ain’t hungry, Arlie.”
“Some of ’em eat heartily before—well, you know. And others don’t want anything. Prison rules are that we bring your last meal. But there’s no rule that says you have to eat it.”
“Arlie, listen. I’ve gotta see Warden Miles.”
“You’ll see him. He always walks a man from his cell to the gallows. Along with the chaplain, that is.”
“No, I mean I’ve got to see him before then. I … I have somethin’ very important to tell him.”
“Chaplain Donaldson will be here first. You can talk to him.”
“No! I’ve got to talk to the warden, Arlie! I’m telling you, it’s important!”
“He’s still in bed at this hour. I can’t disturb him.”
“You’ve got to! Please. Get him here so I can talk to him!”
“All right! All right. His house is about two miles away. I’ll send someone over there.”
A half hour later, Arlie appeared, stuck his key in the lock of the cell door and said, “All right, Jake. The warden’s in his office. Let’s go.”
Jake picked up the copy of the
Philadelphia Enquirer
that lay on the small table in his cell, folded it, and stuck it under his arm. “Thanks, Arlie, I really appreciate this.”
Warden Chester Miles was standing at his office window, looking at the sunrise, when Arlie ushered Jake through the door. Miles turned from the window and set steady eyes on the condemned man. “I understand you have something important to discuss with me before you die.”
That same day, Officer Seth Coleman entered police headquarters, escorting a handcuffed man. He paused at the desk and said to the sergeant, “Bill, this is Mr. Cummings. He was caught stealing groceries at Weberly’s Market. Do you have an empty cell, or should we put him in with someone?”
“We can give him private accommodations,” the sergeant said. “I’ll take him back and lock him up. We can book him after you see the chief.”
Seth frowned. “Pardon me?”
“Chief Bennett told me he wanted to see you whenever you came in. I guess since it’s lunchtime you could go eat then see him when you come back.”
“Well, if he wants to see me, he comes before my stomach. I’ll see him now.”
When Seth entered the chief’s office, Bennett rose from behind his desk and said, “Seth! I was hoping you’d come in before the end of your shift.”
“Sergeant Gunderson said you wanted to see me.”
There was a glint in Bennett’s eyes and a smile curved his lips. “Yes. Sit down.”
Seth eased onto the chair in front of the desk. Bennett returned to his desk chair and leaned forward with eagerness etched on his face. “Seth, I have some wonderful news for you!”
“Well, sir, I sure could use some of that.”
“About half an hour ago, a messenger from the state prison delivered this letter to me from Warden Miles.” Bennett picked up a white envelope from his desk. “He says in here that before Jake Wilson was hanged this morning, he asked to talk to him. Wilson confessed to Warden Miles that it was he who stabbed Lawrence Sheldon to death. He didn’t want to die with it on his conscience.”
“Well, what do you know!”
“Wilson told Miles that Sheldon had arrested him on a minor charge a couple of years ago, and Wilson did six months for thecrime. He hated Sheldon for it, and when the opportunity came, he stabbed him in revenge. Of course, that wasn’t the reason he was in prison. He’d murdered those two women two days previously in the Rittenhouse Square district. There were witnesses to those killings, if you remember the story, and Wilson was hunted down and arrested three days later … the very next day after he murdered Sheldon.”
Tears misted Seth’s eyes. “Sir, this is the best news I’ve had since I heard that jury foreman say ‘Not guilty’!”
“Well, soon everyone will know. Warden Miles is going to tell the story to a reporter for the
Enquirer
, and Wilson’s confession will be on the front page of tomorrow
“Some of ’em eat heartily before—well, you know. And others don’t want anything. Prison rules are that we bring your last meal. But there’s no rule that says you have to eat it.”
“Arlie, listen. I’ve gotta see Warden Miles.”
“You’ll see him. He always walks a man from his cell to the gallows. Along with the chaplain, that is.”
“No, I mean I’ve got to see him before then. I … I have somethin’ very important to tell him.”
“Chaplain Donaldson will be here first. You can talk to him.”
“No! I’ve got to talk to the warden, Arlie! I’m telling you, it’s important!”
“He’s still in bed at this hour. I can’t disturb him.”
“You’ve got to! Please. Get him here so I can talk to him!”
“All right! All right. His house is about two miles away. I’ll send someone over there.”
A half hour later, Arlie appeared, stuck his key in the lock of the cell door and said, “All right, Jake. The warden’s in his office. Let’s go.”
Jake picked up the copy of the
Philadelphia Enquirer
that lay on the small table in his cell, folded it, and stuck it under his arm. “Thanks, Arlie, I really appreciate this.”
Warden Chester Miles was standing at his office window, looking at the sunrise, when Arlie ushered Jake through the door. Miles turned from the window and set steady eyes on the condemned man. “I understand you have something important to discuss with me before you die.”
That same day, Officer Seth Coleman entered police headquarters, escorting a handcuffed man. He paused at the desk and said to the sergeant, “Bill, this is Mr. Cummings. He was caught stealing groceries at Weberly’s Market. Do you have an empty cell, or should we put him in with someone?”
“We can give him private accommodations,” the sergeant said. “I’ll take him back and lock him up. We can book him after you see the chief.”
Seth frowned. “Pardon me?”
“Chief Bennett told me he wanted to see you whenever you came in. I guess since it’s lunchtime you could go eat then see him when you come back.”
“Well, if he wants to see me, he comes before my stomach. I’ll see him now.”
When Seth entered the chief’s office, Bennett rose from behind his desk and said, “Seth! I was hoping you’d come in before the end of your shift.”
“Sergeant Gunderson said you wanted to see me.”
There was a glint in Bennett’s eyes and a smile curved his lips. “Yes. Sit down.”
Seth eased onto the chair in front of the desk. Bennett returned to his desk chair and leaned forward with eagerness etched on his face. “Seth, I have some wonderful news for you!”
“Well, sir, I sure could use some of that.”
“About half an hour ago, a messenger from the state prison delivered this letter to me from Warden Miles.” Bennett picked up a white envelope from his desk. “He says in here that before Jake Wilson was hanged this morning, he asked to talk to him. Wilson confessed to Warden Miles that it was he who stabbed Lawrence Sheldon to death. He didn’t want to die with it on his conscience.”
“Well, what do you know!”
“Wilson told Miles that Sheldon had arrested him on a minor charge a couple of years ago, and Wilson did six months for thecrime. He hated Sheldon for it, and when the opportunity came, he stabbed him in revenge. Of course, that wasn’t the reason he was in prison. He’d murdered those two women two days previously in the Rittenhouse Square district. There were witnesses to those killings, if you remember the story, and Wilson was hunted down and arrested three days later … the very next day after he murdered Sheldon.”
Tears misted Seth’s eyes. “Sir, this is the best news I’ve had since I heard that jury foreman say ‘Not guilty’!”
“Well, soon everyone will know. Warden Miles is going to tell the story to a reporter for the
Enquirer
, and Wilson’s confession will be on the front page of tomorrow
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