The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-15

ened eyes were fastened on abe door
tnaL LED 70 the solitary cells.
Z door gprang open. and a spec
uaeie 70 freeze the heart with its ter
saw the prison demon. Hulk shout
dered, Egantios lurched forward, he
lowered above the dozen guards like
4 huge, ~feroctSns gorila-man. / could
not see bis face. The hair was matted
s6gnt nm, the clothes torn in ragged
The guards stood at a distance, push
ing him forward with long poles. They
$1,000 on either side. The demon could
not escape. AZ the ends Of the, poles
we're strong Mpn hooks. fastened into
his flesh. and as the guards pushed
the hooks jagRed into the prisoners
bones; He was compelled TO walk.
On his foot was the monstrous Oregon
boot Every step must have been an
prison demon. Across the grass TO the
new.made dungeon IN the old A and B
block the hellish procession took its
way. Ira Maralatt vac riveted to his
steel cage and q sign, Prison Demon, 7"
pasted above the grating.
The prison demon became an attrac-
ton at the ~penitentiary. His fame had
spread over the clty-almost over the
state. He was known as the brute
man-the hell fiend. Visitors wanted
a sight OF him. The old warden saw
q chance to turn a penny. For Is cents
citizens were taken down the east cor
ridor and allowed to stare at the de-
man.
Tries to Dodge Gazers.
Ira was not always a willing party to
the bargain. He had a habit Of
crouching down In the far corner of his
black cage and cheating the visitors Of
their moneys worth. One day a dis
tinguished citizen stood in the alley
to exhibit himself. Threats and prods
from the guards were Ruthless. The
matter was reported to the warden.
Incensed and clustering. he came run
ming down the corridor.
OF TIC guards. No one moved. they
open the door" Coffin yelled,
snatching the club from one Of Nthe
guards He aprang into the cage. the
the crouching giant in the corner.
Come out, you ffendl" he bawled.
| The demon reared, hurled himself up
| right and lunged with the violence OF
. raging Colossus Against the warden.
The sudden mad impact bowled the
Ira snStched the club and flung it
forth for a crashing blow on Coffin's
head. Two guards dashed into the cage,
caught Ira by the feet and sent him
Numbering backward against the wall;
The visitor got his 2b cents worth
The warden's escape was little short
of a miracle. II taught him a lesson.
He devised q safer scheme for bringing
Maralatt out Of his wretched hole. From
a window in the inner q he q 9
send down q storming current OF ice cold
water that would cut the fesh Of the
covering demon,
Ira would come roaring like an in
furiated lion TO the bars Of. the cage,
He /. nS wOl as.E ETsS n th' a sss' Itl III ne sh sai sisy
with wild, maniac screams.
This practice continued two or three
Imonthe. The new warden came In, TOOK
down the sign from fra's Gage ana pre-
vented the shameful exhibits
The sequel 10 lra's tfAgtc history cane
appointed private secretary TO Warden
W, N. Darby. Darby had Q kind, mag
nifioent sympathy In his enthusiastic
nature, He had IN eager ear for sug-
lgestlon, even from the meanest convict.
a chance incident opened ths dark book
Of Ira Maraiatt's ghAstly life,
One evening 1 was walkind down. the
east corridor on my way TO- the asylum.
had taken an apple from the warden's
table where ! ate. was bringing the
fruit to q poor Yellow " the prison
H~bughouse,a He had lost his mind and
his eyesight IN the hoe polishing shop.
The hoes were polished on emery
Millions OF steel particles daFted about
often puncturing the convicts IN the
face and neck, The spaEks a gotten
eyes, used to bring him an extra bit
to eat,
As l passed the prison demons cage
Ii caught 4 glimpse Of a haggard face
IAt az low opening into the stone cell
LIKE dumb, pathetic apparttion,
wretched and uncertain, the numbering
figure groped from corner to- corner,
rRe red, sunken eyes seemed to be
burning deep into the smeared n pal
I'D cheeks.
One hand that was but q mammoth
yellow claw was pressed against the
rough mat Of black hair. More like .
hurt and broken Samson than 9
hen fienc Ira Maralatt looked as his
eve met mine In startled fear.
Something In the defenseless misery