The trial occupied two days. I suppose all
prisoners think so, but the Judge charged against me in every point;
the jury was out two hours, and then came in for advice on a
doubtful question; the judge gave them another blast against me, and
an hour after they came in with a verdict of "guilty." I went back
to jail and two days afterwards was brought up for sentence which
was--"ten years at hard labor in the State prison at Trenton."
Good heavens! All this for being courted and won by a widow!
The day following, I was taken in irons to Trenton. The Warden of
the prison, who wanted to console me, said that, for the offence, my
sentence was an awful one, and that he didn't believe I would be
obliged to serve out half of it. As I felt then, I did not believe I
should live out one-third of it. After I had gone through the
routine of questions, and had been put in the prison uniform, a cap
was drawn down over my face, as if I was about to be hung, and I was
led, thus blind-folded, around and around, evidently to confuse me,
with regard to the interior of the prison-in case I might ever have
any idea of breaking out. At last I was brought to a cell door and
the cap was taken off. There were, properly no "cells" in this
prison-at least I never saw any; but good sized rooms for two
prisoners, not only to live in but to work in. I found myself in a
room with a man who was weaving carpets, and I was at once
instructed in the art of winding yarn on bobbins for him-in fact, I
was to be his "bobbin-boy.
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