The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-29

oiiOOh my lSoNg lib "AolAlA6 U bring on more coughing.
 I'll ask them to send you up one,' the doctor told me.
 The papers had found out about the trip home. And the one that had SC long taken filings at me was the most pronounced in it's detailed account of my journey and commendation of my conduct. Faithful To Great Trust the face, when with weak and aching fingers I unfolded the paper One of the papers concluded it's remarks as follows: And while Jack Kane was fully able to resist all tempNltion to violate his word of honor, he was not flu"
 I Fight Again For Life.
 That very talk made me all the more determined that I would resist and win out against the dreaded ma1- ady. Whether or not my determi- nation had any bearing on the out come, I weathered the storm and within a week was able to walk about slowly in the early spring sun shine.
 I had a number of telephone ac- quaintances down in the city whom had never seen. There were sew tances with whom had begun by way of the telephone. The places of meet ing had been variously, usually and by prearrangement in little subur- ban park near the prison reservation. From that point there had been auto rides all about and around the city my friends seeming to take an espe- cial delight in being accompanied by one whose situation in general was so unusual.
 Those friends had not only read the accounts of my sickness, but had evidently drawn inferences that the flu" had put me out for the final count.
 Two weeks after my convalescence began l called for Western Union over the telephone.
 Western Union," the receiver said. knew the operator
 Say" called back to het, lis this old voice of mine so weak that you don't orecognize it?"
 Who is 1t speaking, pIease?" the girl inquired in her strictest business tone.
 John w." I answered. "In other words, "Old Jack Kane"
 "What-what is it about Mir. Kane?" came next, hesitatingly.
 'What-what," I mimicked. This is Jack Kane speaking"
 There was moments silence then: Let me hear you speak again." A Reunion By Telephone.
 All right"
 Well the gee -whilikens." She dropped all restraint. Its actually you say-you're supposed to be dead!"
 She declared that the word had gone around among number of our mutual acquaintances that I had died; and to prove it. she called sew eral of them and connected me with them. It was like a reunion.
 If, however, through my connection with the warden's office and because nf xtvtfI of local acquaintances, on account of the fact that along with my recov- cry I was assigned to the work of showing visitors through the place l formed still a great many more. Occasionally when something special concerning the correspondence arose, I would be called upon; but most of the time during that spring and summer my duties consisted in es- corting sightseers through the in stitution and sometimes over the farm and around the grounds zen erally.
 Here mention might be made of the fact-and for tho benefit of prison visitors-that as a rule ushers for those places have a kind of stereotyped line of talk. That is easier for them and 1t tends to keep visitors from asking questions that may be hard to answer. Eight out of ten persons who go through a penal institution are more interested in the inmates than in any system of management.
 Many times have had visitors address me as follows: If you don't mind. we'd like to see some of the really bad prisoners"
 Then my reply would depend upon a number of things, such as the gen. eral type that squad of visitors rep- resented and how they might accept certain explanations.
 o o o
 They Deat Believe Me.
 In some instances I would merely explain that the rules prohibited me from pointing out prisoners; in oth- CTS. I would agree to show them a few notorious characters. on condi- ton that they would merely glance at the men casually and not look in their direction while I was explain ing their cases; and sometimes I would try myself at giving them an unexpected surprise by saying
 Well, perhaps have in days gone by been chased as one of the very worst"
 You're not a prisoner" two or more would likely exclaim.
 T am indeed" would be my calm explanation, and I'm hoping that l am nearing the termination of a life sentence."'
 At that some of them would in- dicate their doubt as to my serious ness In such talk; some would in- stantly accept 1t as true and appear dIIm fOunded others ha1iaviou