The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-17
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WESTERLY l, THURSDAY JANUARY H. 1885,
WHOLE NUMBER 249

whole story. On the night before, q
: party of young men had gone over to
} the back village and had carousal at
Billy Mac Wayne's and on their re-
turn they tore down fences, carried away
barn doors, opened barn yards and let
the cattle out, stole wator melons, and
several other things of like character
News had been received there that the
party were coming, and they were
watched They were seen to do these
things, and though it was toe dark to
distinguish faces at the time, yet all who
we're at Mac Wayne's were known, and
they had been traced to their mischief.
That very evening the whole party,
fourteen in number, were arraignsd be-
fore justice and the complaint was en-
tered against them, Poor Cooper plead
ed that ne had nothing to do with the
work, and while tears rolled down his
cheeks he asserted his innocence.
you have been in this same COM
pany before p said the justice.
Yes, sir hesitatingly answered
Cooper.
sAnd you have known their character
for mischief and disturbance =
'Yes, sir but l.
Never mind, now interrupted tho
judge. you should have thought of
all this before. No one man of this
party would have ever gone alone and
done that work. 1t takes a GANG to
make such doings worth while, and you
have been member of that gang some
time. If you would be pure and above
suspicion, you must be,oare aohat compa-
ny you keep
After this, the justice went on to
speak Of the many wicked deeds which
had been done in times past, aud which,
for the sake of the friends Of the perpe-
traitors, had been passed over but the
thing could not be overlooked now
The crime may have been sport to the
doers, but poor, honest people had suf-
fered heavily. A stop should be put to it,
- said the judge, can only impose
a fine of twenty dollars, and as l think
the enormity of the offence demands
heavier penalty, must commit you to
be tried at the next term of the Supe-
rior Court
Each Of them was required to give
bail in the sum of one hundred dollars.
Nathan Wilder became bail for Cooper,
and tho others found bail among their
friends.
That night Nathan went home wiser
man, and in his heart he thanked Mr..
Clark for the counsel be had given
Joseph Cooper went home wiser, too,
but he was miserable and unhappy. He
now saw what evil company had done
for him, and he wished that he had been
wise before.
Within week, eleven of the guilty
party went and saw the people whose
property had been abused, and not only
confessed their error, and offered to
make pecuniary restitution, but they
also implorcd forgiveness, and promised
to do so no more. The consequence
was, that at the next term of the court,
no complaint appeared against the con-
trite youths. Only three ringleaders--
three low, reckless, hardened youths
were tried, and were sentenced to one
years imprisonment in the county Jail.
1t was good lesson to many youth
in that town, aud from that time forth
there we're no more such disturbances
Of the peace and injuring Of property;
for the more virtuous Of the youths had
learned how dangerous it was to be
found in bad company, and had couse-
quently withdrawn from all connection
with such, while the few who were evil
in mind and dared not 90 alone upon
any such work, having lost the respect
able cloak which the presence decent
people had formerly thrown over their
deeds.
In time, Nathan Wilder became the
husband of Mabel, and partner IN bus
mess with Mr.. Clark. He is now
middle aged man, and has a family OF
noble children, and no lesson Of social
life does he urge more strongly upon his
children than the simple truth - a
man is knoton By The company ne Seep''