Louis Weichmann

[BettyO]

The conspirators (men) were allowed exercise in the court yard for one hour a day, as per Dr. Porter who, in his daily report to Hartranft, stated that he was afraid that the men would be mentally impaired as Spangler's mind seemed to be wandering while hooded; i.e. he was apparently talking or acting weird for a man subjected to the abnormal cruelty of hooding. It is a known fact that Spangler, Rath and Powell participated in pitching quoits (a ring toss game akin to horseshoes) out in the prison yard. This was not long before the sentences and hanging. I would assume that if they were "pitching" quoits, that the Lilly irons had been removed for the exercise session. Powell had also picked flowers in the courtyard and pressed them in his Bible (also courtesy of Dr. Porter.) I don't know about the lessening of leg irons, however. They had an 18 inch chain between their legs. I would think that the cannon balls were removed from Powell's legs to facilitate his exercise.