The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-08-22


BAN QUENTIN. Cal. Aug. H.
The man who walkss tlghtlipp~d "a
jump from the galiownsfes. And tins
man Who faces life sentence IA.
IHhaken these are the twin nArveir
|of penItsntiary 20 the uhsuE hsful
visitor.
Consider these mnrve'a Ia the per
son 81 Thomas Mooney. consictesl
bat pfoclaiminx Innocence ~ ths
many deaths In tho san Franeiscs
Preparedness Day bomb ou,raxe. and
perhaps most widely known inmate
In an American pfison-
Mooney WINS sentenced "
6eaih. bat reprIcsed 10 life term
some four year. sxo at Tho very
rsigc u til. xibb~s. Seeing him
then In Ia. condemned cell. rc
call my wcndsr at his nervrI
Taking With him again today.
ak YEAR. ou his prison way.
was amazed st his ind.mitabls
spirit.
MY spirit ~ not tanned" hs said.
hut am reconeilcd 20 my surround.
lngs. / atm making the mos, q it,
hiding my time.
The hest months I have spent
here were fhosc la condemned
row ! liked th- solitude. ! can
be- alone and stu be- happy.
ate then the same fe~,d the
guarsis get. snJoycd the hours
exercise every day. And siept
Hike . rock.
"On that first night Of my
rendezvous with death I went 10
sleep with curious relaxation. I
didn't hear tho bard which prae-
tees beneath the celia Of those
who must hang. heard moth.
ing until near dawn ! awoke
naturally 10 the cry of the guard
droning -Four o'cIock--and aIi's
we'll
II suppose II was because from the
day OF my arrcA; I hoped for moth.
ing. looked only for the worst.
knew ths power OF tho powers that
sent ma here. And there's something
akin to comfort in frankly acknowi.
sdging ones prcdicameft. calculating
ones chances at tho slimmcst. when
you're ut bay with only fighting
nerve left.
The average prisoner IA pa
thstieally sanguine. When any
development In his case impends,
he Immediately feels and shouts
II shout that he h going Gut
Then when there's nothing doing
hc raves with disappointment.
Reporters and otilcrs have como
to me with the announcement
that I WAS on the verge Of lib
erty--and wondered why
laughed. I do not underestimate
the power Of tho p0werN
Ny Only intense suffering In
prison came when the jury trying
Mrs. Mooney were out celebrating
her verdict. Then for Sc hours en-.
dured the fortunes Of the damned. l
couldn't eat or sleep. My frame
shook. 1t wan a bad time"
Mrs. Kena Mooney. his wife. was
tried and acquitted on tho same
charge for which Mooney was SEN
fenced. SO also was Warren X.
Billings. now doing life at Folsom.
California. Mrs. Mooney In still lead
Ing the organized movement for her
husbands release on the ground that
his trial was a frame.up. and his
and Billings convictions secured by
pcrjurcd testimony. Twice q month.
sho and his mother visit Tom.
The sheer lust for liberty" he
continued, never got me. work
now as warehouse man of tho prison
construction materials and stores and
as donkey engineer. outside the inner
walls.
Five months ago was In tho
jite mill, running the same kind
Of machine I operated rs n boy
Of II In the cotton thread mills
ut Holyoise. Massachusetts. l
was 10 months In the prison foun-
dry. and u year In the laundry.
1 have always worked hard. I
like IL.
Naturally men seek the easier Jobs
here. trying TO improve themselves
and advantage themselves.
Some speedy weavers In the jute
mill get thru for the week on Friday
and have all day Saturday to them.
selves. Others, like myself. choose
10 work slower.
II have never once rot the red card
Of lost privileges: they don't try to
break mans neck here. and he can