-iTe he was freed by
a pardon from Governor Whitman aft
er escaping death in the electric chair,
to which he had been sentenced for
killing his wife.
On his return here the aged man,
who, despite his years, was known in
prison as "Kid' Cram, rode for the
first time in an automobile and an
electric train.
A long drawn "A-h-hI' was the only
exclamation he uttered as he emerged
from the Grand Central station and
gazed with bewilderment at the busy
scenes.
"Gosh, how it's grown" he said as
soon as he got his breath. THAT'S one
of the electric street cars, eh? They
are big things, all right. Gee, when
went away they had just got cable
cars, and we thought them wonder
full"
Cram had left the prison after bid
ding goodby to all his old cronies and
the officers at Sing Sing.
On the train the old man became
reminiscent.
"The old rum is no good for any
one" he said, land my advice to boy
is, don't take your first drink. re-
member my first drink, all right. 1t
was way back in 1S4S on a Mississip-
pi river steamboat.
81 was a young lad then, and l saw
Henry Clay playing game of poker
with some other men. He took me
between his knees and gave me his
hand to play. After it was over he
gave me his glass of wine to drink. l
don't remember whether | won the
game or not, but l know I've played
many games since then.
Say, boys" he began suddenly,
veering his conversation to Sing Sing.
warden Osborne's Mutual Welfare
league is the greatest thing that was
ever instituted in a prison. When |
first went into the prison it was
hell on earth. Now it is a paradise"
Reverting to his own case, he said:
when l was fighting in the Indian
campaign near the California line in
1876 was hit In the nose with an In
dian musket. / think that old wound
was the direct cause of my trouble.
You know | served in three wars
the Mexican, Indian and civil wars.
Il had been out of work for some
time and began to worry. After that
| don't remember thing, until | woke
up to find | had been in the death
house at Sing Sing for over a week
and was under sentence of death for
killing my wife. l never quarreled
with my wife,
Cram took a walk along Fifth ave
nue. before going to the home of his
granddaughter.
"Gee," he whispered, "how the wo-
men dress nowadays! In my time
they would have been locked up If
they went about with as little clothes
on as that.
81 don't think I'll go down to Coney
Island yet It's thirty-five years since
| was there Pm going to California
after a few days here. l haven't been
there since the days of 40"
Cram was given $40 when he left
Sing Sing. He had earned one and
half cents per day.
II sent that to my family" he said.
Altogether | earned $136 while l was
there. think they ought to pay con-
victs dollar q day. They earn it."