Year: 1871




ceration and cutting off from the world. In
floor we noticed man of large stature and
rather fine physique, in his shirt-sleeves, sit
ting on an empty tub. bottom upward, en-
gagged in reading q paper. He turned his
face and looked as we passed, and there was
so little of the malign in his looks that we
supposed him to be one of the officials. 1t
was Earle, one of the murderers of the poor
old woman, Mrs. Zollinger, cruelty strangled
in the darkness of night, for the sake of her
supposed savings. Garvey, Earle's associate
in the foul crime, is up in the prison hospital,
weak and exhausted from the loss'of blood
incurred when he attempted to commit sui
eide. He looks as if he would not survive
long enough to meet the legal consequences
of his Offense.


In an upper room were Bertin and Cap
deville, the hempen heroes of the Rochereau
burglary. Their personal appearance was
described ad nauSeun at the time OF their
prolonged trial. They do not possess the
have painted they belong decidedly to the
sneak thief species Capdeville was court
ing slumber in his cell, while Bertln,
stretched at length ION the gallery, with a
devilmay-care expression, occupied him
self with book An officer remarked that
he was taking it easy. He smilingly re-
piled that he was getting used to the easy
billet that was to be his henceforth.


In the highest gallery, and most secure
part of the prison. were confined the two
men who, on Saturday next, are to undergo
the doom which the law accords to murder
They are not strictly confined to their cell
in the daytime, but are allowed the use of
the gallery, in front of it, where they walk
about, unrestrained by shackles of any
kind. One of them, Abriel, is a man of
large frame, with by no means attractive
countenance. His silence might arise
from his ignorance of English. When we
entered the gallery where he was, he stood
leaning against the railing. He gave one
sharp glance of scrutiny toward us, and
then subsded into apparent indifference.
He would lean against the wall or over the
railing as if to Iest himself; but he never
kept the posture more than minute or two
at time. The anxious restlessness of his
countenance was in accordance with the
uneasiness of feeling which led him so con-
stantly to change his position. At times
there was an air of defiance about him; but
it did not last long, and gave way to a look
of trying to get away from something, min
gled with a dreadful feeling that the effort
was vain.


His companion, Bayona, is man of
smaller stature and peculiar physiOgnomy.
Like his companion, he is not prepos-
sessing, but it would be unjust to
such as the one he is to suffer
for. In his present condition of mind, with
the dark doom that is impending over him
constantly present flor who can suppose
that these men forget their situation for
moment), it is hardly to be expected that
his face should bear its normal expression.
Its principal characteristic now is that of
wistful inquiry, looking into the face of any
one who addresses him with look of for
lorn expectation, as if he hoped to hear
something that might ameliorate his coming
fate. Who could look upon the anxious,
ever restless feeling of impending doom
that showed so awfully in every gesture of
these men, and not vividly realize that 1.-The
way of the transgressor is hard % For
there is no doubt that these men are
guilty of the crime for which they
are to suffer. In these days of blood
thirstiness and mawkish sensibility about
capital punishment, a jury would not con-
vict, without positive proof; and they are
frequently unwilling to convict even then.


There were no religious services as we
had expected. We were told that Father
Dufour and Father Butler had paid frequent
visits, but so far their efforts had been met |
with indifference. We learned that the Sis
ters of Charity also visit them, and, it was
supposed, would hold service on Sunday
afternoon.


While we were in the cell of the con-
demned we noticed Martin Worm, whose |
execution was also. fixed for next Saturday, |
but has been committed by Governor War
moth to imprisonment for life. Sheriff Masi- |
cot, with Captain johnson, read to him the |
of his sentence and explained |
its purport. He received the tidings with
mingled Indifference and dissatisfaction
there is no question of his insanity.