A
THE OREGON STATESMAN. SALEM, OREGON.
i
0. HENRY AL. JENNINGS
(Continued from last week)
CHAPTKR TWENTY-ONE. '
The deputy reared from me, his
face ashen -with' rage. Like a tor
tured maniac, I sprang at him.
The guards rushed forward, made
a leap at me, stopped abruptly,
livid and simpering, as though
suddenly stricken. If any one of
them bad touched me I could
have torn him to pieces. '
I was ready to be killed out
right soonier than submit to the
horrors of tha "punishment cell."
1 1 had seen too much of it the
prison demon dragged out of soli
tary and whipped into bleeding
insensibility a couple of times a
week other prisoners glren the
"water" until their j faces were
one red, gushing stream and the
anguished screams. filled the air.
The basement ''where these
things were done was directly un
der the hospital. I passed above
it and I could look down on the
way to -the transfer office. Three
weeks before a man had been beat
en to death orer that trough. The
awful debauchery of that murder
had scared Into my mind.
Pead Man Held I v
Secret of Jewels.
i The man was a friend of mine
, and one of the most intelligent
conricts In the prison. He was a
diamond robber the cleTerest
croon in the pen, a man of neat
speech And cultured .manner. He
had stolen some of the most price
less I gem In the State. All the
detectives in the country had not
been able to locate the jewels. The
Jewelers offered thousands in a
reward for the recovery of the dia
monds. No third degree, no pun
ishment eould force from the man
the location of his treasure.
In the prison .was an editor,
sentenced for the! murder of a
rival newspaper publisher. This
fellow would have i crucified, his
own mother to gain an extra crust
for. himself. He was always
worming his way into I favor, by
snitching on convicts. For some
strange reason perhaps because
of their intellectual equality, he
and the diamond robber became
friends.; ' '
One morning the newspapers
carried ' blazing headlines. The
stolen diamonds had been found.
The robber's secret was out.
: Suspense and a surcharged ex
citement held the prison in a grip.
We knew the episode was not
closed. '. We waited.
Betrayer Attacked
By Cell Confident.
The diamond robber said noth
ing. Restless curiosity sent its
questions and suppositions across
the grapevine route'' from one
cell block to another. fWho had
told?" J "What would happen?"
The answer came in a sudden
viciousness that revealed the
whole betrayal. The , robber
sneaked.. one day down the corri
dor, lie had a bottle in his habd.
He had calculated his time. He
fell Into .line just aa the editor
was going to his cell.
There was a frenzied scream,
a moment's scuffle, a loud, pro
longed, tormented cry. The edi
tor lay on the corridor floor, one
eye burned i out and his face
puffed and flaming with the car
bolic acid that was eaUng Into
his flesh. When he came out
from jthe hospital he was half
blinded and his face, such a
seamy mass of ugly scars, hell it
self wouldn't own him. He had
won the confidence of the diam
ond thief and betrayed him.
Robber Beaten to
Bone by Guards.
1:
! "Seventy-five" was the punish
ment oraerea or me roDDer tor
the assault on a fellow prisone
He was a tall, slender fello
graceful and muscular made like
a, white marble statue. j
Prison Is not the place for dark
dealings.; Every convict knew In
less than an hour that the robber
was to "get his' I walked obt
from the transfer office and look
ed down the stairs Into the base
ment. , The robber, strapped across
the trough, his ankles drawn an-
Business
M
en
Wear
M
osher
Suits
Thoy Always Vicar
Ittoy Always Satisfy
A TAILORED SJJ.IT alw.ays gives more wear and better satisfaction than any
other suit. The better class of materials whjch make up a tailored suit, and
the superior workmanship which goes into it, explain the reason.
MOSHER TAILORED SUITS have been worn by Salem's more particular bus
iness men for years. They have found that in Mosher suits is the best of -tail
oring, the best of materials and always a sure f ltj
I
DjHiMGSHER
474 Court Street ..-..
High Class Tailor to Men &nd Women
, -.SALEM, OREGON - ; ;
BALL BAND RUBBER
BOOTS
V
The only fully guaranteed Rubber Boot made and sells for the same money
that other boots sell for that do not have half the. wear.
Bergmann Boots
Calked and plain, the only logger boot that will give you more than your mon
ey's worth in wear. We also have the Bergman dress shoe, a new addition
to the line. See them and you will buy them.
SUNDAY MOUX1XO. OCTONER 17.
r li r ...
Witch Elk Boots
for both men and women in the regular 7 inch height and up to 16 inch tops,
light dress shoe for "gentlemen" and "ladies," the highest quality of leath
er known to the nrofession is used in these boots.
1
Children's
Shoes
t sale prices. Get your boys' and children's shoes, at a big reduction while
we are closing out broken lines. ' .Thousands of pairs at
$2,95, $3.95 to 95
WHEPRICE.
flan Sues
SeTtrfStoes
ft ftunp
t
WikJiCkfoab
326 grsvsr-Hrtftotii'HBuilrJl
dcr it. his arms across the top! was
a mass of blood.
ne nuered not the slightest
moan. None but a hall h oil nil
nd that's what a . guard becomes
wnen he ha dona a thing like
ill a httndred times ouid hate
jaid those heayy paddles, with.
mcir eages sharp as razor blades.
ere. tl7 P T fr maaes, ent country,
across that raw and 1o mwnA n..k I '
The robber w. .MB.i,:U,:r7.1 . " valuable advice. I would
have escaped six months of tor-
robber WflJt (Mnallv hMl.n.l.
me bone. Long after he was un
conscious, the merciless flaying
went on.
The guards stopped. Half an
hour passed. The robber came to.
rne guards propped him up. The
deputy warden elowered over
him. a
NOW aav that vnn rn mnrit,
Say that you'll obey the rules," he
luunaerea. 1
Ma Strapped Down i
And Hacked to Death.
The mantled, hloprfinir victim
whft couldn't stand, couldn't speak
raised a gray, death stricken face.
And after a long pause, a husky
curse came from his lips.
. - mm, I wisn I got
is other eye."
They stranned him back to th
trough and hacked him to death.
Broken jbones. ragged flesh, they
struck Into it until it doubled a
limp mass into the trough.
mars what "seventy-fiTe"
meant in the Ohio penitentiary In
They called me a man killer. I
never murdered a man in mv life.
shot quick and clean In self-de
fense. I would have felt myself a
degraded beast to have fouly kill
ed like that.
If that warden had carried out
his; sentence, he would have died
like a cur. He knew it. He sent
me to the bolt contract instead.
I was reduced to the fourth
grade, riven a suit of white with
black stripes .running horizontally
across it. put in with the lockstep
gang ana sent to the bolt contract
work. , .
Conversation was forbidden.
guard might come into the range no save me
i any moment. "He carerul ofon the bench outside the deputy
,,t.fle?.d TOtt. eh008e- n ".warden's room. Dick went past
outside It may be safe to pick upme.
acquaintances at every'siding. I'mg -.f . "
clad von . ..(,m. louve got a fellow Jennings
Honduras. The O. P. is a dlffer-
Have no confidants."
Thefrlended and life termer, tried Dirk Price had nothing to do with
While I was sitting. it."
M1 thought so.- he said. -Dick's
a mighty good boy. Been here a
mighty long time. Come clean on
this now and 111 make It easy for
you.
to wo
He
Fake Sick ..
o Reach Porter.
The. confinement, the isolation.
he cruel discipline took the spirit
ut or me. I beard from no one.
No one was allowed to see me.
Papers, books, visitors were de
riled me.
I And then I faked sick just to
get a; word to Porter.
The "croaker" was taking my
temperature. Bill came out ot the
prescription room; he was not al
lowed to speak to me. His look
was enough. Bitter, sad. troubled.
he nodded to me and turned his
back, .1 knew that Bill had tried
and failed. He was powerless to
help me.
1 went back to the bolt works.
This is the hardest labor In the
prison. .Outside contractors pay
the state about 30 cents a day for
the .hire of the men. If a given
task is 'not finished on time the
convict is sent to the hole for pun
ishment. Twice In ' three days
"Little Jim," a negro, was given
the;fwater.,,i, , ,
Bill Porter Saves
When Hope Leaves.
A hose- with a nozzle, one
quarter' of an inch -In diameter.
60 pounds pressure behind it,
sends a stream of terrific force
at the prisoner. His head is held
strapped, the stream that is hard
as steel is turned full In the man's
face, his eyes, his nostrils. The
pressure compels him to open bis
mouth. The swift, battering del
uge tears down nis mroai ana
rips his stomach In two. No man
can stand the "water" twice and
live.
Little Jim passed my bench one
morning, j
"Mr. Alj they done give LI1 Jim
the water agin," he whispered,
walked a i step, flopped to the
ground, a red geyser spouting
from his mouth. Before Little
Jim reached the hospital he was
dead. Dead because he didn't
turnv out enough bolts to please
the big business men on the out
side.' .
After that morning. I was
about finished. I lost all hope,
all ambition. Bill Porter saved
me.' I
Across the grapevine route he
sent his message. From one con
vict to another the word went
until ,it was steathily whispered
in my ear:
Don't lose heart. I'm work
ing. There's a new main fin
Ser." , . ' , i .
CHAPTKIt TWKXTY.
I did not want to see Bill Porter
ture in solitary confinement had I
aeeoea it.
. "And when you graduate Into
the first grade. I'll see what 'pull'
can do for you. There may be a
chance to have you transferred to
me nospital." ;
That was aU; The stealthy foot
ball of the guard brushed along
the corridor. We looked t each
other a moment. Porter flipped
few puis into my hand and care
lessly walked off. ,
As he left, the bitter Isolation
of the prison was Intensified. The
cell walls seemed heaving to
gether, closing me Into a black
Pit. J'felt that I would never see
Bill Porter again.
Quizzical Anwer
On Porter's FalL"
He had said nothing nf hlmuif
I knew that he was convicted on a
charge ot embezzlement. I never
asked him about it. One dav in
New York, years later, he alluded
to tt. He was shaving In his room
in the- Caledonia hotel. We were
talking, of old times in the Ohio
penitentiary. He wanted me to
tell him of the bank robbery we
had pulled In the outlaw days.
wnat did you fall for?" c I
asked. He turned noon me a look
of quizzical humor, rubbed the
lamer into his chin and waited a
moment before he answered.
Colonel." I have been exnectlnr
that question for six years. I bor
rowed four -from the bank on a tip
that cotton would go up. It went
aown and I got five."
It was but another of his quips.
Porter, I believe' and all of his
friends share the confidence, was
innocent of the charge laid against
him. He was accused of misap
propriating about $1100 from the
First r National bank ot Austin.
He had been railroaded to prison.
I believe it.
It was not his guilt that I
thqught or as he stood at my
door that Sunday morning, but
his buoyant friendship and the
odd. delightful gravity ot his quiet
speech. He held me as he bad
the first day I met him In the
Mexican cantina;
But as he left, a thought full
of a stinging irritation wedged It
self into these happier memories.
,t had been in prison nearly tour
weeks. Bill Porter kifew it. hm
weeks. Bill Porter knew it. Every
one in .the penitentiary knew It.
He had taken his time about vis
iting me. Had it been me. I
would have rushed to see him at
the first opportunity.
I tried to make out a brief for
bun. 'Potter was'a valuable man
In .prison. He had been a phar
macist In Greensboro before en
tering the bank at Austin. This
f experience won him the envied
position of drug clerk in the pris
on hospital. Many privileges soft
ened the bitterness ot convict life,
He had a good bed. decent food
and comparative freedom. Why
bad he failed to visit me?
in solitary for trying to escape. I
gave bim the saws. He's a new
man. Ain't been here long enough
to know the ropes. -1 wised him
PUP to escane. Give me the oun-
rUhment.';
Dick sooke In a lond voice. I
knew It was a cue for me. He had
mot given me the saws. He knew
otnmg about the escape until a
orsethiet peached on me.
I was called before the deputy.
"How did you like . your new
ome7" he asved with a leer. He
Jneant the 'bole In solitary. "1
found where you rot the saws.
Threat of Bra ting
Arouses Enmity. . . "
v "I can't."
"Toull have to."
' "I ean'L"
"By God. HI make you." 1
knew what he meant. It made me
desperate with fury.
. "By God. you won't."
"Here take this fellow and give
him aeventy-flve."
Only a man who has been la
hell's mouth who has seen the
blood spurt as men stripped and
chained are beaten until - their
flesh Is torn and broken as a deer,
lick knows the Indignity and Ct
praTity of a prison beating. I saw
myself cowed by this screaming
brutality. It made fiend ot me.
"Ton take me. you damned
coward; you strip me and beat toe
over that trough try It, and It I
live through It. Ill come back and
cat your damn throat!"
(Continued next week.)
You Xeraws aeep on feeling
distressed after eating, nor belch
ing, nor experiencing nausea be
tween meals. Howl's SaraparilU
cures dyspepsia It strengthens
the stomach and other digestive
organs for the proper performance
ot their functions. Take Hood's.
Read . ite CLuaHf d Ad
In convict stripes, rour monvu
we shared the same purse, the
same bread, the same glass. We
had traveled through South Am
erica nd Mexico together. Not
a word had he said of his past.
And here it was torn open for me
to see and the secret he bad kept
so quietly shouted out in his gray,
prison suit with the black band
running down the trousers. The
produest man 1 have ever known
was standing outside a '.barrea
door, dispensing quinine and pills
to Jailbirds.
-Colonel, we have the same
tailor, but he does not pro Id
us with the same cut of clothes.
The old droll, whimsically drawled
out without a chuckle. I ?kei
Into the face that would have
rcorned to show its emotion. H
was still touched with grave. Im
pressive hauteur. bt the clear
eyes, in that moment, seemed
filmed and hurt. '
I think It was a:out the only
time in my life I did not feel like
talking. Bill was looking at my
,i. ii.ii.. hanH-me-downs. I naa
Veered JhV ca.toff clothes of
1 other orisoner. They hung
mA like the flapping rags on
. The sleeves were
if ..n md the trousers tucked
i. m ahnes were four sizes
When I walked.
ZT.'AJ'um th clatter of a horse
founucu -
brigade.
Ilavo Xo Confidants.
Says Bill Vmrr.
Blow at Pride to .
Meet a .Convicts.
'. He was busy, I know. And he
would nave gone to almost any
extremity to avoid asking a favor
from the a-uard. It would have
fcut him to the quick to win a re
fusal from these men who were
his Inferiors.; Was he merely
waiting his easy opportunity to
see me? I , ,
i I didn t understand Bui .Por
ter then as I learned to know him
later. I know now the reason for
that' long delay. I can appreci
ate the goading humiliation O.
Henry suffered when he stood
before .my., cell acknowledging
nunseir a criminal even as my
left. Porter knew my high es
teem. for him. Always reticent, it
was an aching blow to his pride
to meet me now. no longer the
gentleman, but the fellow con
vict. :' -
Weeks went by.. I didnt see him
again. The -promise of help and a
position In the hospital, where
food was good and beds clean, had
put a flavor even Into prison stew.
I counted on Ported. Gradu
ally the confidence waned. I
grew bitter with resentment and
a cold feeling of abandonment. I
had been used ragged by every
one. It began to eat in on me
that Bill was one with all the
other lngrates I had helped.
be ' promoted
Porter said
"But yon "II soon
. t,- i ret rank."
... deliberately sought the
task of dispensing the pills in or
der to give me a word of advice..,
CoIoneIfM--ta" P9ka .quickly.
Many Obstacles
To Prison Favor.
I did not know that he was
working for me all the while. I
did not realize the obstacles that
block promotion in a prison. 1 de
cided to help myself. I tried to es
cape, was caught, sent Into soli
tary for 14 days and then brought
down to the bell hole for trial.
Dick Price, a convict I had, be-
If You Were Ready!
We have dozens of calls
from banks, big business
houses, railroads and the
government, for con pa
tent stenographers and
bookkeepers.
Wc Cannot Fill
These Placet!
A few months training
would fit you for one of
these positions. Write us
or call today for our cat
alogue, and let us tell you
what this school can do
for you. Plan to enter at
once. " A year from now
you will be holding one ot
these desirable places.
Capital Business
College
Salem, -Oregon
VOTE 500 X YES FOR
A TWO-PLATOON
SYSTEM FIRE
KcSe. d e part m e n t
IT DOES NOT DOUBLE AMOUNT OF FIREMEN
Endorsed By
Saleln City Council ...
Salem Commercial Club
i.
Budaexj Men' League
Central Labor Council
.A. .
y
Table, Oak, now
Rppr. $57.50 4S in. top, 8 ft. Kx.
"f Table, "Oak, now.
vRejr. $47.50 45 in. top. 6 ft. Ex.
3
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Arm chair to match. See this beautiful 8-piece Suite in our East window.
REGULAR PRICE $222. REDUCED TO
...$168.50
Ex.
Retr. $72.50 54 in. top 8 ft.
TabV, y, Oak, now '.
Rcg. $62.50 54 in. top, 8 ft. Ex.
Table, y4 Oak, now 153.10
$43.90
Table. V Oak, now $39.50
'RK. $4:1.00 45 in. top, 6 ft. Ex.
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JW. $40.00 45 in. top, 6 ft. Ex. 1
Table, Oak, now $32.50
Retr. $:17.00 42 in. top, R ft. Ejk.
Table, i Oak, now. .... . ..... .$31.75
nice. $02.50 42 in. lop, 6 ft. Ex.
j Table, Plain Oak, now...' $27.85
Rep. $19.00 42 in. 4op, 6 ft. Ex.
Table. U. O., now. I..... $165
Reg. $105.00 U Oak nufTet, now. .$33.50
Reg. $72.50 Oak Huflet. now $51.e5
Reg. $57.50 Oak Uuffet, not... .$13.90
Reg. $47.50 Oak Uuffet. now $39.50
Reg. $12.50 Oen. Leather Seat
Chair, now. .$3 JO
Reg. $00 TphoUtereU .Scat Chair,
now $3-25
Reg. .50 CphoUterecI Seat Chair,
now ....$7.23
Reg. $5.50 Wood Seat Chair now. . . .$1.73
Reg. $2.50 .Wood Seat Chair, now. .$2.15
1
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This Week's DRAPERY Specials Fancy Ma
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