d to be present at my trial and aid me all
he could.

I lay in Newark jail nine months, awaiting my trial. During that time I
had almost daily quarrels with the jailor, who abused me shamefully, and
told me I ought to go to State prison and stay there for life. Once he
took hold of me and I struck him, for which I was put in the dark cell
forty-eight hours. At last came my trial. The court appointed counsel
for me, for I had no money to fee a lawyer, and my New York friend was
on hand to advise and assist. I lad witnesses to show the length of time
that had elapsed since my separation from my first wife, and we also
raised the point as to whether the justice who married me, was really
a legal justice of the peace or not. 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."

I pursued this monotonous occupation for two months, when I told the
keeper I did not like that business, and wanted to try something that
had a little more variety in it. Whereupon he put me at the cane ch