Part 59 (1/2)

SASHA

CHAPTER XLII

MARRED LIVES

I

The discussion with the Girl is a source of much mortification Harassed on every side, persecuted by the authorities, and hounded even into the street, my friend, in her hour of bitterness, confounds reement with the denunciation of stupidity and inertia I realize the inadequacy of the written word, and despair at the hopelessness of hu of the Buffalo tragedy to friendly guards and prisoners Continued correspondence with the Girl accentuates the divergence of our views, painfully discovering the funda even corees the stress of activities reacts upon s, and soon ceases entirely The world of the outside, teency of the immediate absorbs me in the life of the prison

II

A spirit of hopefulness breathes in the cell-house The new co liberty appreciably nearer In the shops and yard the ood ti a tutored friend to ”figure out”

their tie of despair, and the long-ti a vista of cheerless years, are instilled with new courage and hope

The tenor of conversation is altered With the appoint over the food has ceased Pleasant surprise is rub” I wonder at the tolerant silence regarding the disappointing Christmas dinner The men impatiently fron the occasional ”kicker” The Warden is ”green,” they argue; he did not know that we are supposed to get currant bread for the holidays; he will do better, ”jest give 'im a chanc't”

The ied upon, and the men thrill with amazed expectancy at the incredible report, ”Oysters for New Year's dinner!” With gratification we hear the Major's expression of disgust at the filthy condition of the prison, his condeeon as barbarous, and the proiht had punished for having served as witnesses in the defence of Murphy and Mong Greedy for the large reward, Hopkins and his stools had accused the two men of a mysterious murder committed in Elk City several years previously The cri the suicide of an officer[50] whoainst the defendants, resulted in the acquittal of the prisoners, whereupon Captain Wright ordered the convict-witnesses for the defence to be punished

[50] Officer Robert G Hunter, who coust 30, 1901, in Clarion, Pa (where the trial took place) He left a written confession, in which he accused Warden E S

Wright of forcing hiainst men whom he knew to be innocent

The new Warden, hiienic rules, abolishes the ”holy-stoning”[51] of the cell-house floor because of the detrimental effect of the dust, and decides to separate the consumptive and syphilitic prisoners from the comparatively healthy ones Upon examination, 40 per cent of the population are discovered in various stages of tuberculosis, and 20 per cent insane The death rate froe between 25 and 60 per cent At light tasks in the block and the yard the Major finds ened to keeping the prison clean, the rest of the men at work in the shop With the exception of a nuerously insane, who are to be committed to an asylum, every prisoner in the institution is at work, and the vexed proble from the anti-convict labor law is thus solved

[51] The process of whitening stone floors by pulverizing sand into their surfaces

The change of diet, better hygiene, and the abolition of the dungeon, produce a noticeable iloom of the cell-house perceptibly lifts, and presently the men are surprised at , with the strains of anized penitentiary band

III

New faces greetBilly Ryan is dead of consumption; ”Frenchy” and Ben have become insane; Little Mat, the Duquesne striker, corown close and dear in the years of

Some of the old-timers have survived, but broken in spirit and health

”Praying” Andy is still in the block, hisin prayer ”Me innocent,” the old ain refused to pardon the lifetimer, and now he is bereft of hope ”Me have nome for pardon, and now no more money” Aleck Killain has also been refused by the Board at the same session He is the oldest man in the prison, in point of service, and the most popular lifer His innocence of murder is one of the traditions of Riverside In the boat he had rented to a party of picnickers, a woman was found dead No clew could be discovered, and Aleck was sentenced to life, because he could not be forced to divulge the names of the men who had hired his boat He pauses to tell me the sad news: the authorities have opposed his pardon, de that he furnish the information desired by them He looks sere with confinement, his eyes full of a mute sadness that can find no words His face is deeply sea years of our friendshi+p I have never seen Aleck laugh Once or twice he s seemed radiant with rare sweetness He speaks abruptly, with a perceptible effort

”Yes, Aleck,” he is saying, ”it's true They refused me”

”But they pardoned Mac,” I retort hotly ”He confessed to a cold-blooded murder, and he's only been in four years”