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About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 15, 1928)
THE 0KEGCu?'i3 x Al JLSMAN, SALiCM, OREGON, SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY 15, 1928 The OUTER GATE By OCTAVUS ROY COHEN CENTRAL PBESS Inc. v CHAPTER 1 riUNSHlNE poured bravely in through the barred windows and traced a sinister pattern or parallel black lines on the con crete floor. It brought Into sharp relief two faces strikingly sim liar in their expression of stark knowledge, yet graven with lines which marked an age difference of 30 years. Robert Gordon Terry prlsoner No 28179 stood facing the war- den. In his right hand was the! omctai document wnich Had come. to free him, yet his face exhibited.) no elation. Three years in the penitentiary had taught him , the lesson of repression. He stood si lent, motionless, agate eyes' fo cussed on the corner of the war den's desk. He seemed shorter than his height, thanks to the slight stoop developed by three years of penal servitude, and his white prison clothes were ill 'fit ting and hung about his slender frame In grotesque folds. From outside the office came prison sounds: the incessant, mad deulng whir of looms and spin dles in the cotton mill, the jangle of iron-wheeler barrows, the clank of machinery and tools, and now and then the punctuation of a harsh-voiced order. For thret years Bob Terry had known no (other sound, save the ghastly re pressed laughter of Sunday when all work cease and the prisoner? had nothing to do but sit around the prison yard and try to stare through the grim gray walls into the rich, verdant world beyond. Bob Terry was free. The mira cle had occurred: The paper which the warden had given lilm was not a pardon. It was far more than that it was an ac knowledgment from the state that the crime for which he had been tried and convicted had been com mitted by another man. The state was very regretful of the erro: which had swept the young man into the penitentiary for three young and formative years, and the state now granted him the lib erty which it should never haven taken from him. The soul of Robert Gordon Terry was twisted, into an ironic laugh, but he had learned to keep such emotions from reflecting in his face. The warden was puzzled and not a trifle disappointed. In all of Simeon Mason's twenty-odd years of prison experience he. had never seen a man who accepted frpwlom this way. Some men wept, some grew frankly hyster ical. And some were openly bit ter. The tall, gray-haired official could not understand Terry's ut ter indifference. , Instead of ex ultation or even bitterness the young man displayed no emotioi whatever. The warden leaned forward and tapped on the desk top with long, tapering fingers. "You understand what that means. Terry?" The dead eyes looked up slowly. "Yes. sir." The warden spoke softly. "Don't you care any more than you seem to?" "I suppose so, sir." "You are not sure?" "No, sir." "'neon Mason shook hU head. Here was something new and more than a little disturbing. But Mason was interested. In his sim-l pie. untutored way he was a keen student of psychology and he had a thousand human subjects in his laboratory. His mind flashed back over Ter- 'ry's record. Crime, embeizlement; sentence, five years; deportment in prison, fair; visiting friends, none; letters, none. From a pri son standpoint a most excellent in mate yet the warden knew that in the three years since the Iron doors had swung open to admit this prisoner there had been a slow corrosion taking place in the young man's heart. Three years taken from his life! Three years of association in terms of equality with convicted criminals. Three ternitles dnrtng which ghastly Impressions and fierce bitterness had been seared into the very soul of him tht more so because he was innocent of the crime for which he had been sentenced. For three years Bob Terry, high-strung and super sensitive: had been a number, a thing to be pointed out to visitors, a lifeless, sexless thing deprived of everything save the privilege of thinking. And thought had only made things worse. The warden was speaking again. "You should be glad my boy." "Yes. sir." , "And you should realize that you are lucky. It is unfortunate that you were sent here unjustly. But is is also fortunate that the state discovered its mistake. The world knows already that you did not commit this crime, "Yes, sir." The prisoner's roice was flat and toneless. He stood Tigid, im mobile, eves never leaving the corner of the warden's desk. "You're taking It pretty hard. Terrv. I can't sav that I blame you. It would be absurd to claim that the Btate had been fair It is ridiculous to promise that it can ever atone for this Injustice. fYou have spent three years in htls pri son and, unfortunately, pflsbn whether justly or unjustly im posed has a way of leaving its mark on a man. "You eee, my boy, I understand certain things about you which perhaps you yourself do not know. I know that you are doubly bitter because you should never hare been sent here in the first place. I know that you are crammed with false ideas and thoughts which have been born in the pri son atmosphere. But the state was not entirely at raultc occa sionally it must do an . Injustice in its effort to be just. You have been the rare victim and now the state is sorry and will do what It ,can for you. And I want to beg you to leave this bitterness be hind." " J" The prisoner looked up, and while he spoke quietly, there was a tinge of satire In his words. "The state is very kind to me." Simeon Mason bit his Hp. "I'm afraid you don't understand." "No, sir." "We are anxious to'help " "Yes, sir." "And I personally " "I understand sir. I have ap preciated your fairness. That is sincere, sir." "Thank you. Terry. My job isn't an easy one; some wardens are too prone to forget that their charges are human beluga. At times I think my weakness is that I am too conscious of that fact. But my problem isn't the thing of interest. I just wanted to givt you this letter and to tell you that any time the going gets a bit rough and you feel you'd like to talk things over " "Thank you, sir." They faced each other in silence. The warden was-- baffled. Until this momen' no hint of emotion had been be trayed by the young man. Then. "May I go. sir?" "Yes." The young man turned awaj and Mason extended the letter which he held. "Just a second Terry. This is for you." "For me?" Bob Terry accepted the envelope gingerly. It was his first letter in three years. He glanced curiously at the address Then he betrayed his first symp tom of emotion. His face darkened beneath the prison pallor, his once-powerful figure stiffened and his finger involuntarily contracted. He tossed the letter on the desk. "I don't want it!" he exclaimed harshly. "You're not even going to read it?" "No." "It is from reter Borden." "I know it. The damned old hypocrite wants to say he's sorry. He wants to undo in a sentence or two the thing he did in action.' To hell with him and his letters? Oh!" Terry pulled himself together. The prison fear of three years gripped him. "I I beg your pardon. Cap tain. I I didn't mean to " Simeon Mason laughed. "Don't apologize. You're not a prisoner any longer." "Yes. sir. I forgot." "About the letter from Mr. Bor den " i "I don't want it. sir." "Hadn't you better read it?" j "I don't think so." "I do. Come now. Terry don't be foolish. Put this in your pocket." "Very well, sir." The mask had settled on the prisoner's face once more. "I'll take it." Terry bal anced the letter in his hand and shifted uncertainly. "When may I leave the prison, sir?" The warden rose and dropped a friendly hand on the boy's shoul der. "Any time, Terry. Can't you understand? You are free." Steam feathered from the siren, and instantly the clatter of ma chinery in the prison cotton mill was stilled. Then, in pairs and threes and fours, the prisoners trooped out of the mill: most of them In white, a few wearing the striped garments which denoted black marks on their records. It was strangely like a city fac tory emptying for the lunch hour and weirdly different. There was no laughter among these men. and no good-natured bandinage. Even in the vast, grassy courtyard sep"atlng mill from main build ing they spoke in whispers, and their eyes were furtive. Most of them stopped long enough to roll clgarets. light them and puff lux uriously as the human stream eddied from the mill and flowed across the high-walled courtyard, to disappear into the big steel-and-concrete building. There was a striking absence of armed guards. They were there. of course, but not conspicuously In evidence. And as -the men passed the mess hall they looked inside where the long bare tables were set with Iron plates and tin nltrhen. awaiting the influx of hungry humanity. They entered the great building an vera turned into the three- tiered cell blocks. There were six of these on each side of the main corridor, and between each two triple-decked lines of cells was a concrete hallway. Here the men lounged around on the floor. awaiting the summons to lunch There were no chairs and they were not permitted to enter their cells. They threw themselves full length on the concrete and a few conversed in whispers, but for the moat nart ther did not talk. It was as though they had forgotten how or that there was nothing they cared to discuss. Boh Terry walked down the main corridor and stopped at the barred door of his cell block. The stevedore entered the block with him and then unlocked the door of Terry's cell. Instantly the con victs near by grew rigid with In terest. They knew what tt meant: this siring a prisoner access to hir cell before 4 o'clock la the Octavus Roy Cohen afternoon. They had seen it be fore, and it always immediately preceded the departure of one of their number for the outer world They stared curiously at Bob. Some were envious, others not even knowing Terry were mere ly glad for him. But most of them did not care. They had learned that nothing which con cerned the outer world was for them, and it was beyond their comprehension that there wert people who could come and go as they pleased. But there was one convict whose interest in Bob Terry's ac tions was keen and personal. This man raised his herculean frame from the floor where it had been stretched, and shuffled toward the young man and his escort.) Todd Shannon was a tremen dous man, and a picturesque one. The sun, filtering in through the .sinister bars of the cell block, il umined a fine, deeply graven face et with eyes In which there was little of evil and much of humor Hut mot particularly it lighted his shock of flaming red hair hair which fell about his eats and ?reated a devil-may-care impres sion. It was only when one saw Todd Shannon in his moments of roodinz that it was possible to indc-ratand why he was here. Xow there was nothing but rad iant good cheer in the man's face, uid Bob Terry, looking up to meet :he Jovial eyes of the huge con vict, Etarted forward with hand? outstretched. Even now, however, the bonds of three interminable - . jj years were not to De casi atiue nd he spoke in a whisper. "It's come, Todd." "You're goin' out?" The big man's bone-crushing grip tight ened on Terry's arms. Are you. honest, kid?" "Yes. And I wish " "Well, dog-gone your hide! Kid. I'm happv about that. 1'araon : Bob shook his head and a smile played bitterly about bis oiaisn- voung lips. "No. Freedom. They've discovered I wasn't guil ty" Shannon whistled softly. "Now didn't I always tell you tningf would work out thataway? Didn't I, huh? Boy! I'm glad for you Twon't be so long before 1 m out, too. And then He looKeu toward the open cell door and then turned pleadingly to the turnkey." - "Listen. Cap'n please, sir. He's my buddy. Can't I go into the cell with him an' Bay good bye?" The guard, who was distinctly human at times, nodded cneenui assent and the irienas one brawny and huge and cheerful. the other ten years younger ana smaller and hopelessly bitter en tered the cell. The other prison ers, troofing silently by towara the mess hall, glanced curiously inside the cell. Bob Terry seated himself on the iron cot. He looked at his sur roundings through new eyes. For three years he had occupied a room like this; for the past 14 months this very cubicle had been his home. And, queerly enougn. it had not seemed so bad until now when freedom was only a few minutes distant. Five beds in a row, each with a wooden chest against the foot; a wash basin, a toilet, two barred windows, a steam radiator all rather better and cleaner and more comfortable than most prisons; but even more unbearable, for it was remindful Many Salem people making the are Campbell Court Hotel Their Home When in Portland A pleasant place to live, in beauti ful surroundings. An unusually good dining room serv ice and food. Accessibility to business center and garages. Eleventh and Main Sis. E. JEAN CAMPBELL Owaer and Manager or the outside world. It was the vibia irom the cell that was be yond reason; a 8tarln through bars to more bars, and then to still other bars beyond and then the grim granite wall with Its sen tinel tower in which there were armed guards and machine guns. Todd Shannon watched his young friend silently. There was genuine affection in his manner and concern was marked in fine lines about the corners of his mouth. They -were as different as night and day, yet in three years a bond of friendship had been ce mented b etween them. They had stared each other's whisnered confidences, hopes and hittfrn But it was Todd wfco had been the m :rr. . ." n uifira sinnAversiwinina . w.. Tc r"080pQer JT B Terry,hunt up Mr. Carmody." was too young and too bitter to ..Tn rt tn w.n. anvwav be that. It was Shannon who spoko first. "I'm suTe glad. Bob: awful glad." know you are. TnrfH it seems kind of queer " "Sure. I remember when they let me out three months ahead when I done my first stretch: seemed like there was a trick In tt somewhere and I'd be hauled back but there ain't no 'catch in this thing of yours, kid. Tain t even like a pardon." "No.". The boy laughed harsh ly. "When I tell people that I've been In the pen for three years, I'll also explain that I was inno cent. Oh! What a damned rotten mess It is." "Now, kid that ain't no kind of a way to talk. There ain't no use makin' things worse than they are. You'll be leavin' here in a few minutes " "For what?" "Well, I dunno. I ain't got any special ideas of how they'll treat a feller like you which has been jail but never really dont nothin' to be put there. Of course, if you had really been guilty, I could tell pretfy well and I'm admitting that it ain't made noways easy But maybe with you they'll kind of hand you somethin' on a silver platter. But anyway. Bob, you listen to this." Tod Shannon edged closer and dropped one tre mendous hand on his cellmate's leg. "Things might be awful hard. I dunno. But I do say if you run into any snags there's one feller you can go to and see an' mention my name to, an he 11 turn things upside dowq to help." "John Carmody?" "Yeh. You've heard me talk about him, and you think you inow somethings but, kid, you don't." Shannon was speaking with reverential passion. "This Carmody is a wonder. He s not only got the city right in his fin gers, but he can do most anything he wants in the state. And there ain't a criminal lawyer in tne world no better than him." "Did he defend you?" "Now, Bob quit! I know what ... . Vt J vou re driving at. pure armouj lefended" me and sure I'm in prison, nut l was gumy. i nabbed me red-handed, and what John Carmody done for me was to get me seven years instead of 20 and I'll be getting out in about six months on account of some work of his at the capitol. And if you find the going rough " "What makes you think I will?" "I dunno, kid. I hope not, but you never can tell. Carmody will do a heap" for you." "Why?" "Oh! Lots of reasons. For one thing he's a friend of any guy who gets it in the neck. That's his business, see: defending us guys that do something the law says we shouldn't do. And I guess just like any other business it pays him to be In strong with us. Get it?" Shipley's Announcing DAY TIME FROCKS The New Just Below the Knee Lenjjjth. Youthful Models shown in Crepe de Chine Silk Crepes Crepe Back Satins. The Restrained Use of Ornament ation is Particularly Favored by Conservatively Well Groomed Women. Available in Bamboo, Mint Green, Waffle Brown, Kernel Tan, Peach Blossom, Napels Blue, Rose Beige, Navy, Black, New Gray. Styles that are Definitely Unusual $wsp U. G. Shipley Company Where Shopping is a Pleasure "Morp or less. But I still don't see why Carmody should bother to listen t6 my troubles when he doesnt eyn know me." "He wltl, though. He's that kind. There ain't anything too much trouble for that feller. He's politics, he is, and he knows where the Totes tjome from. Don't ereT hold no office himself, but he's the bimbo that says who does." "Politician! I've heard that." "What you've heard about John Carmody don't go. The town's all fall' of two kinds of folks. One kind thinks he's wonderful an' a real human beln. an' the other kind regards him as a sort of a a whatchacallit? leopard?" Bob smiled faintly. "I under- stand. But I'm afraid I won't you'll meet him. That's sure." "How Is It ure?" "On account ot Kathleen." YoMt niece?" "Uh-huh. Bhe's Carmodys pri vate secretary, and of course ken she; tells him that you and m was cellmates, he'll want to meet you." "I see. Well, if ItHl please you. Todd, I'll do It. I don't much like the Idea, though, of hunting up your friends. I feel as though want to get off by myself." "Sure you feel thataway now, son. But wait 'til you git out and see folks all around you. talking and having, friends an' being free an easy, i That's when you'll want somebody to "feas with. That's the time youll, yearn for some one to let off steam to. I know, Kid, 'cause I've been there. And it's a good thing to let off steam, too, and not keep it bottled up inside That's mostly why I'm sending you to Kathleen." ''I'll go. And I'll tell her what iniyou lold me "You do. She's a great girl, Kathleen; Not my kind. She's my brother's kid, see. Real cute I ithink. ', And straight but she understands that everything in the world ain't cake "and ice cream. You and her will get along swell " The barred door of the corridor swune back and the first of the convicts returned from their meal. They sat; around on the floor and smoked clgarets, and a g-roup gathered outside the cell contain ing Bob Terry and Todd Shannon. Thev stared curiously, but asked no i uestioni. Terrv rose and moved to his woAdon eh t at the foot of the bed. "I'll gdt packed, Todd. You've misted ypur lunch" The face of the giant grew very sbft for a moment. 'Wes," he said. "And I'm'gon- na miss you an awful lot." To be Continued) Snow Follows Freezing Weather In Washington WALLA WALLA. Wash., Jan. 14. AP). Freezing tempera tures followed by snow here and in the Blue mountains Last night and this morning checked floods in streams flowing from the moun tains and permitted partial restor ation of the train service crippled since last Friday. The Union Paicific which last night sent passengers and mail for Portland, via Pendleton, announc ed reopening of the line to Wal lula this morning. Beth lines to Spokane were blocked. The Nor thern Pacific started a train to Pasrp this morning preceded by a work train. It was expected that the Northern Pacific train from Seattle would arrive over Its own tracks. The line to Waitsburg and Dayton also was open. FOREST FIRE LOSS in mm $i .170 Timber Not Damaged To Any Great Extent; Camps Heaviest Losers Aggregate loss of timber, log ging equipment and improvements In forest fires which burned over 24,078 acres in 1927. was $159. 170, according to a revised state ment completed by the state for ester here Saturday. The total loss in merchantable timber with no salvage value was estimated by the state forester at 1.737,000 board feet. This rep resented a net monetary loss of $3653 to the owners. Of the to tal loss resulting from forest fires 138,020 was An logging camps. Approximately 75 per ceat of the loss wa covered by insurance. The remajnder or the loss from fires, exclusive of merchantable timber, was In connection with the de struction of improvements such as fences, buildings and farm pro perty. I "Fire fighting costs were re duced to the minimum,'' read the state forester's report. "The to tal expenditures were $53,965, of which $43,203 wa3 expended in the s:-ypression of fires in logging camps. The remainder was ex pended on fires for which the re gular patrol organizations accep ted responsibility. "Total expenditures for all pa trol, improvements and fire sup pression was approximately $350, 000. Of this mount the state ex pended $60,000, while trie remain ing $290,000 was borne by the owners of the timber. "Lightning was responsible for 162 fires during the year. Of the man caused fires the incendiarists headed the list with 203 fires. Smokers caused 125 fires, campers 99 fires, logging operators 5S fires, land clearing 39 fires, rail roads 4 fires, slashings 2 fires and miscellaneous 63 fires. "State fire warden commissions were issued to 66 8 persons during the fire season. Of this number j 307 were regularly paid wardens! who were employed directly by1 the state forestets office or by as-j sociations which cooperated with, the state forestry department. The1 remainder of the commissions were issued to voluntary wardens,; wardens employed to look after logging camp fire protection and employes of the United States for est service. "The small fire loss during the year 1927 was atnbuted to a favorable season and increased ef ficiency of the patrol organization. No serious fire weather occurred until July and by the middle of September sufficient rains had fal len so that the hazard was re duced materially. "Owing to the absence of the fire hazard during the early part of the season, it was possible to use virtually the entire field force on Improvement work and In re II Everfast DRAPERY ducing' hazardous slash areas through burning. During the sea son 177 miles of new roads and trails were constructed, while 274S miles of roads and trails were cleaned out. Approximately 89 miles of telephone lines were constructed and 1203 miles either rebuilt or repaired. Fifty cabins, lookout towers and tool boxes were constructed. Among these was a modern steel lookout tower on Highland Butte southeast of Oregon City.V This tower Is 81 feet high. It cost $45,318. "Cleaning up Hazardous slash areas as a protective measure was also an Important part of the sea son's work. ' During the closed season for burning 45 26 permits to burn slashings were issued. These permits covered 51.642 acres. In addition to this 23.241 acres were burned without peiits prior to and after the closed sea son." " . F. A. Elliott, state forester, said the area protected by his depart ment comprises approximately 10, 000.000 acres of privately owned tlmberland within the state oft Oregon. It constitutes more than half the stnd of merchantable timber in the state. Infant Care Mothers, you Can't start too early to establish a child's serene and tranquil disposition. Even an Infant can have a happy, fretless state of uninterrupted health. What will help do this? A simple, purely vegetable product as old as you are: plain Castorla. 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The rich Everfast hues will never pale, no. matter how intense or brilliant the sunlight no matter how often you wash them. Sundour is fully guaranteed If it fades, for any reason, we shall not only replace the material, but also refund to you all actual making-up costs. Price, per yard, 98c MILLBKf Hickman's Captors Wentl' Only By A. P. Reports SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. (AP) The onlr helD the captbf of William Edward Hickman had y , , - in apprehending the kidnapers and murderer was an Associated Press dispatch, they said here to day. The captors. Tom Gurdane, chief of police of Pendleton, Ore., and C. L. (Bnck) Lieuallen, Ore gon state traffic officer, who hare Just arrived here from Los Angel es, said that at least a score ot persons were seeking the reward for Hickman's capture. Many of the claimants have hir ed lawyers to press their claims, Lieuallen said, "but I don't .see how one of them rightfully has anything coming. The only help Gurdane and I had was an Asso ciated Press dispatch saying Hick man was in Oregon." The two men will appear at a local theater for a week, starting tonight. They arrested Hickman near Pendleton when he was trav eling east In a stolen automobile, any child. AH children love take it. Delicious tasting, and qj good as it tastes. Just look for the Fletcher signature on the package and you will know yon have the genuine and pure Cas torla. SPECIAL NOTE: With every bottle of Genuine Fletcher's Cas--toria is wrapped a book on "Care and Feeding of Babies" worth its weight in gold to every mother ora prospective mother. Children Cry for r ; si'S r,.lT !-; 1"' U'i'f .1 'ml imiftisirm lniKun VllnNiif 4 t 1 i ' I i I I