My reply was to the effect that I was, physically, mentally and
morally. So he wrote down in his book opposite my name "physically and
mentally a sound man." He said he would take my word for being sound
morally, but that he would not put that down on the books for the
present, for fear there might be a mistake somewhere. Before
discharging me, he calmly stated that I would make a good coal miner.
All the prisoners undergo this medical cross-examination.

After I had run the doctor's gauntlet, I was conducted from the south
wing of the cell-house to the north wing. Here I met for the first
time Mr. Elliott, who has charge of this building during the daytime.
It is a part of this highly efficient officer's duty to cross-examine
the prisoners as to where they have lived and what they have been
doing. His examinations are very rigid. He is a bright man, a good
judge of human nature, and can tell a criminal at sight. He would make
an able criminal lawyer. He is the prison detective. By means of these
examinations he often obtains clues that lead to the detection of the
perpetrators of crime. I have been told by good authority that on
account of information obtained by this official, two murderers were
discovered in the Kansas penitentiary, and, after their terms had
expired, they were immediately arrested, and, on requisition, taken
back to the Eastern States, where the crimes had been committed, and
there tried, convicted and punished according to the laws of those
States. After I had been asked all manner of questions by this
official, he very kindly informed me that I came to the penitentiary
with a bad record. He further stated that I was looked upon as one of
the worst criminals in the State of Kansas. This information was
rather a set-back to me, as I had no idea that I was in possession of
any such record as that. I begged of him to wait a little while before