CHAPTERCXLIII.A VISIT TO A PRISON—SOLITARY CONFINEMENT.“Why, Mr. Quirp, have you been in a prison?” inquired Lady Marvlynn.“I am sorry to say I have been in a good many, my dear madam,” returned the lawyer. “Not as an inmate—don’t imagine that.”Upon this the company burst out into a loud laugh.“No, only as a visitor,” added Quirp. “That is all, and from what I have seen of the internal accommodation of those places I have no desire to dwell therein even for the space of, say, four and twenty hours.”“You are afraid the air would not agree with you?”“Exactly so. I am quite sure that neither the air, the food, nor the sleeping accommodation would suit me. But I will give you an account of what I saw.No.77.Illustration: THE HARVEST HOME GAMESTHE “HARVEST HOME” GAMES AT FARMER ASHBROOK’S.“I had visited a large number of prisoners, when the warder of the Penitentiary said to me, just as we reached the door of a cell whose outward appearance was even more gloomy than those we had visited:—“‘This is the cell of the prisoner I was speaking about—Dick Malden. I have no time to wait at present, but, if you would like to converse with him, I will lock you in the cell, and call for you, say in half an hour.’“The warden, in his practical way, was accustomed to allude to his prisoners in much the same manner as the keeper of a menagerie would refer to his living specimens of natural history.“After all, I thought, there was more reason in this than appeared at the first glance; for no doubt many of the human hearts which were caged in those impenetrable walls of iron and stone, throbbed with fiercer passions and more savage instincts than ever inspired the breast of any wild beast of the field.“I had become so used to the warder’s manner that, before I assented to his proposition, I was on the point of making inquiries regarding the tameness of the animal within; but I checked myself, and merely signified my assent.“The door was partially opened, and, by a strange sort of turnstile arrangement, I was inducted alone into the cell.“‘Scientific visitor forNo.46!’ cried the warder in a loud voice from the outside; then the iron door crashed between us; thud went the shooting bolts, and I heard his echoing steps retreating down the vaulted corridor.“The cell in which I stood was about ten by fifteen, larger than the ordinary dungeon, and was well lighted by a small grating high in the wall opposite the entrance.“It contained a small iron bedstead, a small iron table, a small iron chair, and a young man seated on a stool, engaged in pegging shoes with such rapidity that it seemed his life must depend upon completing a gigantic taste in an impossibly short space of time.“But upon my entrance, he threw down his work, and rushed up to me with an eagerly extended hand, and a wild joyous blaze in his eyes (they were very fine eyes—large, gray, lustrous, and expressive), as if I were a brother or a near friend from whom he had long been separated.“I noticed that the young man was very handsome, even in his degrading prison dress. His frame was lithe and sinewy, his hands and feet small and delicately shaped.“His face was smooth and beardless as a woman’s, his features regular, and singularly handsome, and the contour of his closely cropped head was noble and dignified; yet, with all these redeeming characteristics, there was the inevitable stamp of the born criminal over all.“His physiognomy was one of those strange, rarely encountered specimens, where, through the mask of good nature, shines forth the glimmering of a depravity so natural to the possessor as to render even him totally unconscious of its existence. But I liked the intensity of feeling with which he grasped my hand.“‘Take a chair,’ said he, pushing up the single chair, and seating himself on the side of the iron bedstead. ‘I hope you will pardon my vehemence, sir, when I say that yours is the only human face I have seen for, I judge, eight months.’“‘Are you in earnest?’ I exclaimed in amazement—for, much as I condemned the system of solitary confinement, I was not aware that it was carried to this extent in America.“‘Certainly, sir,’ replied the prisoner, Dick Malden. ‘You will perceive, by the peculiar construction of that door, that I cannot even see the face of my gaoler when he brings me food. Even in the chapel, on the Sabbath, our seats are so arranged that we can neither see each other nor the face of the chaplain who preaches to us. We used to have some relief by being able to speak to each other through the water-pipes of the necessary here,’ said he, pointing to the apparatus, just below the small grating; ‘but they found it out, and now even that avenue of communication is obstructed. They have got us solitary enoughnow!’“As the young man said this, a wan smile crossed his lips.“‘What is the term of your sentence?’“‘A lifetime.’“‘And your crime?’“‘Murder!’“There was something terrible in his calm, even tones, and I instinctively shrank back at the dreadful word. Perceiving that the gesture pained him, however, I continued the colloquy by asking—“‘Pray how many times have you been in prison, Mr. Malden?’“‘Call me Dick, sir,’ said the prisoner, laughing, but evidently gratified at my civility. ‘I have been in prison—in this same prison—five times, when they “copped” me on this last go; I had a pretty sure thing of it, however.’“‘I suppose if you were released to-morrow,’ said I, ‘it would not be long before you would be back again?’“‘Very likely,’ he replied, nodding his head meditatively.“Then, perceiving the mingled curiosity and incredulity in my countenance, he continued—“‘If you care to hear it, sir, I don’t mind giving you some particulars of a thief’s story. The last man I saw, about eight months ago, was a sort of a tract distributor, who asked me a great many silly questions about religious matters, of which he himself was as ignorant as that spider on the wall there. He was one of your d——d canting hypocrites, without enough brains to call a congregation into a God-shop, and without pride enough to work for a living, so I turned my back on him at the start. I see nothing but pleasant sympathy in your face, however, and would like the most of my half-hour with you.’“I gladly assented, and the prisoner-for-life began his story as follows:—“‘I never knew my mother, and my father was a professional thief—at least, he was when I first recognised him as my father. He brought me up as a thief, and I soon proved a wonderful adept, but, in his drunken moments (he was seldom sober) he beat me so cruelly that, when fourteen years of age, I ran away from him, and came from the western city, in which we lived, to this city.“‘I was an accomplished thief for one so young. There was nothing in that queer Latin of the thief’s lexicon that I was not thoroughly conversant with, and, being acquainted with all the secret signals, I was enabled, at almost every point of my journey, to form any variety of acquaintance in my now peculiar life.“‘I could “fake” a “wipe,” or “crib” a “spoon,” with the best of them, and was not long in teaching the swell-mob of the eastern coast more than they knew, and, moreover, what was not imported from foreign countries either.“‘But, somehow or another, I was not naturally inclined to the profession, and, accident befriending me, I became a lawyer’s clerk in Philadelphia.“‘My employer had a very extensive library, and so much did I enjoy reading, that I remained with him for a number of years, improving my mind, and robbing my employer so moderately it was imperceptible.“‘I dressed well, and moved in decent circles, but, when eighteen years of age, I overstepped my modesty, robbed my master of two hundred dollars, and fled, for I knew he would not forgive me.“‘He pursued, arrested, and imprisoned me. This sealed my fate. Allow me to say to you sir, that I know it to be both wrong and impolite, to steal; but in some cases I can convince you that it can’t be helped. My imprisonment was of brief duration, but it was sufficient to confirm me as a villain and a wretch.“‘This system of solitary confinement can never reform a criminal. I have tried it for many years, and I ought to know.’“The prisoner-for-life paused contemplatively, and I could not help wondering at these unusual comments from such lips.“‘No,’ he continued, ‘they will never succeed in reforming the world that way; I am certain of it. Look at it yourself from my point of view, and you will see it in the same light. Here am I, say, arrested for theft. Grant the crime—what’s the use of denying it after you’re judged?“‘And I will credit the law by saying this much, that I was never imprisoned unjustly in my life. I am suddenly picked up from the street, and, after a brief trial (I would willingly dispense with that, because my word goes for nothing, and I have no friends), placed in solitary confinement for six months, a year, or two years.“‘No person, sir, who has never undergone the punishment, can even imagine the slow agony of solitary confinement. You could not stand it a year. I, who by this time, should be pretty well used to it, will be able to stand it ten or twelve years longer, when my life-imprisonment will be at an end. Save in the case of such visits as yours, no human face is seen by the prisoner.“‘You probably wondered, when you entered this cell, why I worked so hard. When we first come here, we are given the choice of doing nothing or working. We always prefer the former at first; but not many days of thought—wild, mad, wearing, eternal, lonely thought—are required to drive us to the latter alternative, and we work so hard, so incessantly, in order to forget ourselves, that the authorities make much more out of us than they could out of honest workmen.“‘You see, sir, we must forget ourselves, and that is what we try to do when we work so hard.“‘Well, suppose my term expires, my cell door opened, I am conducted downstairs, change these striped clothes for those relinquished upon entering the prison, and am shown into the street—free to do as I will.“‘Imagine my sensations. I have not seen a human face for years, perhaps, and now, suddenly, I see thousands.“‘I am just as if I were translated into another planet—or like Rip Van Winkle after his thirty years’ nap. My clothes are out of fashion, houses have been built where I remember nothing but empty lots. The faces of men and women in the streets seem unreally vivid and distinct.“‘The roar and rumble of the street confuse my brain. I am bewildered, lost. The few dollars I have earned through overwork in the prison are speedily expended for necessities. I am penniless in the world. It is difficult to obtain honest employment.“‘Credentials are almost always required; and who would employ a convict? The only acquaintances whom I meet in the populated streets are those whom I knew of old—fellow-thieves. From these alone I receive the cordial smile of welcome, the warm handclasp of friendship. However deeply I may have resolved upon reformation, my old unprincipled feelings repossess me.“‘I borrow money of thieves, visit the old cribs mostly frequented by thieves, meet and become intimate with women—often very pretty girls—who are thieves, and whom I have known before. This is my only sympathy in the world.“‘There is nothing intentionally false or down-dragging in their smiles and their welcomes, because I belong to their tribe, and know that they are really glad of my release from the Penitentiary.“‘Well, thieving is the only legitimate occupation I have. A few weeks’ dissipation serves to render me forgetful of my prison experience, hard and bitter as it may have been.“‘My trade is a precarious one—from day to day, from hand to mouth. If the hardships, the danger, the necessary and never-ceasing anxiety of a life of pillage could be presented to the infant mind, I think there would be no thieves.“‘It is terrible, and yet, to one who has been initiated into the wicked mysteries, there is a fascination which cannot be resisted.“‘It is all luck—I may run a day, a week, a month, a year; but, sooner or later, I am sure to feel the cop’s accusing grip upon my shoulders—and the eternal dread of this is what gives the wandering glitter which you may have noticed in the thief’s eye, and which renders his life a torment of restlessness and fear.“‘Well, after a while, I find myself here again, and immediately pitch in to drown my wretchedness in hard work.“‘The magistrates know me, and treat me as an old customer; and here, in the prison, they regard me as an erratic boarder (permanent enough now!) who will be sure to return again.“‘This is the routine of my own life, and may answer for that of many of my class.“‘I will relate to you the circumstances of my last arrest—and my final one, for I firmly believe that I shall never again quit these prison walls alive.“‘I had just finished a term of four years, and, after praying to God very sincerely, and reasoning with myself very strongly, and come to the determination to lead an honest life, if within the scope of possibility. Fortune favoured me, and I obtained a subordinate position in the office of a prominent lawyer.“‘He knew my history. I told it all to him, and threw myself upon his generosity. He extended his hand nobly to me. For a long time I did not repay his kindness with ingratitude. I suffered more than he thought in my endeavours to be honest.“‘Every day I would encounter the sneers of my comrades in the street, and frequently their curses, but still remained firm in my good resolutions.“‘My employer was an old bachelor. His office was in the front part of his dwelling, which was presided over by his housekeeper, Mrs. Stanton, an eccentric, but kind-hearted old lady. I noticed, casually, that my employer never banked any of his money, and, at the same time, very seldom had much of it upon his person, so out of mere curiosity (I assure you, sir, it was nothingbutcuriosity), I set myself to find out what he did with it, until one day I discovered, while accidentally traversing an upper hall in his house, that he secreted it somewhere in an old bureau, in his own bedroom.For several days after this I could not help thinking what a shrewd old fellow my employer was, to deposit his money in such an out-of-the-way place, instead of letting all the world know its whereabouts by the presence of the usual massive and cumbrous iron safe.“‘Well, sir, one bright morning, Mr. B——, my employer, sent me to collect a bad debt for an inconsiderable amount, and, as I left the office, I noticed that the door of the dwelling-house was wide open.“‘I was pretty sweet on Polly, the cook, or she was on me, which was better yet, and I thought it wouldn’t do any harm just to run into the kitchen and give her a good-morning kiss. As Satan would have it, Polly wasn’t in the kitchen, and there were signs of her having just gone to market.“‘I glanced into the little sitting-room, which Mrs. Stanton nearly always occupied when she was in the house, and, to my surprise, there were signs of her having also just gone to market.“‘Greatly marvelling that such a nice house should be thus left all alone, I thought I would just take a look around the premises, out of mere curiosity. To make a long story short, I found myself presently in Mr. B——’s bedchamber, gazing very curiously at that old bureau, somewhere in which I knew he kept his money. At first my curiosity was genuine, but I gradually began to think how many nice things I could buy if that money was mine.“‘I was sadly in need of a suit of clothes, and was also very fond of dress. I hadn’t been on the spree for a long, long time, and, just at this unfortunate moment, my mouth began to water for the wine-cup.“‘Well, sir, it is hardly worth while for me to describe the various phases of temptation which led, step by step, to the evil deed. I was almost as much surprised at myself as any stranger would have been, had he seen me, when a few minutes later, I found myself rummaging through the drawers of that old bureau, in the most nervous and excited manner.“‘I was engaged in this manner when I was startled by a loud scream, and wheeled on my heel to perceive the housekeeper, Mrs. Stanton, looking at me. The thought of my position flashed upon me so strongly and vividly that, for a moment, I was incapable of action.“‘I was too old a bird, however, to be paralysed by fear for more than an instant of time. Her screams continued.“‘In my wild alarm, I sprang upon her and clutched her throat.“‘As I did so, a thousand thoughts flashed through my brain. The consequences which would fall upon me should my employer discover any attempt upon his property—the judge’s face, stern and relentless—the words of the prosecuting attorney—the stolid jurymen, with prejudice and hatred imprinted upon their foredooming faces—and then the walls of this accursed prison rose before me, with their stony hopelessness augmented fifty-fold. I continued to choke down her accursed cries more vigorously as these terrible thoughts fleeted through my head.“‘At length she ceased struggling, and, slowly relinquishing my grip, I laid her upon the floor. I then bent over her, with a cold, icy horror at my heart, never experienced before; for I perceived that the housekeeper was dead.“‘I had no control over myself after that, sir. In my wild excitement I rushed to the nearest police-station, hurriedly confessed my crime, and was arrested. At the subsequent trial I was found guilty of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to be hanged. In view of the extenuating circumstances, as they called them, my sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life, and here I am.’“‘Good-bye, sir, and may God bless you! I hear the warden at the door.’“Tears stood in his eyes as he extended his hand to me, and grasping it warmly I quitted the cell. After the door was closed I heard a great hammering going on within, and I knew that the prisoner-for-life was forgetting his loneliness in the monotonous hum-drum of shoe-pegging.”“Poor fellow,” said Lord Fitzbogleton. “What a dweadful punishment it must be to be impwisoned for life!”“Yes, it is a most melancholy state of existence without doubt,” said Smythe: “and, to say the truth, it appears almost miraculous how prisoners are able to bear so severe a punishment, but in most cases they deserve what they get. The wonder is that there are not more escapes, seeing that so many are driven to what one might call a desperate condition.”“When I was in the United States,” said Captain Crasher, “escapes and attempted escapes from prison were frequent occurrences, but here in the old country, as our Transatlantic cousins term it, the chances for prisoners freeing themselves from bondage are but few and far between. Nevertheless, even here successful attempts at escape do take place, despite the surveillance kept over the unfortunate denizens of a penal prison. When I was in America many of the convicts of Clinton prison strove to be again on their travels. No less than thirteen tried to escape within the space of two months. Whether this was caused by the neglect of the officers, or the insecurity of the prison, I will not intend to say, but as we are discoursing on prison life, I will just give you an account of the rascals at Clinton, and how they managed to escape, or, at least, tried to do so.“First, two of their number made their exit from the forge during the night, which is closely guarded inside and out by several of the most efficient guards of the prison.“Strange to say, these same two escaped from the same place last summer.“Their names were Samuel Tweed and Henry Austin.“After leaving the prison they proceeded to a barn in the vicinity, where they procured a horse and waggon, with which they managed to reach the village of Saranac, some six or eight miles distant; but there finding their great enemy, the snow, had not left the premises, and as they were unable to use the waggon any further, the snow being so deep, they concluded to tramp it on foot, and to their sorrow, for they were quickly followed by officers Christian and Hagerty, who succeeded in first capturing Tweed; but, Austin being somewhat of a more daring character, attempted to fight it out, paying no attention to the word ‘halt’ given by Mr. Hagerty.“Seeing that Austin meant to try his speed, Mr. Hagerty discharged his revolver over the convict’s head, which, as intended, brought him to bay. Finally they were once more secured in their old quarters, and now wear a heavy log chain as a reward of their escapade.“Not the least daunted by the failure of his brother convicts, William Wallace (no relation of the Scotch chieftain), who was employed as engineer at the rolling-mill, took it into his head to vamose; so, by playing possum with the keeper, he succeeded in leaving the prison.“He could not have scaled the stockade before the alarm was given, but, alas! the bird had flown, and was not caught for some days aterwards, and then by chance, he being hidden in the woods, heard a gun discharged close by, and, thinking he had been discovered, took to his heels and ran.“Those who fired the gun were not in search of escaped convicts, but for pleasure, and pleased they were when they saw fifty dollars within their reach, and which they received for the capture of the said William Wallace, who now works in his old shop, but is not engineer, unless he may be called an engineer in a small way, for I suppose it is a matter of engineering to walk with the large shackle and chain which he wears without injuring his ankles.“So far I have only recorded escapes and recaptures. Now I come to a trial escape (which is a very rare occurrence).“It was on Sunday, a day of rest (but not for the prison-keepers), that as usual two convicts were sent from their cells to feed the hogs, but instead of laying out the usual quantity of food for the hogs, they laid out an unusual quantity of food for themselves, contemplating beforehand that they would need it on their travels.“Travels, I say, for travel they did over the pickets, and God knows where, for they were not seen again for ten or twelve days after. One of them, by name Tanner, happened to come across an old acquaintance of his in the shape of the sheriff of the town he was convicted in.“The sheriff, knowing his term had not expired, at once arrested him and placed him in gaol, there to await an answer from the prison-officers, concerning the escape of Tanner.“One of the ex-officers of the prison, Mr. John Thompson, who had been sent in that direction in expectation that Tanner would seek his former acquaintances, was soon at the gaol and immediately recognised him.“From certain information received from Tanner, in regard to the whereabouts of Yates, his confederate, Thompson and the sheriff proceeded some miles further on in hopes of effecting Yates’s capture.“In the meantime, Tanner thought he would try his luck once more; so with very little trouble he succeeded in breaking out of the gaol, since which neither he nor Yates has been heard of.“Probably Mr. Thompson and the sheriff will learn to profit by that somewhat stale proverb, that ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’“Next comes another escape from that stronghold, the forge. Strange to say, among so many guards, a convict could not be seen to leave his fire and ascend to the roof, from there through a sky-light, as Patrick Curly did, not many nights before, but the fortunate was doomed to misfortune, as it proved, for he succeeded in getting no further than Cadyville, where he was captured and brought back, and by two boys, both younger than himself.“He now wears the reward of his failure in the shape of a heavy chain fastened to the leg, and it is to be hoped he will learn that the way of the transgressor is hard.“It was on the evening of the 28th of May, some half-dozen of convicts were employed in the foundry (a rather unusual thing,i.e., after six o’clock, p.m.), in charge of three guards, each having charge of two men; but it seems that one of the guards, a Mr. Burdick, was cross-eyed, which enabled him to see both ways; but unfortunately for his reputation, and I have no doubt for his position, he did not see the way that William Shea and Patrick Foley made their exit, and it was not for some time after they had gone before our friend, Mr. B., became aware of the fact.“When he was told of it he remarked: ‘Yes, they are gone, and so is my 75dols.a month gone.’ He being a keeper, was of course at once discharged for neglect of duty.“Shea, after three days’ hard travelling, became so exhausted, that he concluded to give himself up, which he did to two men, for which they received the usual reward of 50dols.“Foley, it seems, was somewhat the toughest, for he managed to stay away two days longer, and after travelling, as he says, about a hundred miles and more, he met two men of whom he inquired how far it was from Canada, which they undertook to show him by bringing him back to the prison, which was somewhat about twelve miles distant.“Foley participated in the joy of the two men who effected his capture, for on entering the prison-gate, being tied down to a waggon, he looked up and exclaimed ‘How are you, Canada?’“The usual reward was received by all parties—viz., 50dols.for the capture of each—and the captured received their reward by having their head shaved in the shape of a cock’s comb, dark cell, and ball and chain; that man-killing machine known as the shower-box being abolished by an act passed by our State Legislature.“Nothing must do but the Sabbath must be broken, also, the prison windows (which by-the-bye are made of cast iron), by two desperadoes known as James McManus and Washington Roxford.“The circumstances are as follow:—It seems that when the convict Curly escaped, Charles Richardson, principal keeper, received the information that the said McManus in some way or other assisted him, which justified Richardson in keeping McManus locked up.“Some time previous Roxford had committed a breach of prison discipline, for which he also was locked up and wore a chain.“It seems they contemplated to repeat the Sing Sing tragedy, in bucking and gagging the guards, for the material for so doing was found in their rooms; but luckily for Charley Gray, who it seems they intended to select for their victim, they pursued another course, which was to cut their doors, and with a heavy sledge hammer break the cast-iron windows, which they succeeded in doing about nine o’clock a.m.“While the Sunday school was being held they succeeded in going through the window, but to their surprise they were confronted by several of the guards, who it seems had been on the alert, expecting this for some time. No doubt Charley Richardson rewarded them as they deserved, both being ‘hard cases.’“It is a strange thing that in this enlightened age one of the State prisons should be as far behind the times as to have doors and windows made of cast iron, which is well known to be utterly useless as a safeguard against convicts’ escapes, and the convicts know it, too.“It is to be hoped that some means will be found to make the new prison now in contemplation more secure than the one at Dancmora.“His Excellency Gov. Hoffman paid a visit to the prison some time since, which was not intended as an official one (he being on a pleasant trip to the trout lakes in the vicinity), but the convicts made it one for him, for out of 500 and odd men there nearly one-half wanted to see him, but of course could not, his stay there being but short; but those that did see him were received very kindly, and those who deserved it, I have no doubt, heard from him in a short time, for he had already pardoned two.“He had no sooner left the prison than three of the convicts took the notion that they would leave too; but thanks to some of the guards they did not go any further than the main sewer, where they had hidden themselves.“Their names were Obastio (coloured), Whitehead and Howard; all belonging to that unruly school of boys known as the ‘Nail Factory.’“The guards were aroused in the night, or in the morning, for it was about three, and that, too, on a Sunday morning, by the report of a pistol which was discharged at the convict Hughes, who attempted to break the window with a hammer; but the night-guard, Mr. Kimball, being on watch for such things, quickly made him drop the sledge and cry for quarter. He was not shot, though it was no fault of the guards, for they were determined to make an example of some of those gaol-breakers.“The convict, Thomas Kelly, was indicted for murder in the first degree, subsequently, for the murder of his fellow-convict, Lorenzo. He was tried at Plattsburgh, the witnesses being mostly convicts.“A convict there, named Mulligan, a noted river pirate, under sentence of fifteen years, attempted suicide by opening an artery in his arm, and was only saved by the prompt arrival of the prison physician, Arthur S. Wolff.“Several attempts have been made, of late, in the prisons, upon the lives of officers. In a great many of them they are provoked assaults by the officers, I have no doubt. At least, one came to my notice during my stay.“It was between a convict named Morrow and Officer Moore. This Moore was a very brutal man, and uses at all times the most abominable language towards his men; and it was a wonder to me that such a man should be allowed in the prison as a keeper.“Charley Richardson knew this man’s character; why did he not take such steps as would cause his removal? On the same day convict Flaherty attempted to cut Officer Cartwright without any cause whatever.“What is the use of officers carrying firearms, if they have them in such a position that it takes them so long before they can get at them? I have known about six or seven keepers in one prison who could have prevented the beatings they have received by the timely appearance of their pistols, which they keep slung on a belt around behind them, and in a case, which is kept buttoned.“Convicts know this; so, when they attack an officer they know they do it without chance of being shot. Never do I remember of one case where a convict was shot in attempting to strike an officer, which was getting to be an every-day occurrence.”“Gentlemen,” said Lady Marvlynn, “I do hope and trust you have enjoyed yourselves. We have had, I am sure, a most charming and sociable evening. I can speak for myself. The amount of information and interesting matter which many of my guests have kindly furnished us with has been specially acceptable both to myself and many others of the company. There has of course been one circumstance which has broken up the harmony and flow of conversation for a brief period. I allude to the presence of that lawless man whom many of you censure me—and, I admit, with justice, perhaps—for suffering to escape; but at the same time——”“Say no more upon that subject, my lady,” interrupted Sir William Leathbridge. “The fellow has had a respite—is far away by this time. The best thing we can do is to forget that he was present here to-night.”“But he knocked my hat over my eyes, and be hanged to him,” cried Fitzbogleton, “and sent Miss Awabella Lovejoyce into hysterics.”“Miss Lovejoyce will forgive him, I dare say,” observed the baronet.“Oh, dear me, yes,” returned the fair Arabella, “most willingly.”“I felt assured of that,” said the baronet. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, we are, I take it, all agreed upon one point, this being that our kind friend and hostess has acted with her usual discretion, and, all things considered, it is just as well, and it may be a great deal better, that we are rid of the scoundrel.”“Certainly, quite right, Sir William,” cried several. “We endorse your opinion most willingly.”“And so this matter being settled,” observed the baronet, “and seeing also that we have had a long sitting, and however pleasurable the evening may have been, which it has been to all of us—(hear, hear)—nevertheless, as it is now drawing to a close, before we break up I have one toast to propose, and I am sure, speaking from my own personal experience, and the experience also of most—and indeed I may say, all persons present—that you will join me in doing justice to that toast. I will not tell you how many years I have had the honour of knowing Lady Marvlynn, because you see by so doing I should have to go back to the sunny days of my youth, and this would lead up to the unpleasant fact that I might probably be no longer young—in fact, it might be said that I am getting old. (“No, no,” and cheers). Well, we will not dwell upon such an objectionable subject. Her ladyship is the same bright, kind-hearted creature whom I knew, say for the nonce a dozen or so years ago. Time has not changed her, and, as far as I am individually concerned, as years have flown by, my friendship for her ladyship has been strengthened rather than diminished, and I may add that it is a deep and lasting friendship, which I am perfectly well convinced will only end with my life; and, so you see, this being so, I have felt it a duty incumbent on me to propose the health and happiness of Lady Marvlynn. May her future life be one of unclouded sunshine, each day fulfilling the promises of yesterday, still promising to morrow. My friends, Lady Marvlynn!” cried the baronet, raising his glass.The company stood up and drank the toast with enthusiasm.Signor Marouski sang a sort of benediction in choice Italian, which was doubtless very fine, but nobody understood it.This did not much matter, it was very effective, nevertheless.Other speeches and toasts followed, and shortly after midnight the guests began to take their departure.Lord Fitzbogleton was the last to leave. He still lingered by the side of Miss Lovejoyce.“Your carriage is at the door, my lord,” observed the lady.“I know it,” he answered petulantly. “I am perfectly well assured of that important fact. What does it matter? I am master of my own time—have no wife or babies waiting for my return. Hang it, don’t be in such a hurry to get rid of a fellow.”“I am in no hurry, my lord.”“I am glad to hear you say so, and now about the wing. I swear most positively I will not go till I’ve got your pwomise.”“What promise?”“What pwomise! Why, that you will consent to accept the wing as a token of my esteem.” He was going to say love, but substituted the other word in lieu of it.“Your esteem?”“Certainly. Confound it, Awabella. I intend to always call you Awabella, you know.”“Well, yes, that, I believe, is an agreement.”“It is, and you won’t depart from the letter of the law in this respect.”“There is no reason for my doing so.”“Well, what was I saying? Where was I? Oh, I know—about your pwomise.”“We will talk about that when we next meet.”“Indeed, we will do no such thing. We will talk about it now. I will not leave this house till you have given me your word that you will accept the wing as a token of fwendship and esteem.”“That is your determination?”“It is.”“Then, of course, as you are so persistent I have no alternative. Be satisfied with the assurance that I will accept the gift.”“I am the happiest of men,” exclaimed the young nobleman. “Farewell for the pwesent, dearest Awabella. You are an angel—that’s what you are.”“Am I?” she exclaimed, bursting out into a laugh.“There you go again,” ejaculated her companion. “You are so fond of looking at things in a widiculous light. A fellow don’t like to be held up to widicule. No fellow likes that.”“No, of course not.”“Then why do you do it?”“I have not attempted to hold you up to ridicule,” said she, pouting.“No, no, I didn’t mean to say that. Pardon me, my charmer, I could not find it in my heart to blame you. You are faultless.”The champagne and other sparkling wines, together with the excitement of the day, had produced a visible effect upon Fitzbogleton, whose utterance was a little thick.“We part good friends,” said he. “Say that you are not offended.”“Goodness me, no!” cried Arabella. “How can I possibly be offended?”He would not leave go of her hand, but strove as best he could to explain himself. He was a little foggy, and Miss Lovejoyce thought he would never go.“If he is often like this,” she murmured, “he must be rather a troublesome man.”At length he made a movement towards the door, and after bidding a final farewell, betook himself to his chocolate-coloured chariot, and was driven off.And so the festivities at Lady Marvlynn’s were brought to a close.
“Why, Mr. Quirp, have you been in a prison?” inquired Lady Marvlynn.
“I am sorry to say I have been in a good many, my dear madam,” returned the lawyer. “Not as an inmate—don’t imagine that.”
Upon this the company burst out into a loud laugh.
“No, only as a visitor,” added Quirp. “That is all, and from what I have seen of the internal accommodation of those places I have no desire to dwell therein even for the space of, say, four and twenty hours.”
“You are afraid the air would not agree with you?”
“Exactly so. I am quite sure that neither the air, the food, nor the sleeping accommodation would suit me. But I will give you an account of what I saw.
No.77.
Illustration: THE HARVEST HOME GAMESTHE “HARVEST HOME” GAMES AT FARMER ASHBROOK’S.
THE “HARVEST HOME” GAMES AT FARMER ASHBROOK’S.
“I had visited a large number of prisoners, when the warder of the Penitentiary said to me, just as we reached the door of a cell whose outward appearance was even more gloomy than those we had visited:—
“‘This is the cell of the prisoner I was speaking about—Dick Malden. I have no time to wait at present, but, if you would like to converse with him, I will lock you in the cell, and call for you, say in half an hour.’
“The warden, in his practical way, was accustomed to allude to his prisoners in much the same manner as the keeper of a menagerie would refer to his living specimens of natural history.
“After all, I thought, there was more reason in this than appeared at the first glance; for no doubt many of the human hearts which were caged in those impenetrable walls of iron and stone, throbbed with fiercer passions and more savage instincts than ever inspired the breast of any wild beast of the field.
“I had become so used to the warder’s manner that, before I assented to his proposition, I was on the point of making inquiries regarding the tameness of the animal within; but I checked myself, and merely signified my assent.
“The door was partially opened, and, by a strange sort of turnstile arrangement, I was inducted alone into the cell.
“‘Scientific visitor forNo.46!’ cried the warder in a loud voice from the outside; then the iron door crashed between us; thud went the shooting bolts, and I heard his echoing steps retreating down the vaulted corridor.
“The cell in which I stood was about ten by fifteen, larger than the ordinary dungeon, and was well lighted by a small grating high in the wall opposite the entrance.
“It contained a small iron bedstead, a small iron table, a small iron chair, and a young man seated on a stool, engaged in pegging shoes with such rapidity that it seemed his life must depend upon completing a gigantic taste in an impossibly short space of time.
“But upon my entrance, he threw down his work, and rushed up to me with an eagerly extended hand, and a wild joyous blaze in his eyes (they were very fine eyes—large, gray, lustrous, and expressive), as if I were a brother or a near friend from whom he had long been separated.
“I noticed that the young man was very handsome, even in his degrading prison dress. His frame was lithe and sinewy, his hands and feet small and delicately shaped.
“His face was smooth and beardless as a woman’s, his features regular, and singularly handsome, and the contour of his closely cropped head was noble and dignified; yet, with all these redeeming characteristics, there was the inevitable stamp of the born criminal over all.
“His physiognomy was one of those strange, rarely encountered specimens, where, through the mask of good nature, shines forth the glimmering of a depravity so natural to the possessor as to render even him totally unconscious of its existence. But I liked the intensity of feeling with which he grasped my hand.
“‘Take a chair,’ said he, pushing up the single chair, and seating himself on the side of the iron bedstead. ‘I hope you will pardon my vehemence, sir, when I say that yours is the only human face I have seen for, I judge, eight months.’
“‘Are you in earnest?’ I exclaimed in amazement—for, much as I condemned the system of solitary confinement, I was not aware that it was carried to this extent in America.
“‘Certainly, sir,’ replied the prisoner, Dick Malden. ‘You will perceive, by the peculiar construction of that door, that I cannot even see the face of my gaoler when he brings me food. Even in the chapel, on the Sabbath, our seats are so arranged that we can neither see each other nor the face of the chaplain who preaches to us. We used to have some relief by being able to speak to each other through the water-pipes of the necessary here,’ said he, pointing to the apparatus, just below the small grating; ‘but they found it out, and now even that avenue of communication is obstructed. They have got us solitary enoughnow!’
“As the young man said this, a wan smile crossed his lips.
“‘What is the term of your sentence?’
“‘A lifetime.’
“‘And your crime?’
“‘Murder!’
“There was something terrible in his calm, even tones, and I instinctively shrank back at the dreadful word. Perceiving that the gesture pained him, however, I continued the colloquy by asking—
“‘Pray how many times have you been in prison, Mr. Malden?’
“‘Call me Dick, sir,’ said the prisoner, laughing, but evidently gratified at my civility. ‘I have been in prison—in this same prison—five times, when they “copped” me on this last go; I had a pretty sure thing of it, however.’
“‘I suppose if you were released to-morrow,’ said I, ‘it would not be long before you would be back again?’
“‘Very likely,’ he replied, nodding his head meditatively.
“Then, perceiving the mingled curiosity and incredulity in my countenance, he continued—
“‘If you care to hear it, sir, I don’t mind giving you some particulars of a thief’s story. The last man I saw, about eight months ago, was a sort of a tract distributor, who asked me a great many silly questions about religious matters, of which he himself was as ignorant as that spider on the wall there. He was one of your d——d canting hypocrites, without enough brains to call a congregation into a God-shop, and without pride enough to work for a living, so I turned my back on him at the start. I see nothing but pleasant sympathy in your face, however, and would like the most of my half-hour with you.’
“I gladly assented, and the prisoner-for-life began his story as follows:—
“‘I never knew my mother, and my father was a professional thief—at least, he was when I first recognised him as my father. He brought me up as a thief, and I soon proved a wonderful adept, but, in his drunken moments (he was seldom sober) he beat me so cruelly that, when fourteen years of age, I ran away from him, and came from the western city, in which we lived, to this city.
“‘I was an accomplished thief for one so young. There was nothing in that queer Latin of the thief’s lexicon that I was not thoroughly conversant with, and, being acquainted with all the secret signals, I was enabled, at almost every point of my journey, to form any variety of acquaintance in my now peculiar life.
“‘I could “fake” a “wipe,” or “crib” a “spoon,” with the best of them, and was not long in teaching the swell-mob of the eastern coast more than they knew, and, moreover, what was not imported from foreign countries either.
“‘But, somehow or another, I was not naturally inclined to the profession, and, accident befriending me, I became a lawyer’s clerk in Philadelphia.
“‘My employer had a very extensive library, and so much did I enjoy reading, that I remained with him for a number of years, improving my mind, and robbing my employer so moderately it was imperceptible.
“‘I dressed well, and moved in decent circles, but, when eighteen years of age, I overstepped my modesty, robbed my master of two hundred dollars, and fled, for I knew he would not forgive me.
“‘He pursued, arrested, and imprisoned me. This sealed my fate. Allow me to say to you sir, that I know it to be both wrong and impolite, to steal; but in some cases I can convince you that it can’t be helped. My imprisonment was of brief duration, but it was sufficient to confirm me as a villain and a wretch.
“‘This system of solitary confinement can never reform a criminal. I have tried it for many years, and I ought to know.’
“The prisoner-for-life paused contemplatively, and I could not help wondering at these unusual comments from such lips.
“‘No,’ he continued, ‘they will never succeed in reforming the world that way; I am certain of it. Look at it yourself from my point of view, and you will see it in the same light. Here am I, say, arrested for theft. Grant the crime—what’s the use of denying it after you’re judged?
“‘And I will credit the law by saying this much, that I was never imprisoned unjustly in my life. I am suddenly picked up from the street, and, after a brief trial (I would willingly dispense with that, because my word goes for nothing, and I have no friends), placed in solitary confinement for six months, a year, or two years.
“‘No person, sir, who has never undergone the punishment, can even imagine the slow agony of solitary confinement. You could not stand it a year. I, who by this time, should be pretty well used to it, will be able to stand it ten or twelve years longer, when my life-imprisonment will be at an end. Save in the case of such visits as yours, no human face is seen by the prisoner.
“‘You probably wondered, when you entered this cell, why I worked so hard. When we first come here, we are given the choice of doing nothing or working. We always prefer the former at first; but not many days of thought—wild, mad, wearing, eternal, lonely thought—are required to drive us to the latter alternative, and we work so hard, so incessantly, in order to forget ourselves, that the authorities make much more out of us than they could out of honest workmen.
“‘You see, sir, we must forget ourselves, and that is what we try to do when we work so hard.
“‘Well, suppose my term expires, my cell door opened, I am conducted downstairs, change these striped clothes for those relinquished upon entering the prison, and am shown into the street—free to do as I will.
“‘Imagine my sensations. I have not seen a human face for years, perhaps, and now, suddenly, I see thousands.
“‘I am just as if I were translated into another planet—or like Rip Van Winkle after his thirty years’ nap. My clothes are out of fashion, houses have been built where I remember nothing but empty lots. The faces of men and women in the streets seem unreally vivid and distinct.
“‘The roar and rumble of the street confuse my brain. I am bewildered, lost. The few dollars I have earned through overwork in the prison are speedily expended for necessities. I am penniless in the world. It is difficult to obtain honest employment.
“‘Credentials are almost always required; and who would employ a convict? The only acquaintances whom I meet in the populated streets are those whom I knew of old—fellow-thieves. From these alone I receive the cordial smile of welcome, the warm handclasp of friendship. However deeply I may have resolved upon reformation, my old unprincipled feelings repossess me.
“‘I borrow money of thieves, visit the old cribs mostly frequented by thieves, meet and become intimate with women—often very pretty girls—who are thieves, and whom I have known before. This is my only sympathy in the world.
“‘There is nothing intentionally false or down-dragging in their smiles and their welcomes, because I belong to their tribe, and know that they are really glad of my release from the Penitentiary.
“‘Well, thieving is the only legitimate occupation I have. A few weeks’ dissipation serves to render me forgetful of my prison experience, hard and bitter as it may have been.
“‘My trade is a precarious one—from day to day, from hand to mouth. If the hardships, the danger, the necessary and never-ceasing anxiety of a life of pillage could be presented to the infant mind, I think there would be no thieves.
“‘It is terrible, and yet, to one who has been initiated into the wicked mysteries, there is a fascination which cannot be resisted.
“‘It is all luck—I may run a day, a week, a month, a year; but, sooner or later, I am sure to feel the cop’s accusing grip upon my shoulders—and the eternal dread of this is what gives the wandering glitter which you may have noticed in the thief’s eye, and which renders his life a torment of restlessness and fear.
“‘Well, after a while, I find myself here again, and immediately pitch in to drown my wretchedness in hard work.
“‘The magistrates know me, and treat me as an old customer; and here, in the prison, they regard me as an erratic boarder (permanent enough now!) who will be sure to return again.
“‘This is the routine of my own life, and may answer for that of many of my class.
“‘I will relate to you the circumstances of my last arrest—and my final one, for I firmly believe that I shall never again quit these prison walls alive.
“‘I had just finished a term of four years, and, after praying to God very sincerely, and reasoning with myself very strongly, and come to the determination to lead an honest life, if within the scope of possibility. Fortune favoured me, and I obtained a subordinate position in the office of a prominent lawyer.
“‘He knew my history. I told it all to him, and threw myself upon his generosity. He extended his hand nobly to me. For a long time I did not repay his kindness with ingratitude. I suffered more than he thought in my endeavours to be honest.
“‘Every day I would encounter the sneers of my comrades in the street, and frequently their curses, but still remained firm in my good resolutions.
“‘My employer was an old bachelor. His office was in the front part of his dwelling, which was presided over by his housekeeper, Mrs. Stanton, an eccentric, but kind-hearted old lady. I noticed, casually, that my employer never banked any of his money, and, at the same time, very seldom had much of it upon his person, so out of mere curiosity (I assure you, sir, it was nothingbutcuriosity), I set myself to find out what he did with it, until one day I discovered, while accidentally traversing an upper hall in his house, that he secreted it somewhere in an old bureau, in his own bedroom.
For several days after this I could not help thinking what a shrewd old fellow my employer was, to deposit his money in such an out-of-the-way place, instead of letting all the world know its whereabouts by the presence of the usual massive and cumbrous iron safe.
“‘Well, sir, one bright morning, Mr. B——, my employer, sent me to collect a bad debt for an inconsiderable amount, and, as I left the office, I noticed that the door of the dwelling-house was wide open.
“‘I was pretty sweet on Polly, the cook, or she was on me, which was better yet, and I thought it wouldn’t do any harm just to run into the kitchen and give her a good-morning kiss. As Satan would have it, Polly wasn’t in the kitchen, and there were signs of her having just gone to market.
“‘I glanced into the little sitting-room, which Mrs. Stanton nearly always occupied when she was in the house, and, to my surprise, there were signs of her having also just gone to market.
“‘Greatly marvelling that such a nice house should be thus left all alone, I thought I would just take a look around the premises, out of mere curiosity. To make a long story short, I found myself presently in Mr. B——’s bedchamber, gazing very curiously at that old bureau, somewhere in which I knew he kept his money. At first my curiosity was genuine, but I gradually began to think how many nice things I could buy if that money was mine.
“‘I was sadly in need of a suit of clothes, and was also very fond of dress. I hadn’t been on the spree for a long, long time, and, just at this unfortunate moment, my mouth began to water for the wine-cup.
“‘Well, sir, it is hardly worth while for me to describe the various phases of temptation which led, step by step, to the evil deed. I was almost as much surprised at myself as any stranger would have been, had he seen me, when a few minutes later, I found myself rummaging through the drawers of that old bureau, in the most nervous and excited manner.
“‘I was engaged in this manner when I was startled by a loud scream, and wheeled on my heel to perceive the housekeeper, Mrs. Stanton, looking at me. The thought of my position flashed upon me so strongly and vividly that, for a moment, I was incapable of action.
“‘I was too old a bird, however, to be paralysed by fear for more than an instant of time. Her screams continued.
“‘In my wild alarm, I sprang upon her and clutched her throat.
“‘As I did so, a thousand thoughts flashed through my brain. The consequences which would fall upon me should my employer discover any attempt upon his property—the judge’s face, stern and relentless—the words of the prosecuting attorney—the stolid jurymen, with prejudice and hatred imprinted upon their foredooming faces—and then the walls of this accursed prison rose before me, with their stony hopelessness augmented fifty-fold. I continued to choke down her accursed cries more vigorously as these terrible thoughts fleeted through my head.
“‘At length she ceased struggling, and, slowly relinquishing my grip, I laid her upon the floor. I then bent over her, with a cold, icy horror at my heart, never experienced before; for I perceived that the housekeeper was dead.
“‘I had no control over myself after that, sir. In my wild excitement I rushed to the nearest police-station, hurriedly confessed my crime, and was arrested. At the subsequent trial I was found guilty of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to be hanged. In view of the extenuating circumstances, as they called them, my sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life, and here I am.’
“‘Good-bye, sir, and may God bless you! I hear the warden at the door.’
“Tears stood in his eyes as he extended his hand to me, and grasping it warmly I quitted the cell. After the door was closed I heard a great hammering going on within, and I knew that the prisoner-for-life was forgetting his loneliness in the monotonous hum-drum of shoe-pegging.”
“Poor fellow,” said Lord Fitzbogleton. “What a dweadful punishment it must be to be impwisoned for life!”
“Yes, it is a most melancholy state of existence without doubt,” said Smythe: “and, to say the truth, it appears almost miraculous how prisoners are able to bear so severe a punishment, but in most cases they deserve what they get. The wonder is that there are not more escapes, seeing that so many are driven to what one might call a desperate condition.”
“When I was in the United States,” said Captain Crasher, “escapes and attempted escapes from prison were frequent occurrences, but here in the old country, as our Transatlantic cousins term it, the chances for prisoners freeing themselves from bondage are but few and far between. Nevertheless, even here successful attempts at escape do take place, despite the surveillance kept over the unfortunate denizens of a penal prison. When I was in America many of the convicts of Clinton prison strove to be again on their travels. No less than thirteen tried to escape within the space of two months. Whether this was caused by the neglect of the officers, or the insecurity of the prison, I will not intend to say, but as we are discoursing on prison life, I will just give you an account of the rascals at Clinton, and how they managed to escape, or, at least, tried to do so.
“First, two of their number made their exit from the forge during the night, which is closely guarded inside and out by several of the most efficient guards of the prison.
“Strange to say, these same two escaped from the same place last summer.
“Their names were Samuel Tweed and Henry Austin.
“After leaving the prison they proceeded to a barn in the vicinity, where they procured a horse and waggon, with which they managed to reach the village of Saranac, some six or eight miles distant; but there finding their great enemy, the snow, had not left the premises, and as they were unable to use the waggon any further, the snow being so deep, they concluded to tramp it on foot, and to their sorrow, for they were quickly followed by officers Christian and Hagerty, who succeeded in first capturing Tweed; but, Austin being somewhat of a more daring character, attempted to fight it out, paying no attention to the word ‘halt’ given by Mr. Hagerty.
“Seeing that Austin meant to try his speed, Mr. Hagerty discharged his revolver over the convict’s head, which, as intended, brought him to bay. Finally they were once more secured in their old quarters, and now wear a heavy log chain as a reward of their escapade.
“Not the least daunted by the failure of his brother convicts, William Wallace (no relation of the Scotch chieftain), who was employed as engineer at the rolling-mill, took it into his head to vamose; so, by playing possum with the keeper, he succeeded in leaving the prison.
“He could not have scaled the stockade before the alarm was given, but, alas! the bird had flown, and was not caught for some days aterwards, and then by chance, he being hidden in the woods, heard a gun discharged close by, and, thinking he had been discovered, took to his heels and ran.
“Those who fired the gun were not in search of escaped convicts, but for pleasure, and pleased they were when they saw fifty dollars within their reach, and which they received for the capture of the said William Wallace, who now works in his old shop, but is not engineer, unless he may be called an engineer in a small way, for I suppose it is a matter of engineering to walk with the large shackle and chain which he wears without injuring his ankles.
“So far I have only recorded escapes and recaptures. Now I come to a trial escape (which is a very rare occurrence).
“It was on Sunday, a day of rest (but not for the prison-keepers), that as usual two convicts were sent from their cells to feed the hogs, but instead of laying out the usual quantity of food for the hogs, they laid out an unusual quantity of food for themselves, contemplating beforehand that they would need it on their travels.
“Travels, I say, for travel they did over the pickets, and God knows where, for they were not seen again for ten or twelve days after. One of them, by name Tanner, happened to come across an old acquaintance of his in the shape of the sheriff of the town he was convicted in.
“The sheriff, knowing his term had not expired, at once arrested him and placed him in gaol, there to await an answer from the prison-officers, concerning the escape of Tanner.
“One of the ex-officers of the prison, Mr. John Thompson, who had been sent in that direction in expectation that Tanner would seek his former acquaintances, was soon at the gaol and immediately recognised him.
“From certain information received from Tanner, in regard to the whereabouts of Yates, his confederate, Thompson and the sheriff proceeded some miles further on in hopes of effecting Yates’s capture.
“In the meantime, Tanner thought he would try his luck once more; so with very little trouble he succeeded in breaking out of the gaol, since which neither he nor Yates has been heard of.
“Probably Mr. Thompson and the sheriff will learn to profit by that somewhat stale proverb, that ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’
“Next comes another escape from that stronghold, the forge. Strange to say, among so many guards, a convict could not be seen to leave his fire and ascend to the roof, from there through a sky-light, as Patrick Curly did, not many nights before, but the fortunate was doomed to misfortune, as it proved, for he succeeded in getting no further than Cadyville, where he was captured and brought back, and by two boys, both younger than himself.
“He now wears the reward of his failure in the shape of a heavy chain fastened to the leg, and it is to be hoped he will learn that the way of the transgressor is hard.
“It was on the evening of the 28th of May, some half-dozen of convicts were employed in the foundry (a rather unusual thing,i.e., after six o’clock, p.m.), in charge of three guards, each having charge of two men; but it seems that one of the guards, a Mr. Burdick, was cross-eyed, which enabled him to see both ways; but unfortunately for his reputation, and I have no doubt for his position, he did not see the way that William Shea and Patrick Foley made their exit, and it was not for some time after they had gone before our friend, Mr. B., became aware of the fact.
“When he was told of it he remarked: ‘Yes, they are gone, and so is my 75dols.a month gone.’ He being a keeper, was of course at once discharged for neglect of duty.
“Shea, after three days’ hard travelling, became so exhausted, that he concluded to give himself up, which he did to two men, for which they received the usual reward of 50dols.
“Foley, it seems, was somewhat the toughest, for he managed to stay away two days longer, and after travelling, as he says, about a hundred miles and more, he met two men of whom he inquired how far it was from Canada, which they undertook to show him by bringing him back to the prison, which was somewhat about twelve miles distant.
“Foley participated in the joy of the two men who effected his capture, for on entering the prison-gate, being tied down to a waggon, he looked up and exclaimed ‘How are you, Canada?’
“The usual reward was received by all parties—viz., 50dols.for the capture of each—and the captured received their reward by having their head shaved in the shape of a cock’s comb, dark cell, and ball and chain; that man-killing machine known as the shower-box being abolished by an act passed by our State Legislature.
“Nothing must do but the Sabbath must be broken, also, the prison windows (which by-the-bye are made of cast iron), by two desperadoes known as James McManus and Washington Roxford.
“The circumstances are as follow:—It seems that when the convict Curly escaped, Charles Richardson, principal keeper, received the information that the said McManus in some way or other assisted him, which justified Richardson in keeping McManus locked up.
“Some time previous Roxford had committed a breach of prison discipline, for which he also was locked up and wore a chain.
“It seems they contemplated to repeat the Sing Sing tragedy, in bucking and gagging the guards, for the material for so doing was found in their rooms; but luckily for Charley Gray, who it seems they intended to select for their victim, they pursued another course, which was to cut their doors, and with a heavy sledge hammer break the cast-iron windows, which they succeeded in doing about nine o’clock a.m.
“While the Sunday school was being held they succeeded in going through the window, but to their surprise they were confronted by several of the guards, who it seems had been on the alert, expecting this for some time. No doubt Charley Richardson rewarded them as they deserved, both being ‘hard cases.’
“It is a strange thing that in this enlightened age one of the State prisons should be as far behind the times as to have doors and windows made of cast iron, which is well known to be utterly useless as a safeguard against convicts’ escapes, and the convicts know it, too.
“It is to be hoped that some means will be found to make the new prison now in contemplation more secure than the one at Dancmora.
“His Excellency Gov. Hoffman paid a visit to the prison some time since, which was not intended as an official one (he being on a pleasant trip to the trout lakes in the vicinity), but the convicts made it one for him, for out of 500 and odd men there nearly one-half wanted to see him, but of course could not, his stay there being but short; but those that did see him were received very kindly, and those who deserved it, I have no doubt, heard from him in a short time, for he had already pardoned two.
“He had no sooner left the prison than three of the convicts took the notion that they would leave too; but thanks to some of the guards they did not go any further than the main sewer, where they had hidden themselves.
“Their names were Obastio (coloured), Whitehead and Howard; all belonging to that unruly school of boys known as the ‘Nail Factory.’
“The guards were aroused in the night, or in the morning, for it was about three, and that, too, on a Sunday morning, by the report of a pistol which was discharged at the convict Hughes, who attempted to break the window with a hammer; but the night-guard, Mr. Kimball, being on watch for such things, quickly made him drop the sledge and cry for quarter. He was not shot, though it was no fault of the guards, for they were determined to make an example of some of those gaol-breakers.
“The convict, Thomas Kelly, was indicted for murder in the first degree, subsequently, for the murder of his fellow-convict, Lorenzo. He was tried at Plattsburgh, the witnesses being mostly convicts.
“A convict there, named Mulligan, a noted river pirate, under sentence of fifteen years, attempted suicide by opening an artery in his arm, and was only saved by the prompt arrival of the prison physician, Arthur S. Wolff.
“Several attempts have been made, of late, in the prisons, upon the lives of officers. In a great many of them they are provoked assaults by the officers, I have no doubt. At least, one came to my notice during my stay.
“It was between a convict named Morrow and Officer Moore. This Moore was a very brutal man, and uses at all times the most abominable language towards his men; and it was a wonder to me that such a man should be allowed in the prison as a keeper.
“Charley Richardson knew this man’s character; why did he not take such steps as would cause his removal? On the same day convict Flaherty attempted to cut Officer Cartwright without any cause whatever.
“What is the use of officers carrying firearms, if they have them in such a position that it takes them so long before they can get at them? I have known about six or seven keepers in one prison who could have prevented the beatings they have received by the timely appearance of their pistols, which they keep slung on a belt around behind them, and in a case, which is kept buttoned.
“Convicts know this; so, when they attack an officer they know they do it without chance of being shot. Never do I remember of one case where a convict was shot in attempting to strike an officer, which was getting to be an every-day occurrence.”
“Gentlemen,” said Lady Marvlynn, “I do hope and trust you have enjoyed yourselves. We have had, I am sure, a most charming and sociable evening. I can speak for myself. The amount of information and interesting matter which many of my guests have kindly furnished us with has been specially acceptable both to myself and many others of the company. There has of course been one circumstance which has broken up the harmony and flow of conversation for a brief period. I allude to the presence of that lawless man whom many of you censure me—and, I admit, with justice, perhaps—for suffering to escape; but at the same time——”
“Say no more upon that subject, my lady,” interrupted Sir William Leathbridge. “The fellow has had a respite—is far away by this time. The best thing we can do is to forget that he was present here to-night.”
“But he knocked my hat over my eyes, and be hanged to him,” cried Fitzbogleton, “and sent Miss Awabella Lovejoyce into hysterics.”
“Miss Lovejoyce will forgive him, I dare say,” observed the baronet.
“Oh, dear me, yes,” returned the fair Arabella, “most willingly.”
“I felt assured of that,” said the baronet. “Now, ladies and gentlemen, we are, I take it, all agreed upon one point, this being that our kind friend and hostess has acted with her usual discretion, and, all things considered, it is just as well, and it may be a great deal better, that we are rid of the scoundrel.”
“Certainly, quite right, Sir William,” cried several. “We endorse your opinion most willingly.”
“And so this matter being settled,” observed the baronet, “and seeing also that we have had a long sitting, and however pleasurable the evening may have been, which it has been to all of us—(hear, hear)—nevertheless, as it is now drawing to a close, before we break up I have one toast to propose, and I am sure, speaking from my own personal experience, and the experience also of most—and indeed I may say, all persons present—that you will join me in doing justice to that toast. I will not tell you how many years I have had the honour of knowing Lady Marvlynn, because you see by so doing I should have to go back to the sunny days of my youth, and this would lead up to the unpleasant fact that I might probably be no longer young—in fact, it might be said that I am getting old. (“No, no,” and cheers). Well, we will not dwell upon such an objectionable subject. Her ladyship is the same bright, kind-hearted creature whom I knew, say for the nonce a dozen or so years ago. Time has not changed her, and, as far as I am individually concerned, as years have flown by, my friendship for her ladyship has been strengthened rather than diminished, and I may add that it is a deep and lasting friendship, which I am perfectly well convinced will only end with my life; and, so you see, this being so, I have felt it a duty incumbent on me to propose the health and happiness of Lady Marvlynn. May her future life be one of unclouded sunshine, each day fulfilling the promises of yesterday, still promising to morrow. My friends, Lady Marvlynn!” cried the baronet, raising his glass.
The company stood up and drank the toast with enthusiasm.
Signor Marouski sang a sort of benediction in choice Italian, which was doubtless very fine, but nobody understood it.
This did not much matter, it was very effective, nevertheless.
Other speeches and toasts followed, and shortly after midnight the guests began to take their departure.
Lord Fitzbogleton was the last to leave. He still lingered by the side of Miss Lovejoyce.
“Your carriage is at the door, my lord,” observed the lady.
“I know it,” he answered petulantly. “I am perfectly well assured of that important fact. What does it matter? I am master of my own time—have no wife or babies waiting for my return. Hang it, don’t be in such a hurry to get rid of a fellow.”
“I am in no hurry, my lord.”
“I am glad to hear you say so, and now about the wing. I swear most positively I will not go till I’ve got your pwomise.”
“What promise?”
“What pwomise! Why, that you will consent to accept the wing as a token of my esteem.” He was going to say love, but substituted the other word in lieu of it.
“Your esteem?”
“Certainly. Confound it, Awabella. I intend to always call you Awabella, you know.”
“Well, yes, that, I believe, is an agreement.”
“It is, and you won’t depart from the letter of the law in this respect.”
“There is no reason for my doing so.”
“Well, what was I saying? Where was I? Oh, I know—about your pwomise.”
“We will talk about that when we next meet.”
“Indeed, we will do no such thing. We will talk about it now. I will not leave this house till you have given me your word that you will accept the wing as a token of fwendship and esteem.”
“That is your determination?”
“It is.”
“Then, of course, as you are so persistent I have no alternative. Be satisfied with the assurance that I will accept the gift.”
“I am the happiest of men,” exclaimed the young nobleman. “Farewell for the pwesent, dearest Awabella. You are an angel—that’s what you are.”
“Am I?” she exclaimed, bursting out into a laugh.
“There you go again,” ejaculated her companion. “You are so fond of looking at things in a widiculous light. A fellow don’t like to be held up to widicule. No fellow likes that.”
“No, of course not.”
“Then why do you do it?”
“I have not attempted to hold you up to ridicule,” said she, pouting.
“No, no, I didn’t mean to say that. Pardon me, my charmer, I could not find it in my heart to blame you. You are faultless.”
The champagne and other sparkling wines, together with the excitement of the day, had produced a visible effect upon Fitzbogleton, whose utterance was a little thick.
“We part good friends,” said he. “Say that you are not offended.”
“Goodness me, no!” cried Arabella. “How can I possibly be offended?”
He would not leave go of her hand, but strove as best he could to explain himself. He was a little foggy, and Miss Lovejoyce thought he would never go.
“If he is often like this,” she murmured, “he must be rather a troublesome man.”
At length he made a movement towards the door, and after bidding a final farewell, betook himself to his chocolate-coloured chariot, and was driven off.
And so the festivities at Lady Marvlynn’s were brought to a close.