The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, January 31, 1912, Image 7
b*csvse I was strong and he was
wean. 1 thought 1 could protect him.
But now this terrible thing has hap?
pened, and I And I am powerless. It's
too much for me. I can't flght this
battle alone. Wen t you help me, Mr.
Jeffries"'' she added pleadingly.
I o. t you help me?"
The banker was thoughtful a min?
ute, then suddenly h? turned on her.
Will you consent to a divorce if I
agree to help him0'
She looked at Mm with dismay.
There was trrglc tensenoss in this
drama tic situatlon?a father fighting
for his son. a woman fighting for her
hutband
"A divorce?" she stammered. "Why.
1 nev r thought ot such a thing as
lattfl
"It's the only way to save hlra,"
aald the banker coldly.
"The only way?" she faltered.
The only way." said Mr. Jeffries
firmly "Do you consent"" he asked.
Annie rhrew up her head. Her pale
face waa full of determination, as she
replied resignedly, catching her breath
as she spoke:
"Yes. if It must be. I will consent
to a divorce?to tSJfSJ him!"
Vou will leave vhe country and go
abroad to live? " continued the banker
I i?l v
Site listened as In a dream. That
aha would be confronted by such an
alternative as this had never entered
hat mind. She wondered why the
world wss so cruel and heartless. Yet
If the sacrifice must be made to save
Howard she was ready to make It.
"Tou will leave America and never
return?la that understoodV repeated
the bauker.
"Yea. sir." she replied falterlngly.
Mr. Jeffries paced nervously up and
down the room. For the first time
he seemed to take an interest in the,
interview. Pstronlringly he said.
"You will receive a yearly allow?
ance through my lawyer "
Annie tossed up her chin defiantly.
8be would show the aristocrat that
she could be ss proud as he wss.
"Thanks." she exclaimed. "I don't
accept charity. I'm used to earning
my own living."
"Oh, very well." replied the banker
quickly. "That's as you please. But
I have your promise?you will not at?
tempt to see him again?"
"What! Not see him once more?
To say goodby?" ste exclaimed. A
broken sob half checked her utterance.
Surely you can't mean that, Mr. Jeff
riea."
The banker shrugged his shoulders.
"I don't want the newspapers filled
with aensatlonal articles about the
heartrending farewell Interview be?
tween Howard Jeffriea, Jr., and his
wife?with your picture on the front
psge"
She was not listening to his sar
ssjosg
Sui *ven to say goodby? phe i
aobted
"Nu," replied Mr Jeffries firmly
"Sol ? ven ii s..v j?oo<i .-y "
"But what will lie sav? What will
he thins I sne crieu.
He will see It Is for the best." an
awered the banker. "He himself will
thank you for your action."
There waa a long silence, broken
only by the sound of the girl s sob?
bing Finally ahe aald:
Very well, sir. I ll do as you say.'
8he looked up. Her eyes were dry,
the lines about her mouth set and de?
termined. "Now," she ssid, "what are
you going to do for htm?"
The banker mode a gesture of Im
patience, as If such considerations
were not Important
"I don't know yet." he said, haught?
ily "I shall think the matter over
carefully "
\unle waa faat lorlng patience She
was willing to sacrifice herself and
givs up everything she held dear In
life |g save the man she loved, but
the co'd. deliberate, calculating atti?
tude of thin unnatural father exas?
perated her.
t I want to know." ?he said,
boldly "I want to consider the mat?
ter carefully, too "
"You?" sneered Mr Jeffries.
"Yea. sir." she retorted "I'm pay?
ing dearly for It with my with all
I have. I want to know Just what
you're going to give him for it."
II* was lost in reflection for a mo
ment. then he said, pompously:
I shall furnish the money for the
employment of such le> \1 talent aa
may be necessary That's as far as I
wish to go In the case. It must not
he known- I csnnot allow It to be
known that 1 am helping him "
'Must not be known*" cried Annie.
In astonishment "You mean you
won't stand by him? You'll only Just
pay for the lawyer*"
The hanker nodrled:
"That It all I can promUe**
She laughed hysterically.
"Why." *hs exclaimed. "I?I could
do that myse'f if I I tried hard
enougY"
I can promise nothing more," re?
plied Mr. Jeffries, coldlv
Hut that is not enough." she pro
teated. "I want you to come forward
and publicly declare your belief In
your son's Innocence I want you to
put your arms around him ajajd say to
the world 'My boy Is Innocent' I
know It snd I'm going to stand by
him.' You won't do that""
Mr Jeffrie* shook his head.
M le InipoiiMihlc "
The VfleVl pent-up feelings now
gave way The utter Indifference of
this arls'oer..'|r father aroused her
?ndlgnatlon to such a pitch that sh.
b*?came reckless of the consequence*.
They wanted her to desert him. Just
ss they iatgftad him. but she
wouldn't She would shew them the
kind of woman sl.e was
"?o'" *he cried In an outburst of
mingled anger and arlef So his fam
lly must desert him and his wife
must leave him' The poor boy must
Stsnd ?henliiffflv sinn* In tho world I
saltfc, of Camden, '
and face a trial for his life! Is that
the Idea?" I
The hanker made no reply. Snap- |
ping her Angers, she went on:
"Well. It ltn*t nine, Mr. Jeffries! I
won't eon-ent to a divorce! I won't
leave America! And I'll see hlra Just j
as often as I can. even if I have to '
<dt In the Tombs prison all day. As j
for bit defense. I'll find some one. I'll I
co ?o Judge BraWattr again and If he !
-till refuse?. I'll go to some one else. ,
There must be some good, big-hearted
lawyer in this great city who'll take
up his ease." I
Trembling >vith emotion, she read- I
Justed her veil and with her handker- !
chief dried her tear-stained face. Go?
ing toward the door, she said:
"You needn't trouble yourself any
more. Mr. Jeffries. We shan't need
your help. Thank you very much for
the Interview. It was very kind of
you to listen so patiently. Good after?
noon, sir."
Before the astonished banker could
stop her. she had thrown back the
tapestry and disappeared through the
door.
CHAPTER XIII.
In tho very heart cf Manhattan, right
In the center of the city's most con?
gested district, an tmposing edifice
of gray stone, medieva*! in its style of
architecture, towered high above all
the surrounding dingy offices and
squalid tenements. Its massive con?
struction, steep walls, pointed turrets,
raised parapets and long, narrow, slit?
like windows, heavily barred, gave it
the aspect of a feudal fortress incon?
gruously set down plumb in the midst
of twentieth century New York. The
dull roar of Broadway hummed a
couple of blocks away: in the distance
loomed the lofty, graceful spans of
Brooklyn bridge, jammed with its op?
posing streams of busy Interurban
traffic. The adjacent streets were
filled with the din of hurrying crowds,
the rattle of vehicles, the cries of ven?
dors, the clang of street cars, the ugh!
ngh! of speeding automobiles. The ac?
tive, pulsating life of the metropolis
surged like a rising flood about the
tall gray walls, yet there was no re?
sponse within. Grim, silent, sinister,
the city prison, popularly known as
"the Tombs," seemed to have nothing
in common with the daily activities of
the big town in which, notwithstand?
ing, It unhappily played an important
part.
The present prison is a vastly dif?
ferent place to the old Jail from
which It got Its melancholy cognomen.
To day there Ig not the slightest Justi?
fication for the lugubrious epithet ap?
plied to it, but in the old days, when
man's inhumanity to man was less a
form of speech than a cold, merciless
fact, the "Tombs" described an Intol
-M-.iu e Ki'u I'lSr1''' <? Ul coriuiiioii lair 5
accurately Formerly the r< 11s in
which the ag&orftllRati pliaon ? were
confined v,'fi'e sw*itir.,< trial were til
uated deep under ground and had no!
ther light nor, ventilation. A man1
might be guiltless of the offense with
which he was charged, yet while
Hwaiting an opportunity to prove his
'nnocence he was condemned to spend
days, sometimes months, in what was
'title better than a grave. Literally.
Ve was buried alive. A party of for?
eigners visiting the prison one day
were startled as seeing human beings
confined in such holes. "They look
'P;e tombs!" cried some one. New
York was amused at the singularly
appropriate apoellatlve and it has
stuck to the prison ever since.
But times change and ins nations
with them. An man become* more
civilized he feats the lawbreaker
with more hun anity. Probabty soci?
ety will always need Its pr soners.
hut as we become more enlightened
we Insist on treating our criminals
rrore from the physiological and psy?
chological standpoint;* than 'n the
cruel, brutal, barbarous manner of the
dark ages In other words thf sociol?
ogist Insists that the lawbreaker has
greater need of the physician <han *e
has of the Jailer
To-day the city prison is a tomh
In name only. It is admirably con
structed, commodious, well vei Minted
The cells are large and well lighted
with comfortable cots and *tl! th*
modern sanitary arrangements Ther**
are roomy corridors for daily exercise
and luxurious shower baths v-ai be ob?
tained fSsji for the asking. Th ?re are
chapels for the religiously inclined
and a Horary for the studious. The
food is wholesome and well prepared
in a large, scrupulously clean kitchen
situated on the top floor. Carping
critics have, indeed, declared the
Tombs to be too luxurious, declaring
that habitual criminals er joy a stay
at the prison and actually commit
crime so that they may enjoy some of
Its hotel-like comforts.
_
It was with a sinking heart and a
dull, gnawing sense of apprehension
that Annb descended from a south
hound Madison avenue car In Center
street and approached the small por?
tal under the forbidding gray walls.
She had visited a prison once before,
when her father died She rernem
bored the depressing ride in the trnin |
to Sing Sing, the formidable steel
doors and ponderous holts, the narrow
<eiis. each with Its Involuntary occu
pant In degrading stripes and closelv
cropped hair, and the uniformed
guards armed with rifles she remem?
bered bow her SJOthOff wept and how
she had wondered why thev kept her
poof da-ds in such an ugly place. To
think thai after all these years she
w?h again to go through i similar ex
perlence.
Sfie had nerved herself for the or
deal, Inxtoet as she was to see How?
ard an I h arti from his lips all Hint
had happened, she feared thai she
would novef i?e able to s( e him behind
the hare without hreahlng down, Yet
She unist be strong SO She COUld work
was in the city for awhile Friday
pened In th ays. it seemed j
a month since the police had sent for
her at dnight to hurry down to the
Astruna, yet it was only two days
ago. The morning following her try?
ing interview with Capt. Clinton !n
the dead man's apartment she had
tried to see Howard, but without sue- j
cess The police held him a close
prisoner, pretending that he might j
mggs an attempt upon his life. There |
WSS nothing for her to do but wait.
Intuitively she realized the neces?
sity of immediately securing the ser- j
vices of an able lawyer. There was
no doubt of Howard's innocence, but
she recalled with a shiver that even
innocent persons have suffered capi?
tal punishment because they were un?
able to establish their innocence, so
overwhelming were the appearances
against them. He must have the best
lawyer to be had. regardless of ex?
pense. Only one name occurred to
her, the name of a man of interna?
tional reputation, the mere mention
of whose name in a courtroom filled
the hearts of the Innocent with hope
and the guilty with dread. That man
was Judge Brewster. She hurried
downtown to his office and waited an
hour before he could see her. Then
he told 1 sr, politely but coldly, that
he must decline to take her case. He
knew well who she was and he eyed
her with some curiosity, but his man?
ner was frigid and discouraging.
There were plenty of lawyers in New
York, he said. She must go else?
where. Politely he bowed her out.
Half of a precious day was already
?ost. Judge Brewster refused the
ease. To whom could she turn now?
Tn despair, almost desperate, she
drove up*own to Riverside drive and
forced an entrance into the Jeffries
home. Here, again, she was met with
a rebuff. Still not discouraged, she
returned to Judge Brewster's office.
He was put and she sat there an hour
waiting to see him. Night came and
he did not return. Almost prostrated
with nervous exhaustion, she returned
to their deserted little flat in Harlem.
It was going to be a hard fight, she
saw that. But she would keep right
on. no matter at what cost. Howard
could not he left alone to perish with?
out a hand to save him. Judge Brew?
ster must come to his rescue. He
could not refuse. She would return
sprain to his office this afternoon and
sit there all day long, if necessary,
until he promised to take the case.
He alone could save him. She would
go to the lawyer and beg him on her
knees if necessary, but first she must
see Howard and bid him take courage
A low doorway from Center street
gave acce3s to the gray fortress. At
the heavy steel gate stood a portly
policeman armed with a big key. Each
time before letting people in or out
he inserted this key in a ponderous
lock Tin r?;te would not open mere?
ly by tvrning the handle. Tb!* \ as
to prevent the escape of prisoner!
??.>o> n.yhr p( sihly j,-.r *.?vd ;e.'"'
\ log so far as the door; but could not
open tue steel gaie wiuioui me oig
key. When once any one entered the
prison he was not permitted to go out
again except on a signal from a
keeper.
When Annie entered she found the
reception room filled with visitors,
men and women of all ages and na?
tionalities, who, like herself, had come
to fee some relative or friend In
tro hie. It was * motley and interest?
ing Towd. There were fruit peddlers,
sweat : hop workers, sporty looking
men. negroes and flashy looking wo?
men. All seemed callous sod Indif?
ferent, an if quite at homo amid the
sinister surroundings of a prison. One
or two other" appeared to belong to a
more respectable class, their sober
manner and careworn faces reflecting
silently the humiliation and shame
they felt at their kinsman's disgrace.
The small barred windows did not
perrctt Of much ventilation and. as
ti e day was warm, the odor was sick?
ening. Annie looked around fearfully
anr humqly took her place at the end
of 'ho Inns line which slowly worked
Its way tv> the narrow inner grating,
wh' re credentials were ClOSOly scrutt
niz< 0. The horror of the place seized
Upen her. She wondered who all these
poof poo] I?1 were and what the prls
or.crs Whom they came to see had
done to offend the majesty of the law.
Tht prison was filled with policemen
and keepers and running in and out
with messages and packages were a
number of men in neat linen suits.
Bhf asked ? woman who they were.
"Them's trusties ? prisoners that
has special privileges In return for
work they does about the prison "
The credentials were passed upon
slowly and Annie, being the twentieth
in lino, found it a tedious wait. In
front of her was a bestial looking ne?
gro, behind her a woman whose cheap
Jewelry, rouged face and extravagant
dress proclaimed her profession to be
the moat ancient in the world. But
at last the gate was reached. As tho
doorkeeper examined her ticket he
looked up at her with curiosity A
murderer is rare enough even in the
Tombs, to excit" interest, and as sho
passed on the attendants whispered
among themselves. She knew they
were talk.'ig about her, hut sho
steeled herself not to care It was
only a foretaste of other humiliations
which she mi st expect,
A keeper now took charge of her
ami led her to a room where she was
searched by a matron for ooncealed
Weapons, a humiliating ordeal, to
which even the richest and most in
fluentlal visitors must submit with as
good grace as possible The matron
was a hard looking woman of about
years, in whom evi ry spark of hu
Sn pity and sympathy had been
tiled during her many years of com
Stanl asso; latlon With criminals The
word "prison" had lost its meaning lo
her She saw nothing undesirable in
Jail life, but looked upon the Ton
rather ?s kind ? ?' hoarding boe,-i (jv
morning on his way to Columbia,
which people made short or long so?
journs, according to their luck. She
treated Annie unceremoniously, yet
not unkindly.
"So you're the wife of Jeffries,
whom they've got for murder, eh?"
she said, as she rapidly ran her hands
through the visitor's clothing.
"Y s," faltered Annie, "but it's all
?? r i=take, I assure you. My husband's
perfectly innocent. He wouldn't hurt
a Sv "
The woman giinned.
"They all say that, m'm." Lugubri?
ously she added: "I hope you'!' be
more lucky than some others wer?."
Annie felt herself grow cold. Was
this a sinister prophecy? She shud?
dered and, hastily taking a dollar from
her purse, slipped it into the matron's
hand.
May I go now?" she said.
"Yes, my dear; I guess you've got
nothing dangerous on you. We have
to be very careful. I remember onco
when we had that Hoboken murderer
here. He's the feller that cut his
wife's head off and stuffed the body
in a barrel. His mother came here to
"So You're the Wife of Jeffries, Whom
They've Got for Murder, Eh?"
see him one day and what did I find
inside her stocking but an innocent
looking little round pill, and If you
please, it was nothing less than prus
sic acid. He would have swallowed it
and the electric chair would have
been cheated. So you see bow careful
we has to be."
Annie could not listen to any more.
The horror of having Howard classed
with fiends of that description sickened
her. To the keeper she said quickly:
"Please take me to my husband."
Taking another dollar from her
purse, she slipped the bill into the
man's hand, feeling that, here as
everywhere else, one must pay for
ornlr'o
Si
or; ( ranged
the center of each of the six floors.
There is room to accommodate 900
prisoners of both sexes. The u en are
confined in the new prison; the wom?
en, fewer in number, in what remains of
the old building. Only the eenterof each
floor being taken up with the rows
of narrow cells, there remains a broad
corridor, running all the way round
\nd flanked on the rig'it by hi^h wal's
vlth small barred windows. An ob?
server from the- street g .;Irg up at
the windows might conclude that they
were those of the cells in which pris?
oners were confined. As a matter of
fact, the cells have no windows, only a
grating which looks directly out into
the circular cdrridor.
At the fourth fioor th1 elevator
stopped and the heavy ?roa door
swung back. .
"This way," said the keeper, step?
ping out and quickly walking <iong
the corridor. "He's in cell No. 1 '?."
A lump rose in Annie's tl.roct The
place was well ventilated, yet she
thought she would faint from a cho?
king feeling of restraint. All along
the corridor to the left were iron
doors painted yellow. In the upper
part of the door were half a dozen
broad slits through which one could
see what was going on inside.
"Those are the cells," volunteered
her guide.
Annie shuddered as, mentally, sho
pictured Howard locked up in such a
dreadful place, She peered through
one of the slits and saw a narrow cell
about ten feet long by six wide. The
only furnishings were a folding cot
with blanket, a wash bowl and lava?
tory. Each cell had its occupant, men
and youths of all ages. Some were
reading, some playing cards. Some
were lying asleep on their cots, per
hnps dreaming of home, but most of
them leaning dejectedly against the
iron bars wondering when they would
regain their liberty.
(TO 1110 CONTINUED.)
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I
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if it will induce some suffering woman to try Cardul I had
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Cardui WomarfiTonic
Don't wait, until you are taken down sick, before tak?
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You would always keep Cardui handy, if yoi mev
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Wrttt to: Ladies' Advisory Dept. Chattanooga, Mcdidoe Co.. Chattanooga, Tarn,
for Sptdat Instruction*, and 64-paxe book. "Horns Treatment for Women." seat tree. J 51
SMALL FARMS NEAR SUMTER.
I am offering special prices on two small farms near the City.
One Tract containing 90 acres with 60 in cultivation, 3 miles
North-east of the City on the Moses and Brewing-ton Roads, L
lies well and naturally well drained. One settlement.
PRICE $4,000.
Second tract containing 100 acres with 90 in cultivation 6 i
South-east of City on West-side Pocataligo-Manning Road. une
settlement. This land will make a nice farm with proper hand?
ling.
PRICE $3,000.
These prices are for a sale in the next ten days only. ' ?
ciiy property t% t% D~1 - _ _ real fstate loans
farms W t< KpJrifcT I jO. mortgages and
timber land av* v v^v/. investment!
REAL ESTVTE DEALERS.
26 1-2 N. Main Street. Sumter, South Carolina
i
e
NEW CROP
GARDEN SEED
We have just received a full line of Landreth's
us 5>* Bos -:i rive em PacKages fc*nu in B jik.
Ask for Illustrated catalogue.
\^ PHONE 36. 11 S. MAIN ST. J)
Little Banks.
If you feel anyways tirnid about bringing small sums of
nmney to the bank, we can loan you a little safe. Thi:j safe may
be kept at home where you can drop in small amounts from
time to time. When you have accumulated a goodly sum you
can bring all to the bank. Call at the bank and inquire about
the matter.
SAVINGS DEPARTMENT
THE BANK OF SUMTER.
SUMTER, S. C.
BE
We approve of the Rock
Hill plan. Use LESS fer?
tilizers. Plant less cot?
ton and get MORE mon?
ey for it.
The Farmers' Bank and
Tru^l Co.
r
Why not bank your own money ?
If you fail to bank your own money
another will do so for you. Have
thought of it in this way ?
THE PEOPLES' BANK