The Washington times., 1928-01-31
INSANE ST rain
IN FOX FAMILY
fcontinued from Page q


especially to a youth who faces the
gallows.
Reads and Rereads
And vet Hickman has taken
strange delight in reading it over
and over again.
At times he reads or recites a
verse or two to his guards, and the
verse he quotes most often is:
IT'S sweet to dance to violins
when love and life are fair!
To Dance to lutes, to dance to
flutes, is delicate and rare;
But it is not sweet
With nimble feet
TO dance upon the air.
He has read the book so much
that the paper covers are falling
apart.
This poem and the newspapers
are his only reading matter. He
sim takes an intense interest in
the columns of publicity he is re-
caiyinr each day and peruses every
word written of him in half a
dozen newspapers. His only out
bursts of i'll temper have occurred
when he read some newspaper
article that he considered unfair.
Jailer Frank Dewar and Assistant
Jailer Ray Bogie personally super
wise the guarding of the young
SLAYER. He is model prisoner.
Dewar said today.
seWhen he first came here" the
iailer explained, I'VE told him that
if he had any tantruns or seemed
unruiy, we would put him in
straps.
$50 we have had no trouble with
him. AT first he was very talka-
tive, especially with his guards.
But, as the day of his trial ap.
preached and after he had been adj
vised by his lawyers, he became
less communicative. At first he
talked freely about his crime; now
he will not discuss it.
Has No Visitors
Hickman has had no visitors ex-
cent his father, mother, brother and
attorneys. He has written only one
letter since his arrival here; that
was to his mother in Kansas City.
He has written several statements
about the staying but has torn
them up.
Hickman's day begins with break.
fast at o'clock. He has a hearty
appetite. For breakfast. he gets a
cereal, fried potatoes, hash, bread
and butter and coffee.
After breakfast he spends most OF
his time preparing for his appear
ance in court at 10 a. m. He is be-
coming known to the other pris-
oners as a dude" so careful is he
of his appearance. He keeps his
nails well nlanicured, presses his
pants nightly by placing them under
his blankets, is shaved frequently
and spends many minutes each day
before the mirror, greasing and
combing his hair and arranging his
tie.
A guard il with the youth every
hour Of the day and night. When
the morning trial session ends and
at noon, Hickman Is given q lunch
and then spends the next two hours
conversing with his attorneys or
preparing for the afternoon session,
which begins at 2 o'clock.
At 5 b. m. he is returned to his
cell and begins his card game with
Wysong. About z o'clock he Is
given dinner. From then until y,
when the cell lights 90 out, he
reads 'The Ballad Of Reading Gaol'
and the newspapers.
Fan Mail Heavy
Dozens of "fan" letters addressed
to him continue to reach the jail
daily, but Hickman seldom sees
one. He is not interested in read
ing any letter that wishes him we'll,
but has asked to see those that
wish him hanged.
His chief conversation with his
guards now centers around diff
ferent methods Of execution and
he frequently argues as to which is
the most painless and speedy -elec-
trocution, hanging, lethal gas or
shooting.
In some of the letters pressed
rose leaves have been enclosed.
Others brought cheerful poems, and
still others, written by young girls,
were outright love missives.