Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-09-04
Htisecliallcous.
l Ii Z ST BOY.
AN INCIDENT IN THE ONO rENIrENrIARY Y
BY THE WARDEN.

tracted to, and deep interest felt in, th
numerous boys and young men who wer,
conhned therein, and permitted to worl
In the same shops with old and hardened
convlcts. This interest was increased OF
every evening, as [ saw them congregateG
IN gangs, marching to their silent meals
and thence to their gloomy bedrooms
which are more like living sepulchres with
IRON shrouds, than sleeping apartments
These young men and boys, being gener
ally the shortest in heighth, brought up
the rear of the companies, as they march
ed to the terrible " lock step" and conse-
quentty more easily attracted attention
To see many youthful forms and bright
countenances mingled with the old and
hardened scoundrels, whose visage heto-
kened vice, malice and crime, was sicken-
enlng to the soul. But there was one
among the boys, lad about seventeen
years of age, who had particularly attrac-
ted my attention; not from anything su-
perlor IN his countenance or general ap-
pearance, but by the look of utter despair
which ever sat upon his brow, and the s-
lent uncomplaining manner in which he
submitted to all the hardships and deg-e
dations Of prison life. He was often com
planned Of by both officers aud men, for
| light and trivial offences against the rule
of propriety yet he seldom had any ex-
cuse or apology, and never denied a
| charge. He took the reprimand and once
a punishment, without tear or muir
mur, almost a3 matter of course, seem
ingly thankful that 1T was no worse. He
had evidently seen better days, and en-
| hal irhf of Lo tS III Is
if not the luxuries of life. But the
| light of hope seemed to have gone out
his health was poor-his face pale-his
frame fragiIe-and no fire beamed in his
| dark grey eye | thought every night
as / saw him march to his gloomy bed
that [ would go to him. and learn his his
tory-but there were SO many duties to
perform, so much to learn and to do, that
day after day passed, and | would neglect
him-having merely learned that his
name was Arthur Lamb, and that his
crime was burglary and larcency, indica-
ting a very bad boy for one so young.
He had already been there year, and
had two more to serve He never could
outlive his sentence, and his countenance
indicated that he felt it. He worked at
| stone-cutting on the State House-hence
my opportunities for seeing him were less
than though he had worked in the prison
yard-still his face haunted me day aud
night-and I resolved that on the next
| Sabbath as he came from school, | would
send for him and learn his history. 1t
| happened. however, that [ was one day in
a store, waiting for the transaction of some
business. and having picked up an old
newspaper I read aud reread, while de-
layed, until at last my eye fell upon an
advertisement of A Lost Boy l-Infor
nation wanted of a boy named Arthur
-" Z viii not give his real name, for
perhaps he is still living;) and then fol
lowed a description of the boy-ezactly
corresponding with that of the young con-
vict-Arthur Lamb Then there was
somebody who cared for the poor boy, if,
indeed, it was him perhaps a mother, his
father, brothers and sisters, who were
searching for him. The advertisement
was nearly year old-yet [ doubted not
and as soon as the convicts were locked
up, [ sent for Arthur Lamb. He came,
as a matter of course, with the same pale
uncomplaining face and hopeless gait
thinking no doubt, that something had
gone wrong, and had been laid to his
charge.
[ was examining the convicts' Register
when he came III and when | looked up,
there he stood. a perfect image of despair
[ asked him his name. He replied
"Arthur"
m Arthur what ~ said l. sternly.
g Arthur - Lamb" he answered
hesitatingly.
Arthur, have you father or mother
living ?"
His eye frightened, his voice quivered,
as he exclaimed
"Oh have you heard from mother p
Is she alive7 Is she well ?" and tears,
, which [ had never seen him shed before,
ran like great rain drops down bis checks.
AS he become calm from suspense, [ told
him [ had not heard from his parents, but
that [ had paper [ wished him to read
He took the advertisement which | had
cut from the paper, and as he read it, he
exclaimed:
"Thats me u that's me p and again
sobs and tears choked his utterance.
; [ assured him that the advertisement
was all | could tell him about his parents,
and that as it requested information, [
desired to know what [ should write in
reply. The advertisement directed infor-
=
nation to be sent to to the Editor of the
Christian Chronicle, New York.
Oh do not write P' he said, "it will
break poor mothers heart 7;
told him / must write, and that IT
would be lighter blow TO his mothers
, feelings, to know where he was, than the
terrible uncertainty which must haunt
i her mind day and night So he consent
ed and taking him to my room. | drew
from him, in substance, the following
story:
His father was respectable and veal
thy mecbauic in an interior town in thC
State of New York At the holding oi
: the State Agricultural Fair, in his native
town, he got acquainted with two stranger
boys, older than himself, who persuaded
!, him to run away from home, and go L
4 the West. He foohshly consented, with
high hopes of happy times, new scene: