The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-05-27
By John w. Kane

three weeks.
We found out great deal concern
ing the past life of each other. She
had brought me writing pharapher-
MALTA and insisted that between visit
ing days l write things for her-Just
anything, she said, whether it were
about my past or the old jail. or even
about her. In turn she wrote many
pages, which 1 could read over be-
tween the times of her coming.
Violet Grey had been born in cali
fornia, brought up on ranch in
state I'll not mention, educated in the
schools and the university of an ad-
joining state, and at that time had
an income from some property left
her by her father. The unusual APP
pealed to her. and she liked activity
and eXcitment; but o. the other side
of her nature was that womanliness
that Luther must have had in mind
when he said, Earth holds nothing
more tender than the heart of
good woman when it is the abode of
love and pity-and perhaps they are
thu same"
Her Note-"I Mean This"
My trial had been set for March
% On Sunday. the thirtieth of jan
uary, Violet was on hand, supposedly
to help Fred's wis visit him, but in
reality to visit with me.
Only once during that sine of
twice-a-week visits from her had
the taller ONE back after going
away, and he found her sitting by the
side of reds wife there, while l
was lying on my cot reading
On that last Sunday in January,
howver, our visit was much longer
than usual. e had sat in silence
a great deal of the time, and l was
wondering why, when at the end q.
those periods of lence, she reached
through the bars and took from my
hand a lead pencil and holding a
sheet of note paper against book
on her lap she wrote a few lines
across it rapidly. then passed the
writing to me. | read-and 1t set ms
head in a whirl. 1t was as follows:
You are either going to be exc
cuted or sent prison for life. Any
real man would take a chance to save
his life, and surely to avoid life i'm
prisonment is worth a chance also.
IF there is any possible way for you
to get out of this place to the street,
l can then help you to get entirely
out of the country. l mean this
Jack; have plenty of t5in to spend
in the matter-and 1 am willing to
spend it. Epe TX very low and in
yelled language If you wish to dis
cuss it."
l looked up and found her watch
ing me narrowly.
You can't mean this" l said in
whisper.
The dy does mean it," she re-
piled al I'D then. rising and reacn-
ing both hands through the bars,
she took my hands and held them In
a firm clasp, and spoke low and
rapidly. Il do-and there's absolute
ly no limit that I won't CO."
"Money viii Do Anything
Il couidn think of letting you
take Il chance like that"
TT wouldn't be a personal chance.
I'd hire certain persons-money will
do anything. I believe I could hire
people to come right here and hold
up that Jail office and release you;
with your cooperation | NOW l
could. Tell me that you'll do that.
please." And she gave my hand
sudden and much stronger pressure.
stood looking into her eyes. We
heard the gate click.
There he comes to let u" out. Tell
me-will you consider it?''
IN have to think first, and
Think nothing" she broke in,
fairly shaking my hands in her i'm
patience. Il can't help you any law
fully-nobody else can-but l can
save you the other way; do you
want me to? Speak,
l hearl the gate clang to behind
tho jailer and knew that IL would
round the "otary and be in sight
within two seconds.
"Yes-if you can" l whispered.
I'll take the chance
9TH do it then-or go flat broke
trying
And with a last hearty handclasp
she turned away, lifted her chair
noiselessly and set it in front Of
Fred's cell.
When the jailer arrived in front
of my station, l was apparently busy
addressing an envelope.
An Act OF Impulsev
That outer corridor gate had
scarcely changed shut behind her
when l regretted my acquiescence in
her briefly outlined plan for my es-
cape. l did not once doubt her sin
certify at that time. but | felt sure
that she had little conceptio of
what a regulation jail delivery meant.
Whether or not she had planned
submitting the proposition to me l
was unable to decide; yet something
told me that the idea had been taking
root in her mind for some time and
that in expressing it to me she had
merely acted upon impulse.
regretted that l had not at the
lact moment told her to take no ac-
at which time we could lay all the
plans with care; and a, out every
alternate thought concerning thS
matter was regret.
1t was of her own risk that l
tn ,ught most. And even though she
would not, as she had told me, take
personal risk l could easily see a
dozen ways by which the responsible
lity might be traced back to her
and to me.
OF course, in my own case there
was not SO much at stake: l was to
be placed on trial for my life. and an
attempt at escape could not injure
ever, any attem, at helping me to
escape was in truth committing a
felony; and even If she should be
acquitted, the accusation alone would
spoil her whole life.
The following day, .londay, / re-
ceved communication from local
bank saying that certificate of
deposit had been received for me.
That was the money from home that
l had been waiting for.
O o O
A Letter From Home.
The next day l received a letter
from my home. I was the first word
that l had had from there since my
arrest / read that brief and heart
broken and heart breaking letter
from my mother. That Tuesday,
which was a. dreary. cold AMI windy
day, will ever remain in my memory
as the day upon which l suffered
most. AS a matter of fact-just as
all of this narrative is fact, which
may be verified by official or news
paper records-from that very day
onward my. curly black hair began
to show threads of gray. I was I'M
able to sleep that highland only
one who has passed sleepless nights
in prison cell, can begin to UNDER
stand the horl r of insomnia.
Wednesday morning l arose pale.
bursting headache. In me way l
was hoping Violet Grey would not
call this afternoon, in another I
wished she would come. wanted