THE TWIN HELLS(两个地狱)

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THE TWIN HELLS

BY JOHN N. REYNOLDS ATCHISON, KANSAS.

THE TWIN HELLS

TO MY DEAR OLD MOTHER AND TO THE MEMORY OF MY

SAINTED WIFE THIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED BY

THE AUTHOR.

THE TWIN HELLS

PREFACE

The following pages treat of hell--A Kansas hell and a Missouri hell.

Those who desire to peruse works that tell about Heaven only, are urged to

drop this book and run. I was an inmate of the Kansas penitentiary for

sixteen months, and make mention of what came under my own

observation in connection with what I experienced. While an inmate of

this prison I occupied cells at various times with convicts who had served

terms in the Missouri prison. From these persons I gathered much useful

material for my book. After my release I visited the Missouri penitentiary,

and verified the statements of those criminals, and gathered additional

material from the prison records and the officials. I have written chiefly

for the youth of the country, but all ages will be deeply interested in the

following pages. A large majority of the convicts are young men from

sixteen to twenty-five years of age. They had no idea of the terrible

sufferings of a convict life, or they surely would have resisted temptation

and kept out of crime. The following pages will impart to the reader some

idea of what he may expect to endure in case he becomes entangled in the

meshes of the law, and is compelled to do service for the State without any

remuneration. Every penitentiary is a veritable hell. Deprive a person of

his liberty, punish and maltreat him, and you fill his life with misery akin

to those who wander in the darkness of "eternal night," I think, when the

reader has perused the following pages, he will agree with me, that the

book has the proper title. That this volume may prove an "eye-opener" to

the boys who may read it, and prove interesting and instructive to those of

mature years, is the earnest wish of the author.

THE TWIN HELLS

A KANSAS HELL

THE TWIN HELLS

CHAPTER I

MY INITIATION AND CRIME

Guilty! This word, so replete with sadness and sorrow, fell on my ear

on that blackest of all black Fridays, October 14, 1887.

Penitentiary lightning struck me in the city of Leavenworth, Kansas. I

was tried in the United States District Court; hence, a United States

prisoner.

The offense for which I was tried and convicted was that of using the

mails for fraudulent purposes. My sentence was eighteen months in the

penitentiary, and a fine of two hundred dollars. I served sixteen months, at

the end of which time I was given my liberty. During the period I was in

prison I dug coal six months in the penitentiary coal mines, and was one of

the clerks of the institution the remainder of the term. Getting permission

to have writing material in my cell, I first mastered short-hand writing, or

phonography, and then wrote my book: "A Kansas Hell; or, Life in the

Kansas Penitentiary." My manuscript being in short-hand, none of the

prison officials were able to read it, and did not know what I was doing

until I obtained my liberty and had my book published.

This, no doubt, will be the proper place to give some of my

antecedents, as well as a few of the details of the crime for which I was

sent to the penitentiary. I spent my youth and early manhood at Indianola,

Iowa, from which place I removed to Nebraska. After residing for some

time in Columbus, of that State, I was appointed by the governor to assist

in organizing the Pawnee Indian Reservation into a county. When

organized it was called Nance County, being named for Hon. Albinus

Nance, then governor of the State. I held the position of county clerk of

that county for four consecutive years. During this time I organized the

Citizens' Bank. I was its cashier at first, and, later on, its president. I had a

lucrative business and was doing well. My wife's health failed her; she

became consumptive. My family physician advised a removal to the South.

I closed out my business at a great sacrifice, and came to Atchison, Kansas.

Here I located, and made it my future home. Soon after my arrival I

commenced the publication of a daily newspaper, known as the "Times."

THE TWIN HELLS

In the county in which I located I found one of the worst and most corrupt

political rings on the face of the earth. This combination had controlled the

politics of the county for almost a quarter of a century. Soon I became

involved in a terrific newspaper war with the members of this political

organization. An election of county and State officials was soon to take

place. In order to test the strength of the contending elements, in my

newspaper, I presented the name of Hon. W. D. Gilbert as a candidate for

district judge in opposition to the ring candidate. A sharp fight ensued. Mr.

Gilbert was elected by an overwhelming majority. This was the first time

for twenty-five years that this ring had been defeated. The members of it

were very sore. Looking upon me as the principal spirit, I was the object

toward which they directed all their shafts of spite.

Some time before this an insurance company had been organized in

the city of Atchison. I was invited to become its president. I examined the

books of the corporation, and found it to be organized according to the

laws of Kansas; that the company had a charter from the State, and also

certified authority to issue policies of insurance, granted by the State

insurance commissioner. I accepted the presidency on condition that the

company was simply to have the use of my name, and that I was not

expected to give any of my time to the company, as I was otherwise

engaged. I was editor of a daily newspaper, and could not attend to

anything else. While this company was doing business a printed circular

was used, stating that the corporation had one hundred thousand dollars

PAID up capital. This circular was sent out through the mails over the

State advertising the business. It was charged this circular was fraudulent;

that the company did not have that amount of capital paid in. My name

was attached to this printed circular. For this, I was indicted in the United

States District Court, on the charge of using the mails for fraudulent

purposes. The advertised capital of this corporation was SUBSCRIBED,

but not all paid in, as it was not needed in the business of the company.

After indictment I was arrested, and gave bonds for my appearance at the

next term of court, which was held soon after.

Not being able to secure the attendance of all my witnesses, my

attorney wrote the prosecuting attorney asking his consent that my case be

THE TWIN HELLS

continued. The request was granted. When the case was called, my

attorney appeared and introduced a motion to continue the case, filing

affidavits necessary in such cases. The prosecuting attorney having given

his consent, there was no doubt in the minds of those interested as to the

continuance of the case. For some cause best known to himself, the judge

would not grant the continuance, and forced me to trial without having a

single witness. It was my intention to have some fifty witnesses

subpoenaed, to prove that the insurance company of which I was president

was not a fraud. Not being allowed to have my witnesses, I was, under the

instructions of the court, which were, indeed, exceedingly pointed, found

guilty, and sentenced to eighteen months' imprisonment and to pay a fine

of two hundred dollars. The political ring now triumphed for a brief period.

In order to prove conclusively to the reader that this was a piece of spite

work, I have only to state that I was the only one of all the officers of that

company that was ever tried for running a bogus insurance company. Why

was it that I was the only one sent to the penitentiary when there was the

secretary, treasurer, and six directors equally as guilty as myself?

To prove more conclusively that it was political spite work that sent

me to prison, let me inform the readers that about the time the insurance

company at Atchison was organized, a similar one was organized in

Topeka. They were similar in EVERY RESPECT. I was president of the

one at Atchison, while a distinguished gentleman by the name of Gen. J. C.

Caldwell was president of the one at Topeka. Both of these companies

failed. The president of the Atchison company was sent to the penitentiary,

while the president of the Topeka company was appointed by the governor

of the State to the responsible position of chairman of the State Board of

Pardons. Many persons have asked why this difference in the treatment of

the presidents of these two companies. The only answer that can be given

is that General Caldwell stood in with the Kansas political ring, while I did

not. Every sensible man must admit that if it was just for me to serve a

term in prison for the offense charged against me, General Caldwell

should have been prescribed for in the same manner. I have no fight to

make upon Mr. Caldwell. He is an excellent gentlemen. He was in luck.

The fates were against me. Had I been a State instead of a United States

THE TWIN HELLS

prisoner, no doubt Mr. Caldwell, as chairman of the Board of Pardons,

would have used his influence to secure for me my liberty. That I was sent

to prison is wholly due to politics. It is unnecessary, therefore, for me to

inform the reader that I am now "out of politics." Having served out my

term I returned to my home in Atchison. As to the ring that sent me to

prison, some of them are dead, others have left Atchison to make their

homes in other places, others have failed financially, and still others have

fallen so low that they have scarcely friends enough to bury them should

they happen to die.

The big wheel of life keeps on revolving. Those who are up to-day

may be down to-morrow, and vice versa. But to continue my narrative.

Immediately after my conviction and sentence I was taken to the

Leavenworth County jail. Here I remained until the following Tuesday in

the company of a dozen or more prisoners who were awaiting trial. On

Sunday, while in this jail, my wife, who died during my imprisonment of a

broken heart, and an account of which is given in a subsequent chapter,

came to see me. I can never forget this visit. She remained with me during

the entire day. During the conversation of the day I said to her that, it

seemed that the future appeared very gloomy. That it would be a miracle if

I ever was able to survive the disgrace that had been so cruelly placed

upon me. That all ambition and hope as to the future had fled, and that I

could not blame her if she should now free herself by means of divorce, as

my conviction of crime was a legal ground for divorce in Kansas. In reply

to this, the noble little woman, her face aglow with the radiance of

womanly devotion, said, that for twenty years of married life our home

had been one of sunshine; that I had been kind to her and made her life

one of happiness, and that now, when misfortune came, it was not only a

duty, but the highest pleasure, to prove her fidelity. She kept her word. She

was true to the last. When dying, her last words were a petition for the

blessings of God upon her husband who was far away behind frowning

prison walls. On Tuesday morning a deputy United States marshal came to

the jail and gave me notice that in a few moments we would leave for the

penitentiary. This officer was a gentleman, and did not seek to further

humiliate me by placing irons on my person. I have often thought of this

THE TWIN HELLS

act of kindness on the part of this humane official. We took the train at

Leavenworth, and in a very few moments were at my future place of

residence. Lansing, the small village where the penitentiary is located, is

about five miles from the city of Leavenworth. The entrance to the prison

is from the west. Under the watchful care of the officer who had me in

charge, I passed under a stone archway, to the left of which was a small

office, where a guard was on duty during the day time. We were halted by

this officer, who inquired if we had any firearms. No one visiting the

penitentiary is allowed to carry fire-arms within the enclosure. The

marshal who had me in custody handed over a large navy revolver.

Between this archway and the western wall of the prison is a beautiful

lawn. The walks are lined with fragrant flowers; beautiful fountains send

aloft their silvery sprays. Passing up the roadway leading to the entrance

door, and looking about me upon the rich carpet of green, the flowers and

fountains, I came to the conclusion that the penitentiary was not so bad a

place as I had imagined. I changed my mind, however, as soon as I had

seen inside the walls.

The prison enclosure contains about ten acres of ground. This is

surrounded by a stone wall some fifteen feet high, and six feet thick at the

base. It is not more than four feet at the top. At each of the four corners

may be found a tower rising some ten feet above the wall. A guard is on

duty in each of these towers during the day. He carries a double-barreled

shotgun loaded with buckshot. In case a prisoner tries to escape he is liable

to get a dose of lead, provided the officer on duty is a good marksman.

The western wall is almost entirely made of a large stone building with its

two long wings. The main building is four stories. The wings stretching to

the north and south, each two hundred and fifty feet, contain the cells. On

the first floor of the main building are the offices of the warden, clerk,

deputy warden and turnkey. The upper rooms are used by the warden's

family.

I was first conducted into the clerk's office and introduced to Mr. Jones,

the clerk. He is a very pleasant gentleman, and spoke kindly to me, which

I can assure all was very acceptable, for just about that time I was feeling

very badly. His remark was: "I am very glad to meet you, Mr. Reynolds,

THE TWIN HELLS

but sorry to meet you under these sad circumstances." On his invitation I

took a chair and sat down to await the next part of the progamme. As I sat

there and thought of the kind words spoken to me by the clerk, I quickly

reached the conclusion that if all the officers of that institution were as

kind as Mr. Jones, it would not be as bad a place as I had anticipated. I had

no experience then that would justify any other conclusion. Soon a side

door of the office opened and in came the deputy warden, Mr. John

Higgins. Mr. H. is the sourest appearing man I ever met in my life. At least,

it seemed so to me on that day. He can get more vinegar on the outside of

his face than any other person in the State of Kansas. He did not wait to be

introduced to me. He never craves an introduction to a criminal. As soon

as he came into the room he got a pole with which to measure me. Then,

looking at me, in a harsh, gruff voice he called out: "Stand up here." At

first I did not arise. At the second invitation, however, I stood up and was

measured. My description was taken by the clerk. In this office there is to

be found a description of all the criminals that ever entered the Kansas

penitentiary. I was asked if I was a married man, how many children I had,

and how much property I possessed. These questions were easily

answered. After the deputy warden had discharged his duty he retired. I

soon discovered that it was according to the rules of the prison for the

officers to talk in a harsh and abrupt manner to the prisoners. This

accounted for the way in which I was greeted by the deputy warden, who

is the disciplinarian of the prison. I may say, in passing, that all the harsh

manners of Mr. Higgins are simply borrowed for the occasion. Away from

the presence of prisoners, over whom he is to exert his influence, there is

not to be found a more pleasant and agreeable gentleman. In came a

second official, and, in the same gruff manner, said to me, "Come along." I

followed him out to the wash-house, where I took a bath. A prisoner took

my measure for a suit of clothes. After he had passed the tape-line around

me several times, he informed the officer that I was the same size of John

Robinson, who had been released from the penitentiary the day before.

"Shall I give him John Robinson's clothes?" asked the convict. In the same

gruff manner the officer said, "Yes, bring on Robinson's old clothes." So I

was furnished with a second-hand suit! The shoes were second-hand. I am

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THETWINHELLS1THETWINHELLSBYJOHNN.REYNOLDSATCHISON,KANSAS.THETWINHELLS2TOMYDEAROLDMOTHERANDTOTHEMEMORYOFMYSAINTEDWIFETHISBOOKISAFFECTIONATELYDEDICATEDBYTHEAUTHOR.THETWINHELLS3PREFACEThefollowingpagestreatofhell--AKansashellandaMissourihell.ThosewhodesiretoperuseworksthattellaboutHeavenonly,areurgedto...

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