Irishman, whose sharp,
piercing black eyes, and closely-cut black hair, gave him a look of
acuteness that was apparent to the most casual observer. He had been
charged with false pretense in assuming to be the agent of a
publisher of chromos, and his practice was to take orders for the
pictures which he exhibited, from his unsuspecting customers, the
same to be delivered at some future time. He would then receive a
part of the purchase money in advance, and take his departure, while
the innocent subscriber would look in vain for the fulfillment of his
contract.

The other arrest was that of a handsome and gentlemanly-looking man
of about thirty-five years of age. His hair, which was prematurely
gray, curled gracefully about his brow and temples, but his
moustache, which was of a brownish color and carefully trimmed,
lessened the indication of greater age on account of the color of his
hair. He evinced a quiet reserve of manner, and a general air of
respectability scarcely in accord with his appearing to answer for
the commission of a crime, and many sympathetic remarks were made by
the bystanders on the occasion of his hearing.

He was charged with forgery, and had been arrested in the act of
presenting a forged order for a money package, at the office of the
Adams Express Company at Bridgeport. The evidence of the forgery was
unmistakable, and the agent of the company detecting it, at once had
the man arrested.

These two arrests were almost coincident; their hearing at the
preliminary examination took place at the same session of the court,
and as each of them waived a hearing and were unable to procure bail,
they were both consigned to the jail to await their trial at the next
sitting of the general court.

As a general thing there seems to be a sort of community of interest
or fraternity of feeling existing between prisoners during their
confinement. At certain hours in the day, in many places of
imprisonment, the authorities permit the prisoners to leave their
cells and to take exercise in the corridors. At such times they
mingle together indiscriminately and indulge in general conversation,
and many interesting episodes could be gathered from their recitals
of the various scenes through which they have passed during their
vicarious life, and the experiences thus related would tend to prove,
beyond question, that the imagination of the romancer falls far short
of the actual realities of life.

Many wild an