The Columbian fountain., 1846-10-01
Bfufral intelligfnf {.
aitps Giteratnrt, ARTS, sfisnfs, Busimsss ano ssn
Rev. J. T.WARD. Assistant Editor.
PRICE ONE CENT.

a ccount for the interest which you evident
IIv feel for parties such as these? Il is not
msual for gentlemen OF your standing and
4 Icbaracter to manifest such sympathy for
convicted pick pockets, The language
Is plain. sir, but it is my duty TO use i un-
der the circumstances.
Mr. 'iiamson was silent for several
! minutes, a nd much agitated. "Sir,'' ne SAID
at length, t.ars falling fast from hlseyes'
.LAwsoN IS MY YBRoTHER--a brother have
mot seen for more than quarter OF cen
Il tury. But with all his errors and mlscon-
lduct, / cannot forget the years Of our early
boyhcod when our hearts were bound TO-
gether with the strongest CORDS OF atlecuon,
when we We'd with each other IN good
deeds to win a mothers approving smile,
when we botl, were young, innocent and
happy. He may have had many and stronger
tgItemptations than others. His early nature
4 was gentle and yielding, and although his
course had caused me many bitter pangs,
\ and our paths had been widely apart-7when
/ was informed of his situation, and was
told that few hundred dollars might avert
severe and ignom inious sentence, and give
il,b;m another chance to retrace his steps and
restore his character, ] did not hesitate Tor
II instant. Of course would greatly pre-
{ a.. that nv name should not be connected
I'll wit b his transaction; although feel salts
fed that no one who has heart, or VINO
bas e,yerb felt and responded to fraternai
I. Ieel;n os, would condemn my conduct. Ed
wards and Lawson have, ! believe, been
Hong a,,s c.iated, Bat haye scareiy any
knowledge ,of the tormer, ;ana, as nase
already stated, have tor more i' lhap guar
ter Of a century had no inteacourss ours WIN
nv stiIl Loved bu, erring brother bua 1he
efforts Of Edwards TO avert his fate' must
not through the mean a of a2v concealmen' en-;
d on my BAIT, lie the mea rs Of visill...s hlm
with punishment, for an offence, which |
& 1now believe that he was entirely innocent.
d. have the best reason to believe that he
8ll wasnot the companion OF my brother on
d the, occasion of the robbery. Thstin charg-
i ing, him as such, Mr., Henderson made
!. frightful mistake,;s and that the real accom-
Iplice and companion on that occasion, was
a well known offender named Fitzgibbon."
We need scarcely add that the Prosecut-
ling Attorney, after careful investigation of
fail the circumstances, being satisfied that
Edwards merely actuated by friendship for
Lawson, and that,he had been wrongfully
Z aIaccused, acceded toa new trial, which was
!, granted, and Edwards was promptly ac-
"A quilted. The escape of Lawson however,
was not effected. The generosity of his kind
hearted brother was no avail. Mr.. Hender-
son determined to let the law have its course.
and the erring, misguided, and convicted
Lawson, now languIshes in one of our
Penitentaries.
! The facts Of this case are strictly true
/ We have cited them in this connexion with
two objects. In the first place, to show
that, as in the case Of Edwards, who was
known and noted pickpocket,-tsnone
are all eviln--that he still cherished a
sense Of honor, and refused, even at the
, risk of the Penitentiary, to violate a trust
confined to him and in the second, to
show how easily a, person may be mistaken
as to the indentity of an individual, and
how small is the chance OF escape when
poor wretch with had character establish
led against him, and the bitter and uncom-
promising suspicious engendered by that
character, is subjected TO the fiery ordeal of
our courts Of Justice. In this case an inno.
cent man was convicted, because he was an
/ old offender and yet, offender as he was,
his generous efforts in behalf of Lawson,
and his determination, be the risk how
ever dreadful, not to avow the kind agency
of the benevolent brother, may be referred
to as redeelning traits, and as proving that
the glorious light Of virtue and of princi-
Iple, was not wholly extnguished within
him. .s,.lg s.als t4, ..D 81 s...s.