The Washington herald., 1915-12-26
Copyright. isl5)

larry put the crimp in Jerry
Gottlicb. His first term had
been ten years, but his second had
4 been twenty. He had slaved in the
hell-hole called Sing Sing on wage
of half a cent day for the first ten
and cent day for the second long
stretch of twenty The reason for the
increase in prison pay was that con-
science began to stir among those
politically appointed prisonkeepers
and superintendent who are given
4 charge of the detectives of the State
OF New York.
With an income of one cent day
it is conceivable thai no large amount
of money can be put by for the long,
dim stretch of the road of life be-
tween the breaking of a mans
strength and the time of his disso-
luton. Even burglars must cast about
for corner to die in. Then, too. there
were fines to be paid out of this
money-and graft. The cells of the
older part of Sing Sing are so mar
row and dark and foul that a man
would give his soul for one night
of sleep in the old chapel which has
been turned into . dormitory. The
price of the privilege of breathing in
sleep was high. Gottlieb was getting
old when he had served the twenty
eighth year of his prison life and so
he paid out his hoard and was moved
to the chapel dormitory. When he
left prison for the second time he
was an old man, penniless and friend
LESS.
1t may have been the beauty of the
sky that morning when he started
the hike from the prison to the sta
ton at Ossining, or it may have been
the sudden and wonderful vision of
the river and the further wooded
shore or, again. it may have been
the caroling of the birds overhead;
but whatever it was some of the
heaviness OF heart departed from
Gottlieb, and he found himself walk
ing almost lightly, and looking up
ward instead of downward. He was
not of the savage, prognathous type
OF criminal, although his long years
OF confinement had given him the
stigmata, especially in the writhing
lips. He was a large man and with
big blue eyes. Had he been we'll fed
and we'll groomcd he might have
been termed handsome old man, for
his physique was fine and there was
grave dignity suggested in his car
riagc. Gottlicb boarded a train and
went TO New York.
Every cop and at least a score of
detectives eyed him as he trudged
from the Grand Central Station south
along Third Avenue in the direction
of the Bowcry. One Of the bulls" let
the man pass apparently unnoticed
and then turned and began to tall
him. His business was to watch for
returning criminals from Sing Sing
and keep after them until they were
safe again behind the high walls OF
the prison. He was 1.-the, ferret-like
creature with a close-cropped sandy
mustache, shifty black eyes and the
nervous hands of his kind. He Slip
ped along through the crowds, a safe
half block behind the old man.
4 6nn Tn,o ,,J H.. Ill
convict enjoyed every moment of it.
The crash of the elevated trains over
head and the clang of trolley gongs
were music to his ears.
He wondered as he trudged onward
would be still alive. Cock-Eye kept a
ten-cent table d'hote in Chatham
Square, and if man just out of stir
went to his place without cent in
his pockets he might peel potatoes
or scrub the floor for good meal
and, perhaps, the privilege of sleep
ing in the coal bin under the side
walk. In due time he found that
Cock-Eye had been gathered to his
fathers, but that the place was still
running. The new proprietor needed
a man to help with the scullion work
for day and Jerry Gottlieb worked
at the appoipted task, filled his stom-
ach and started forth at sunset to
carry the banner, which phrase, in
the jargon of the underworld. means
TO walk the streets during the night.
Jerry made his way farther south
to- Park Row and then cast to Oak
street. Near the green lamps of Oak
street police station was an old
house with the windows lighted.
Over the door was large sign with
this legend:
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come
&c to the waters, and he that hath
no money; COME We, Buy, and eat; yea,
come, buy wine and milk without
money and without price"
1t had been his intention to ex-
plore the docks of South street, for |
it would not be hard matter to find
"a spot between the great bales and |
boxes of freight where he could
crawl and rest without having the |
solcs of his feet famed by night |
stick. He paused to read the words of
tIsaiah. Whatever it had been that |
had Eghtened his heart in the early |
morning came to him again and he
did not read this invitation from the |
little mission in Oak street with any
feeling of irony within him. He was
pondering the marvel of wine and