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BIG TOM THE CONVICT
HERB WEKE
those who Bald that
convict 1280 was
Innocent ot the
crime which sent
him to prison for
such n long term
ot years that there
was scarce a hope
of his ever being a
free man again
They meant that
he was technically guilty He had
sought to save a woman from a
beating at tho hands of her hus
band and In tho struggle and
excitement ho had struck a blow
which caused tho death of the man
It was accident In a sense but It was
also manslaughter No man who Is a
man will stand by and see a woman
beaten and yet It ho Interferes he
must take his chances with the law
Dig Tom as the convict was some
times referred to was like most big
men a child In his gentleness nnd
good nature He went to prison weep
ing Ho did not complain but ho
grieved Ho thought of tho years and
years which must drag away before
tho prison doors would open to him
and he moved about Hko a weak old
man The prison officials felt to pity
tho man but a convict Is a convict and
all must be treated alike all who show
obedlenco to tho rules They sized him
up as a childlike and goodnatured
and yet they said to each other as they
talked of him
Look out for Dig Tom He will
break loose somo day and do some
desperate thing
They thought It would come during
tho first six months of his term then
during tho second then they almost
became afraid of him Men who are
Blow to anger who go on grieving
brooding and bearing a mental burden
for weeks nnd months aro devils when
the climax comes Dig Tom had tho
management of the triphammer in tho
machine shop Had they put him in
the shoo shop or tailor shop he would
havo rebelled at once His place was
beside tho biggest piece ot machinery
In tho shops Two pieces of machinery
at It were Tom nnd Trip Day by
day and week by week and month by
month as the ponderous hammer rose
and fell and Its blows shook tho very
earth for yards around making the
convict smile and look proud the
guards had an eye on him and kept
saying to each other
It will como It Is only delayed
When he breaks loose ho will kill somo
one and have to bo killed in turn
Nearly half ot tho second year had
passed and the giant convict had never
oven sulked when ono day there came
into the shop as sightseers a husband
wife and llttlo girl 4 or 5 years old
Children aro seldom seen in prisons
and it is a aro thing that they are
taken into tho shops in the yards If
any ono In that prison knew that con
vict No 1280 had a daughter a fair
haired handsome child who could only
walk alono when tho Jury pronounced
his verdict of guilty they had for
gotten the fact His wife had visited
him as often as visitors were allowed
but tho child had never been seen
within the grim walls Knowing that
her husband had killed a man by ac
GOD BLESS THE LITTLE DARL
ING
cident tho wife could bear to see him
wearing tho horrible stripes of a con
vict but to let tho child look upon
him to gaze in wonder nt tho iron
bars to ask why all thoso men were
there a thousand times no And so
this was the first child Big Tom had
seen since the heavy doors shut him
in Father mother and child came
close to him and gazed at the ponder
ous hammer with wondering eyes
You would have argued that the sight
ot the child would havo softened tho
convicts heart and brought tears to
his eyes but it did not It brought a
feeling of madness of desperation of
frenzy To save a woman trom a brutal
beating at tho hands ot a drunken
worthless thing not fit to be classed
v > HU men be had struck a blow A
7ury had called It murder In the second
degree and ho was here in prison on
a sentence almost neverending Ho
had been wronged and the knowledge
of it fired his heart and brought the
longexpected outbreak With a sud
den cry which Btartled every one In the
noisy shop Big Tom made a spring for
ward seized tho child in bis arms and
there was a shout of defiance on his
lips as he held her at arms length and
glared about him The mother of the
child gasped for breath and staggered
back to tho wall nnd sunk down Tho
father stood staring as It struck
dumb but presently held out his hands
In silent supplication Dig Tom glow
ered and muttered in reply He was
a convict a childless father Ho was
dead to his child she waa dead to him
Ho could not make another father
heart ache and throb and grlevo as hli
did but he would secure rovenge
After muttering he was silent Nt
one cried out Guards and convict
wero seemingly stuplfled There wai
the hum of machinery but not o
voices Convicts turned from forge an
anvil nnd bench and lathe and held
their breath The two shop guardi
leaned forward In their chairs ant
looked but they did not move nor crj
out
What will he do with tho child
The two men working at the trip
hammer with Dig Tom had fallen back
Ho had control ot the machinery whlcl
worked It Tho answer to the ques
Hon could bo read In his oyes Met
had wronged him under cover ot tin
law He had been deprived of liberty
degraded and disgraced Death wcrt
more merciful than such a sentence al
his and In dying he would secure re
venge A pleco of Iron had been let
under tho hnmmer There was heart
the sound of crash crash crash as tht
mass of Iron rose iand fell at regulai
Intervals that sound above tho mo
notonous hum of the machinery
Ho will thrust her under the hammer
A
mer
4
So thought each guard and each com
vict so thought the father whose feei
seemed chained to the floor and whosf
faco was was whiter than tho dead
Ono of tho guards could havo touched
a button and signalled tho engineer to
shut off steam but he did not move
a hand Either guard had a fair mark
to shoot at but their pistols were not
lifted Up and down up and down
went tho hammer but suddenly the bell
was thrown over on the loose pully and
the mass rested on tho anvil It seemed
to those who looked as if they had been
looking through a mist such a mist
as rises from earth of a summer morn
ing It seemed to them that this mist
thinned out cleared away before the
influenco of a rising sun and by and
by they saw the child nestling on Dig
Toms hairy breast one hand smooth
ing his cheek and seeming to come
from a long distance oft they heard her
childish voice saying
No you wouldnt hurt Nellie you
wouldnt hurt Nellie What makc3
you cry Havo you got a little girl
too Wont they let you go homo to
see your little girl
And the convicts advanced stop by
Step and tho guards crept forward
and lo Dig Toms tears were falling as
ho hugged tho child more tightly and
kissed her fair hair and rosy Jchcok
Thero was silence yet silence as he
walked to and fro and wept nnd sob
bed and lifted the child till Bhe could
clasp her tiny arms about his nock and
rest her cheek against his Not a
whisper among the convicts not a
move from father or mother or tho
guards By and by Big Tom placed the
child in Its fathers arms wiped the
tears from his eyes on the sleeve of his
striped Jacket and with a God bless
the little darling and a Thank ye
sir ho returned to his work and tho
hammer was lifted and held in waiting
for the hot Iron to bo placed on the
anvil beneath The guards motioned
for tho other convicts to go back to
their benches and forges and a mlnuto
later the visitors had gone and work
was In full blast The longexpected
outbreak had come and gone For
thirty seconds Big Tom had felt such
a raging hate In his soul that ho was
transformed Into a human devil The
child had smiled Into his burning eyes
her soft touch had lulled him her
words had brought back his reason
Was ho punished No A year later
ho was pardoned nnd today another
falrhalred blueeyed smiling child
puts her arms about his neck and says
You are such a great big papa but
you wouldnt hurt nobody would you
An Art Gallery Experiment
An Interesting exporlment Is now In
progress In South Kensington museum
It relates to showing pictures under ar
tificial light without changing tho
color Capt Abney has so arranged It
that the most Important actinic rays
ot light are excluded It Is on tho prin
ciple that while the rays which cause
the paintings to fade are excluded
the effect of white light is ob
tained The method adopted Is the
closing of a skylight with alter
nate layers of green blue and yellow
glass Visiting artists declare that
tho pictures exhibited under this light
aro seen In their true colorB The pub
lic has not tho least idea that thero Is
any difference between the lighting of
this and that of any other gallery The
experiment Is being tried In what is
known ns tho Raphael cartoon gallery
Exchange
Cheap Whalebone
A French chemist has discovered a
process of making a cheap substitute
tor whalebone He takes animal skins
removes the hair by shaving and after
Immersing them In a bath of bichro
mate of potash stretches them on a
DEATH TO DISEASE
CATHODE RAYS WU END ALL
HUMAN SUFFERINGS
Will Kill All Kinds ot Microbe 1 > j let
ting In the Light More Fntnl tlmn
the Ha it of the Sun An Kxporlment
at Chicuco
HE marvelous pon
sibllltles of the now
cathodo photog
raphy produced
by negative gal
vanic currents are
Just dawning upon
tho medical world
Physicians In Chi
cago Now York
London and Berlin
have simultane
ously begun experiments upon tho most
istonlshlng theory which has ever star
tled tho scientists of tho great capitals
It is believed that In tho wonderful
cathodo light Invented by Professor
Roentgen Ilea tho perfect euro of dis
eases which have hitherto resisted tho
tireless offorts of medical science
If tho theory of thesf doctors Is cor
rect the euro for consumption cholera
diphtheria scarlet f vcr typhoid and
typhus fever nnd smallpox is at last
discovered
While experimenting and testing the
powers of tho now cathode light the
Berlin scientists found that its rays
possessed many of the properties of
sunlight By spectrum analysis It was
proved that tho cathode rays registered
a strong violet stronger than the violet
rays of sunlight
Professor Marshall Hall tho eminent
British scientist proved long ago that
rays ot sunlight destroyed the germs of
disease Tho deadly microbes of the
most fatal maladies were killed by ex
posure to the suns rays Experiment
ing further Professor Marshall Hall
THE WONDERFUL
Every lime It Kicks a
does In
AN EXPERIMENT WITH THE CATHODE RAYS
found that the violet rays were tho gcr
oilcldo rayo
When tho laboratory experiments of
the German scientists brough out the
fact that tho new cathode light Bhowed
ho samo chemical composition as the
jlolct rays ot sunshine tho medical men
Knew what this discovery meant They
Knew that at last thev had within their
jrasp a light which can penetrate to
he interior organs of the human body
ind carry along with It tho power to de
stroy the microbes of disease
This Is what the physicians of Lon
lon and Berlin are now earnestly ex
perimenting to prove
If this marvelous cathode light
which pierces clothes and flesh
but not bones still carries along
hrough the outer covering of tho body
tho germicide rays of sunlight If in
Jther words the mere flooding of tho
lungs with tho new cathode light dc
itroys tho germs of tuberculosis then
tho euro ot consumption has been
found
If the penetrating flashesof tho ca
thode light can Illuminate tho bowels
with a chemical ray deadly to the chol
era bacillus then cholera Is a dlseaso
ao longer to be feare d
If the fevered blood vessels and arter
ies which burn with the bacilli of ty
phus typhoid or scarlet fever can be
aushed with the germicide rays of tho
athode light then these diseases aro
within tho easy grasp of modern
iclcnce
With the entire world of science and
medicine concentrating Its skill and In
genuity on the possibilities of tho now
athode light no onpycan fqrctell what
he laboratory experiments of Europe
and America will bring forth
I
V H Unruly Husband
Mrs Mary L Burton edits the James
town Kan Optimist She has been
way on a visit During her absence
the old man filled her sheet with
Iwful man stories She has returned
ind terves the following roast The
Sdltor disclaims responsibility for any
thing appearing in this raper for the
past month or two ShCycars she will
aave trouble to set herolf right with
nnd will have to
rama to dry They aro then treated etweS get a divoile before she Is
in a bath of bisulphide of Boda or lime JM T ycr L reputaton f0r
until they of olive color X
aro green respectabmtjri peace itsnltyr
again dried and cut Into strips
MAXIM GUN CONSUMPTION
CURED AT LAST
Tho following description ot tho Max
lm gun taken from an account by Dr
The Offer That Is Made T
Henry M Field of Vvlsltto ihe ln Genmus Being by
ventor contributed to the Evangelist
NW York Oct 10 is reproduced hero
for tho powerful and vivid impression
it gives of Maxims remarkable engine
of destruction
His Mr Maxims special pet his
dally Is tho marvelous gun that doos
not fire single shots but literally rains
bullets as tho elements In their fury
rain hailstones It Is a light affair to
look ot having tho appcaranco ot a
small brass cannon mounted on a tri
pod nnd aimed nnd worked by one man
who sits behind It on a saddle like that
of n bicycle from which ho can point It
up and down with an much easo as If It
wero a pistol or swing it to tho right or
left as nn enemy approaches from one
or another quarter
But how Is tho gun loadod Ah
here Is tho beauty of It It loads Itself
Tho originality of the Invention les in
CHICAGO
That steel barrel tnrough which nn in
ccssnnt flash streams like a continuous
stieak of lightning melting or explod
ing everything near It passes through
water It is all tho while Immersed In
water that Is Incased in what Is called
tho water Jacket so that the gun
Ilko a good soldier keeps cool while
doing Its most deadly work Thus It Is
that tho man at tho gun is master of the
situation and need not run away even
If ho Is attacked by a reglmont unless
It comes upon him by surprise and
takes him at close quarters or somo
villainous sharpshooter picks him off
before he gets to business Let tho
regiment keep at a respectful distance
and give the bravo fellow a chance and
indeed let the enemy bo ever so numer
ous If they will only stand up llko
men to be shot at ho will mow down
half a dozen regiments while ho Is
smoking his cigar
A Lucky Catoh
A workman In a mlno who had
played cricket in his time once saved
his life by making a good catch Ho
was standing at the bottom of the shaft
waiting for a bucketful of dynamite
sticks that were being lowered to him
The bucket was well on its Way down
when ho saw It strike against somo ob
stacle and turn partly over Out fell
one of tho sticks He watched it fall
ing in a zigzag course a messenger of
instant death When it struck the hard
bottom thero would be a tremendous
explosion and a dead miner But It
did not strike tho hard bottom Like
a player on the field the workman put
up his hands and caught the stick with
that easy swing of the arms that crlkot
ers acquire
March of Progress
Students of Bowdoln college have
started a cooperative store All the
odds and ends of the dally necessaries
of students will be bought wholesale
and sold practically at cost The en
tire enterprise will be managed by
students
livll Fruit
A treo is known by its fruit and a
innn is Judged according to 11b light
Rum and bad companions lead men to
prison and a loss of character Is the
greatest misfortune a man can have
Tom Muslin e > conlct
A SIocuti cf New York Clly Amer
icas Most Eminent Chemist
PROGRESS OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
Confident of the Vnlue of Ills Discoveries
Ho will Semi Free Two Mottles Upon
Application to Any Person Buffer
ing from Chest Lung nml
Pulmonary Affottlons
HE appalling ravages of lung
troubles and consumption In
this country continued from
year to year prosent a showing i
boforo which all lovers o hu
manity must stand aghast
Lung ti oubles load to consumption
loss of flesh and wasting conditions
Of all tho diseases which afflict tho
human race consumption Is tho most
fatal Its ravages aro by no means
this that It utilizes the recoil so that confined to the lungs alono It attacks
ns tho cartridges aro strung on a belt In fact almost overy part of tho body
that carries from 150 to 400 rounds Iast yoar as piovon by tho official
every kick of the gun throws out the records at Washington over 2G3000
exploded cartridge on one side of tho died from consumption in the United
gun and on the other throws the next Statcsrcprcsonting an avorago of
cartridge into place so that tho dls 6000 every week and 700 overy day
charge Is Incessant You have only to a waste of life that Boomsi incredible
More than fourfifths of this number
tho
docs
press the button and tho gun
m t today bo living had they but
rest As long as you keep your finger
kn0 oroin restoration and
wrt ay
on the button the firing go on the gun
made tlmly uso of tho only Infallible
throwing eleven mlnle bullets a
ond COG a mlnuto
But not bo fast I hoar some ono
say who has made a study of firearms
Dont you know that this Incessant fir
ing would heat the gun so that It would
explode and do more destruction nt tho
luuu
remedies that havo thus far been dis
covered
Slocume remedy is tho only ona
whoso results havo been practically
successful
Thousands of witnesses could ba
brought forward who o testimony Is
rear end than at the muzzle Oh yes I inc0ntrovertlble
gentle critic I know all this and am I that tho socum
glad you spoke of It as it gives me
occasion to point out one more con
trivance ot this marvelous machine
to provo not only
System of Sclentlllo
Treatment is wonderfully cHlcuelous in
tho euro of throat chost and lung af
fections all pulmonary disorders and
conditions of wasting but that It
dott erne in cases of well doflucd and
unmlstakablo consumption
Consumption has it is now bollevod
nt last been conquered and tfirough
this paper tho distinguished uhomlst
offers his dlscovory froo
For tho purpose of bringing tjioso
remedies to tho attention of tb publo
nnd making tholf groat merits knowifw
Mr Slocum now makos a most goner1
ous offer that should certainly bo uken
advantage of
He will send free two bottles to any
sutloier appljing Simply wiito ox
pressand postoflico addross
This pioposition speaks oloquently
Indeed of tho good faith of tho groat
chemist
Nothing rcould ba fairer or mora
ptillantht oplo >
Thero willl be no mistako In sending
tho mistake will be In overlooking
tho generous Invitution
Sufferers may addtoss T A Slocum
M C 188 Pearl Street New York
When writing tho Doctor ploasonnon
Hon reading this In this papor ami
greatly oblige The Kuuoii
Uitcn punnhus to bu in g > iui luvo
lor spriug nuil summer irue a
Is a deepseated blood disease which
all the mineral mixtures in the world
cannot cure SSS guaranteedpurel
vegetable is a real blood remedy foi
blood diseases and has no equal
Mrs YT BuckofDelaneyArkliad
Scrofula for twentyfive years and most
of the limp was under the care of the
doctors who could not relieve her A
specialist said he
could cure her but
he filled her with
arsenic and potash
which almost ruined
her constitution She
then took nearly
every socalled blood
x medicine and drank
them by the wholesale
but they did not reach
her trouble Some
k ifF one advised her to try
SSS and she
very
soon found that she had a real blood
remedy at last She says After tak
ing one dozen bottles of SSS I am
perfectly well my skin is clear
and healthy and I would not be in
my former condition for two thousand
dollars Instead of drying upthepoison
in my system like the potash And
arsenic SSS drove the disease out
through the skin and I was perma
nently rid of it
A Real Blood Remedy
SSS never fails to cure Scrofula
Eczema Rheumatism Contagious Blood
Poison or any disorder of the blood
Do not rely upon a Bimplc tonic to cure
a deepseated blood disease but take a
real blood remedy
Our books
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TN U HOUSTON 12 1890
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