The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-07-06
BY Winnifred Mason Huck
Former Representative to Congress
from Illinois.

from Illinois.
The cry came from the sisters, Dot
and Margc, in unison calling for the
| matron.
They were frightened ] WAS UNI
| like stlctto.
! Then I heard the matron at the
! cell door, saying, "Oh, they're harm
! less" ......
She was speaking Of the dope
| ficnds.
There were 10 cells opening into
! the central room. There were Ii
| prisoners, and only four Of US were
white. Ethel. one of the four, was
dead to the world in corner cell.
That left only three Of US to face
the negro girls. if, led by the dope
fiends, they should start anything.
! The fiends gravitated to one an
other, and were soon milling about,
swishing their skirts. stepping high,
| Jerking their bodies from side to
side, swapping their fingers and talk
ing all at once in Il high pitched
voice.
"If they should start anything
the other colored girls would stand
| by u.s." said Dot. "They are as much
afraid Of them as We are"
If had known Dots and Mnrge's
records. I should have felt more
confidence in their ability to meet
any violent situation. But it was
not till months later that I learned
that they had been given long SEN
fences for "A beating up they had adj
ministcred to a taxi driver.
Three Ficnds
At length, the three ficnds &cnt
into cell to sit down. Dot and
Margc went into their cell and slept.
| sat and watched the door.
From time to time. the three Wild
cats passed the door Of our cell and
pecred in at US. but they offered no
attack.
Nevertheless, sleep under these
circumstances was impossible.
SO morning and the sandwich boy
found me still on watch and weary
beyond imagination.
The opium eaters lay in grotcsquc
heaps in cell, asleep or drugged.
Later in the day, they and Ethel
were taken to the county hospital
never knew their fatcs.
The morning hours were quiet
Few prisoners were brought in and
some Of the old ones were taken into
court for trial.
, AS I sat alone, the events Of tn.
night were marshalcd before me.
had seen in its extreme. the drug evil
D., which, as a congresswoman ] had
helped to fight.
: England alone produces under gov.
eminent auspices II times as much
morphine as is required by the whole
p world for medicinal purposes. rhi;
night in Jail had demonstrated to me
where the other l6 parts go.
With all the other prisoners sleep
4 ing, the place suddenly became more
4 dismal than ever. ] had never sup
posed that the time would com,
>. when would crave the companion
t ship of thugs. robbers. murdcressc
y and street walkers!
{ Human Contact
But in Jail, any human contac
y comforts and braces.
In prison. one never is told any
thing. He has to find them out. An
so. by indirect means. I learned tina
Marysville the following day
&c
y drunken ribaldry. nausea and soul
crushing fatigue!
&C. l knew of another cell. 1t wa
- called the hospital room, becaus
a there was bed in it,
That began to take on a stupen
dous Importance in my mind. | wante
~ to get into it. ! remembered it ha
ts looked clean. Four hours Of sleep
- That was all | wanted
There was not spot on my bod
II that was not sore from my attempt
~ to lie on the planks.
M To go without food could not hui
90 me for few days. But going will
IS out sleep was cutting into my moral
in and | began to take myself scriousl
60 which would endangcr my emit,
" project.
began to talk to my matron.
q found out what interested her, aske
~. questions. aroused her interest in M
8" | was nearly dead for want
- sleep. told her, and asked her VIII.
;r made a prisoner eligible for the viii
% bed in the hospital room. Only sic
ness, ! was told.
But soon a probation officer. Mr.
Anna Lahiff of the municipal cou,
II woman Of fine character and kir
ho face. came in to talk with me.
he | tried to win her interest, and Iii
;iv Then. to get her sympathy and Il
~ bed!
:" The sympathy was there, :
H. right. but it went off at tanger
oil She would try to Tighten my sentenc
;s That. of course, spelled ruin f
ad my plans.
'ts Come. tell US your story" 81
no said. II am sure you did not ha
~, 80 fair trial"
Close to the Wind
h. I was sailing rather close to t
wind. But got the bed. and I W
nd too glad to worry about the dang
nd of my disguise.
in got into bed as quickly as pos.
Nj bic. The lights were on, and in {
no iron door was small peek he
ID through which could be observed
inf any time without seeing the o
~, server.
hs But that meant nothing to nc.
was tired, so tired. in fact, that
lid time could not sleep, but simr
80 dOzed by fits and starts. ..
H. At midnight, when I was still figl
No ing for sleep, the door was open,
,f Two policemen and the matron we
-. escOrting young woman into I
~ room. ~,
no She appeared to be part negro a
= !" part Chinese. She was putting
go one of the best fights had ever Sc
nd and she did not weigh more than
10 pounds.
The officers of the law had til,
hands full. OF course any one
them could have knocked her q
no But it was evidently not their poll
"a to hurt the prisoners. u! =
nj She was crying and sobbing like
T. child. She would not go behind tho
no bars. What would become of
in social position if the other prisont
~. should see her locked up?