sent to prison. It was a day
or two before I found out what I was there for. Then a Dutch Deputy
Sheriff, who was also keeper of the jail, came and told me that I was
held for bigamy, adding the consoling intelligence that it would be a
very hard job for me, and that I would get five or six years in State
prison sure. I was well acquainted in Easton, and I sent for lawyer
Litgreave for assistance and advice. I sent also to my half-sister in
Delaware County, N. Y., and in a day or two she came and saw me, and
gave Mr. Litgreave one hundred dollars retaining fee. My lawyer went to
see the Scheimers and when he returned he told me that he hoped to save
me from State prison--at all events he would exercise the influence he
had over the family to that end; but I must expect to remain in jail a
long time. Precisely what this meant I did not know then; but I found
out afterwards.

Soon after this visit from the lawyer, the Deputy Sheriff came in and
said that he was ordered "by the Judge" to iron me, and it was done.
They were heavy leg-irons weighing full twelve pounds, and I may say
here that I wore them during the whole term of my imprisonment in this
jail, or rather they wore me--wearing their way in time almost into
the bone. I had been here a week now, and was well acquainted with the
character of the place. It was indescribably filthy; no pretence was
made of cleansing it. The prisoners were half fed, and, at that, the
food was oftentimes so vile that starving men rejected it. The deputy
who kept the jail was cruel and malignant, and took delight in torturing
his prisoners. He would come in sometimes under pretence of looking at
my irons to see if they were safe, and would twist and turn them about
so that I suffered intolerable pain, and blood flowed from my wounds
made by these cruel irons. Such abuse as he could give with his tongue
he dispensed freely. Of course he was a coward, and he never dared to
come into one of the prisoner's rooms unless he was armed. This is a
faithful photograph of the interior of the jail at Easton, Penn., as
it was a few years ago; there may have been some improvement since that
time; for the sake of humanity, I hope there has been.

After I had been in this jail about six weeks, and had become well
acquainted with my room-mates, I communicated to them one day, the
result of my observation:

"There," said I, showing them a certain place in the wall, "is a loose
stone that with a littl