"Jailhouse Panic": Chapter XVI of the Barbara Graham Story

Jailhouse Panic

When news of John True’s testimony before the grand jury made the newspapers, Barbara Graham all but went into shock. That condition quickly elevated to anger. In the day room of the lockup, she paced up and down like a caged cheetah and declared for all to hear, "I may go to the fucking gas chamber, but I’ll sure as hell take some people with me!"

Later, when both the shock and anger had subsided, Barbara was beside herself with despondency. Huddled in a private corner with her recently found friend, Donna, she let a growing desperation surface.

"What am I going to do’" she pleaded. "What the fuck am I going to do now’"

"Don’t worry, Mommy," Donna consoled. "It’ll be all right."

The "Mommy" endearment was an example of how the relationship between the two women had ripened during the month or so they had known each other. Barbara was "Mommy" because she was older by ten years; Donna was "Candy Pants." Because they were celled on different tiers, the only time they could be together was in the day room or when they could slip off to an unoccupied cell for a few minutes of quick intimacy. On days when they could not be together in the day room, they exchanged torrid love notes which were carried back and forth by trusty inmates who had the run of the jail. In some of the notes, which were introduced as evidence at Barbara’s murder trial, Barbara addressed Donna as "Sweet Candy Pants," admitted that she had fallen in love with the younger woman, told her how lovely and desirable she was, talked of their kisses, and drew candy canes on the note to show how sweet Donna tasted.

Now, at this low point in Barbara’s life, when an accomplice in the Monohan robbery-murder had agreed to testify for the prosecution, Candy Pants came up with a desperate, audacious plan for her. Donna knew a guy named Sam who, for the promise of a sum of money to be paid in the future, might agree to provide Barbara with an alibi -- such as saying Barbara was in a motel room with him all night the night Mabel Monohan was killed.

Mommy liked the idea. She told Candy Pants to get in touch with her friend.