the financier-第102节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　rage　and　disappointment　and　tears。　　Four　years　and　three　months！　That　would　make　a　terrible　gap　in　his　life　and　hers。　　Still；　she　could　wait。　　It　was　better　than　eight　or　ten　years；　as　she　had　feared　it　might　be。　　Perhaps　now；　once　this　was　really　over　and　he　was　in　prison；　the　Governor　would　pardon　him。

The　judge　now　moved　to　pick　up　the　papers　in　connection　with　Stener's　case；　satisfied　that　he　had　given　the　financiers　no　chance　to　say　he　had　not　given　due　heed　to　their　plea　in　Cowperwood's　behalf　and　yet　certain　that　the　politicians　would　be　pleased　that　he　had　so　nearly　given　Cowperwood　the　maximum　while　appearing　to　have　heeded　the　pleas　for　mercy。　　Cowperwood　saw　through　the　trick　at　once；　but　it　did　not　disturb　him。　　It　struck　him　as　rather　weak　and　contemptible。　　A　bailiff　came　forward　and　started　to　hurry　him　away。

〃Allow　the　prisoner　to　remain　for　a　moment；〃　called　the　judge。

The　name；　of　George　W。　Stener　had　been　called　by　the　clerk　and　Cowperwood　did　not　quite　understand　why　he　was　being　detained；　but　he　soon　learned。　　It　was　that　he　might　hear　the　opinion　of　the　court　in　connection　with　his　copartner　in　crime。　　The　latter's　record　was　taken。　　Roger　O'Mara；　the　Irish　political　lawyer　who　had　been　his　counsel　all　through　his　troubles；　stood　near　him；　but　had　nothing　to　say　beyond　asking　the　judge　to　consider　Stener's　previously　honorable　career。

〃George　W。　Stener；〃　said　his　honor；　while　the　audience；　including　Cowperwood；　listened　attentively。　　〃The　motion　for　a　new　trial　as　well　as　an　arrest　of　judgment　in　your　case　having　been　overruled；　it　remains　for　the　court　to　impose　such　sentence　as　the　nature　of　your　offense　requires。　　I　do　not　desire　to　add　to　the　pain　of　your　position　by　any　extended　remarks　of　my　own；　but　I　cannot　let　the　occasion　pass　without　expressing　my　emphatic　condemnation　of　your　offense。　　The　misapplication　of　public　money　has　become　the　great　crime　of　the　age。　　If　not　promptly　and　firmly　checked；　it　will　ultimately　destroy　our　institutions。　　When　a　republic　becomes　honeycombed　with　corruption　its　vitality　is　gone。　　It　must　crumble　upon　the　first　pressure。

〃In　my　opinion；　the　public　is　much　to　blame　for　your　offense　and　others　of　a　similar　character。　　Heretofore；　official　fraud　has　been　regarded　with　too　much　indifference。　　What　we　need　is　a　higher　and　purer　political　moralitya　state　of　public　opinion　which　would　make　the　improper　use　of　public　money　a　thing　to　be　execrated。　　It　was　the　lack　of　this　which　made　your　offense　possible。　　Beyond　that　I　see　nothing　of　extenuation　in　your　case。〃　　Judge　Payderson　paused　for　emphasis。　　He　was　coming　to　his　finest　flight；　and　he　wanted　it　to　sink　in。

〃The　people　had　confided　to　you　the　care　of　their　money；〃　he　went　on；　solemnly。　　〃It　was　a　high；　a　sacred　trust。　　You　should　have　guarded　the　door　of　the　treasury　even　as　the　cherubim　protected　the　Garden　of　Eden；　and　should　have　turned　the　flaming　sword　of　impeccable　honesty　against　every　one　who　approached　it　improperly。　Your　position　as　the　representative　of　a　great　community　warranted　that。

〃In　view　of　all　the　facts　in　your　case　the　court　can　do　no　less　than　impose　a　major　penalty。　　The　seventy…fourth　section　of　the　Criminal　Procedure　Act　provides　that　no　convict　shall　be　sentenced　by　the　court　of　this　commonwealth　to　either　of　the　penitentiaries　thereof；　for　any　term　which　shall　expire　between　the　fifteenth　of　November　and　the　fifteenth　day　of　February　of　any　year；　and　this　provision　requires　me　to　abate　three　months　from　the　maximum　of　time　which　I　would　affix　in　your　casenamely；　five　years。　　The　sentence　of　the　court　is；　therefore；　that　you　pay　a　fine　of　five　thousand　dollars　to　the　commonwealth　for　the　use　of　the　county〃　Payderson　knew　well　enough　that　Stener　could　never　pay　that　sum　〃and　that　you　undergo　imprisonment　in　the　State　Penitentiary　for　the　Eastern　District；　by　separate　and　solitary　confinement　at　labor；　for　the　period　of　four　years　and　nine　months；　and　that　you　stand　committed　until　this　sentence　is　complied　with。〃　　He　laid　down　the　briefs　and　rubbed　his　chin　reflectively　while　both　Cowperwood　and　Stener　were　hurried　out。　　Butler　was　the　first　to　leave　after　the　sentencequite　satisfied。　　Seeing　that　all　was　over　so　far　as　she　was　concerned；　Aileen　stole　quickly　out；　and　after　her；　in　a　few　moments；　Cowperwood's　father　and　brothers。　　They　were　to　await　him　outside　and　go　with　him　to　the　penitentiary。　　The　remaining　members　of　the　family　were　at　home　eagerly　awaiting　intelligence　of　the　morning's　work；　and　Joseph　Cowperwood　was　at　once　despatched　to　tell　them。

The　day　had　now　become　cloudy；　lowery；　and　it　looked　as　if　there　might　be　snow。　　Eddie　Zanders；　who　had　been　given　all　the　papers　in　the　case；　announced　that　there　was　no　need　to　return　to　the　county　jail。　　In　consequence　the　five　of　themZanders；　Steger；　Cowperwood；　his　father；　and　Edwardgot　into　a　street…car　which　ran　to　within　a　few　blocks　of　the　prison。　　Within　half　an　hour　they　were　at　the　gates　of　the　Eastern　Penitentiary。　　





Chapter　LIII




The　Eastern　District　Penitentiary　of　Pennsylvania；　standing　at　Fairmount　Avenue　and　Twenty…first　Street　in　Philadelphia；　where　Cowperwood　was　now　to　serve　his　sentence　of　four　years　and　three　months；　was　a　large；　gray…stone　structure；　solemn　and　momentous　in　its　mien；　not　at　all　unlike　the　palace　of　Sforzas　at　Milan；　although　not　so　distinguished。　　It　stretched　its　gray　length　for　several　blocks　along　four　different　streets；　and　looked　as　lonely　and　forbidding　as　a　prison　should。　　The　wall　which　inclosed　its　great　area　extending　over　ten　acres　and　gave　it　so　much　of　its　solemn　dignity　was　thirty…five　feet　high　and　some　seven　feet　thick。　The　prison　proper；　which　was　not　visible　from　the　outside；　consisted　of　seven　arms　or　corridors；　ranged　octopus…like　around　a　central　room　or　court；　and　occupying　in　their　sprawling　length　about　two…thirds　of　the　yard　inclosed　within　the　walls；　so　that　there　was　but　little　space　for　the　charm　of　lawn　or　sward。　　The　corridors；　forty…two　feet　wide　from　outer　wall　to　outer　wall；　were　one　hundred　and　eighty　feet　in　length；　and　in　four　instances　two　stories　high；　and　extended　in　their　long　reach　in　every　direction。　There　were　no　windows　in　the　corridors；　only　narrow　slits　of　skylights；　three　and　one…half　feet　long　by　perhaps　eight　inches　wide；　let　in　the　roof；　and　the　ground…floor　cells　were　accompanied　in　some　instances　by　a　small　yard　ten　by　sixteenthe　same　size　as　the　cells　properwhich　was　surrounded　by　a　high　brick　wall　in　every　instance。　　The　cells　and　floors　and　roofs　were　made　of　stone；　and　the　corridors；　which　were　only　ten　feet　wide　between　the　cells；　and　in　the　case　of　the　single…story　portion　only　fifteen　feet　high；　were　paved　with　stone。　　If　you　stood　in　the　central　room；　or　rotunda；　and　looked　down　the　long　stretches　which　departed　from　you　in　every　direction；　you　had　a　sense　of　narrowness　and　confinement　not　compatible　with　their　length。　　The　iron　doors；　with　their　outer　accompaniment　of　solid　wooden　ones；　the　latter　used　at　times　to　shut　the　prisoner　from　all　sight　and　sound；　were　grim　and　unpleasing　to　behold。　　The　halls　were　light　enough；　being　whitewashed　frequently　and　set　with　the　narrow　skylights；　which　were　closed　with　frosted　glass　in　winter；　but　they　were；　as　are　all　such　matter…of…fact　arrangements　for　incarceration；　barewearisome　to　look　upon。　　Life　enough　there　was　in　all　conscience；　seeing　that　there　were　four　hundred　prisoners　here　at　that　time；　and　that　nearly　every　cell　was　occupied；　but　it　was　a　life　of　which　no　one　individual　was　essentially　aware　as　a　spectacle。　　He　was　of　it；　but　he　was　not。　Some　of　the　prisoners；　after　long　service；　were　used　as　〃trusties〃　or　〃runners；〃　as　they　were　locally　called；　but　not　many。　　There　was　a　bakery；　a　machine…shop；　a　carpenter…shop；　a　store…room；　a　flour…mill；　and　a　series　of　gardens；　or　truck　patches；　but　the　manipulation　of　these　did　not　require　the　services　of　a　large　number。

The　prison　proper　dated　from　1822；　and　it　had　grown；　wing　by　wing；　until　its　present　considerable　size　had　been　reached。　　Its　population　consisted　of　individuals　of　all　degrees　of　intelligence　and　crime；　from　murderers　to　minor　practitioners　of　larceny。　　It　had　what　was　known　as　the　〃Pennsylvania　System〃　of　regulation　for　its　inmates；　which　was　nothing　more　nor　less　than　solitary　confinement　for　all　concerneda　life　of　absolute　silence　and　separate　labor　in　separate　cells。

Barring　his　comparatively　recent　experience　in　the　county　jail；　which　after　all　was　far　from　typical；　Cowperwood　had　never　been　in　a　prison　in　his　life。　　Once；　when　a　boy；　in　one　of　his　perambulations　through　several　of　the　surrounding　towns；　he　had　passed　a　village　〃lock…up；〃　as　the　town　prisons　were　then　calleda　small；　square；　gray　building　with　long　iron…barred　windows；　and　he　had　seen；　at　one　of　these　rather　depressing　apertures　on　the　second　floor；　a　none　too　prepossessing　drunkard　or　town　ne'er…do…well　who　looked　down　on　him　with　bleary　eyes；　unkempt　hair；　and　a　sodden；　waxy；　pallid　face；　and　calledfor　it　was　summer　and　the　jail　window　was　open：

〃Hey；　sonny；　get　me　a　plug　of　tobacco；　will　you？〃

Cowperwood；　who　had　looked　up；　shocked　and　disturbed　by　the　man's　disheveled　appearance；　had　called　back；　quite　witho