the twin hells(两个地狱)-第4节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
sat in my little parlor for nearly an hour； thinking over the past。 My reverie
was at length broken by the turning of my door lock。 A fresh arrival was
told to 〃git in。〃 This prisoner had the appearance of just having been
lassoed on the wild western prairies。 He resembled a cow…boy。 His
whiskers were long and sandy。 His hair； of the same color； fell upon his
shoulders。 As soon as the officer had gone away and everything had
become quiet； I asked this fellow his name。 〃Horserider；〃 was his reply；
from which I inferred that he was a horse…thief。 〃How long a term have
you？〃 was my next question。 〃Seven years；〃 was his reply。 I comforted
him by saying it would be some time before he rode another horse。
The next part of the programme consisted in a little darkey coming in
front of our cell with a rudely constructed barber's chair。 The cell door
opened； and an officer said to me； as if he would hit me with a club the
next moment； 〃Git out of there。〃 I went out。 Pointing to the barber's chair；
he said； 〃Squat yourself in that chair。〃 I sat down。 〃Throw back your
head。〃 I laid it back。 It was not long before my raven mustache was off；
and my hair cut rather uncomfortably short for fly time。 After this
tonsorial artist had finished his work then came the command once more；
〃Git in。〃 I got in。 It now came Mr。 Horserider's turn to bid a long farewell
13
… Page 14…
THE TWIN HELLS
to his auburn locks。 He took his place in the chair； and the little darkey；
possibly for his own amusement； cut off the hair on one side of the head
and left the other untouched。 He then shaved one side of his face without
disturbing the other。 At this moment the bell for dinner rang； and the little
colored fellow broke away and ran to his division； to fall in ranks； so that
he would not miss his noon meal。 Once more Mr。 Horserider entered his
cell and we were locked in。 A more comical object I never beheld； he did
not even possess the beauty of a baboon； he might certainly have passed
for the eighth wonder of the world。 When he came in I handed him the
small looking…glass and asked him how he liked his hair…cut。 Remember；
one side of his head and face was shaved close； and the other covered with
long sandy hair and beard。 Looking into the glass； he exclaimed： 〃Holy
Moses！ and who am I； anyway？〃 I answered his question by stating that he
favored Mr。 What…Is…It。 He was very uneasy for a time； thinking that he
was going to be left in that condition。 He wanted to know of me if all
horse…thieves of the penitentiary wore their hair and whiskers in this style。
I comforted him all I could by imparting the information that they did。 He
was much relieved when the darkey returned after dinner and finished the
shaving。
I was next taken out of my cell to pass a medical examination。 Dr。
Mooney； the gentlemanly officer in charge of the hospital； put in an
appearance with a large book under his arm and sat down by a table。 I was
ushered into his presence。 He began asking me questions； and wrote down
my answers in his book； which proved to be the physician's register。
〃Have you any decayed teeth？〃 was his first question；
〃No； sir；〃 was my reply。
〃Have you ever lost any teeth？〃
〃No； sir。〃
〃Have you ever had the measles？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Have you ever had the mumps？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Have you ever had the chicken…pox？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
14
… Page 15…
THE TWIN HELLS
〃Have you ever had the thresh？〃
Well； I didn't know what was meant by the thresh。 I knew that I had
been 〃thrashed〃 a great many times； and inferred from that fact that I must
have had the disease at some time or other in my youth； so I answered；
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Have you ever had the itch？〃
〃What kind？〃 said I。 〃The old fashioned seven year kind？ Y…e…s； sir； I
have had it。〃
He then continued asking me questions； and wanted to know if I ever
had a great many diseases； the names of which I had never heard before。
Since I catch almost everything that comes along； I supposed； of course；
that at some period during my childhood； youth or early manhood I had
suffered from all those physical ills； so I always answered；
〃Yes； sir。〃 He wound up by inquiring if I ever had a stroke of the horse
glanders。 I knew what was meant by that disease； and replied in the
negative。
He then looked at me over the top of his spectacles； and； in a rather
doubting manner； said； 〃and you really have had all these diseases？ By the
way；〃 he continued； 〃are you alive at the present moment after all that you
have suffered？〃 Mr。 Mooney is an Irishman。 He was having a little cold…
blooded sport at my expense。 Whenever you meet an Irishman you will
always strike a budget of fun。
His next question was； 〃Are you a sound man？〃
My reply was to the effect that I was； physically； mentally and morally。
So he wrote down in his book opposite my name 〃physically and mentally
a sound man。〃 He said he would take my word for being sound morally；
but that he would not put that down on the books for the present； for fear
there might be a mistake somewhere。 Before discharging me； he calmly
stated that I would make a good coal miner。 All the prisoners undergo this
medical cross…examination。
After I had run the doctor's gauntlet； I was conducted from the south
wing of the cell…house to the north wing。 Here I met for the first time Mr。
Elliott； who has charge of this building during the daytime。 It is a part of
this highly efficient officer's duty to cross…examine the prisoners as to
15
… Page 16…
THE TWIN HELLS
where they have lived and what they have been doing。 His examinations
are very rigid。 He is a bright man； a good judge of human nature； and can
tell a criminal at sight。 He would make an able criminal lawyer。 He is the
prison detective。 By means of these examinations he often obtains clues
that lead to the detection of the perpetrators of crime。 I have been told by
good authority that on account of information obtained by this official；
two murderers were discovered in the Kansas penitentiary； and； after their
terms had expired； they were immediately arrested； and； on requisition；
taken back to the Eastern States； where the crimes had been committed；
and there tried； convicted and punished according to the laws of those
States。 After I had been asked all manner of questions by this official； he
very kindly informed me that I came to the penitentiary with a bad record。
He further stated that I was looked upon as one of the worst criminals in
the State of Kansas。 This information was rather a set…back to me； as I had
no idea that I was in possession of any such record as that。 I begged of him
to wait a little while before he made up his mind conclusively as to my
character； for there might be such a thing as his being mistaken。 There is
no man that is rendering more effective service to the State of Kansas in
the way of bringing criminals to justice than Mr。 Elliott。 He has been an
officer of the prison for nearly nine years。 As an honest officer he is above
reproach。 As a disciplinarian he has no superior in the West。
After this examination I was shown to my cell。 It was now about two
o'clock in the afternoon of my first day in prison。 I remained in the cell
alone during the entire afternoon。 Of all the dark hours of my eventful
history； none have been filled with more gloom and sadness than those of
my first day in prison。 Note my antecedentsa college graduate； a county
clerk； the president of a bank； and an editor of a daily newspaper。 All my
life I had moved in the highest circles of society； surrounded by the best
and purest of both sexes； and now； here I was； in the deplorable condition
of having been hurled from that high social position； down to the low
degraded plane of a convict。 As I sat there in that desolate abode of the
disgraced； I tried to look out down the future。 All was dark。 For a time it
seemed as if that sweet angel we call hope had spread her wings and taken
