Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1857-05-21

| Buthe was unusually restless. But about
two o'clock in the morning. heard him
snoring. | crep& to his bedside; and af-
ter some search found his waistcoat peck
ct. In it | discovered the key to the
trunk. took it softly out and breath
lessly crawled beneath the bed, where he
kept the trunk, to unlock it. 1t was not
without bungling and good deal of noise
that succeeded. He did not awake
My hand thrust into the old hair trunk.
soon lighted upon the pocketbook; but |
hesitated in the dark what to take out
[ felt great many bills. feared might
take one dollar bill and perhaps hun
bred dollar. | was shocked and alarmed
at the idea of taking so large sum as the
last. sought for silver, and found piles
of dollars, Il knew they were dollars by
their size) | then took them out and put
them into my pocket. | then re-locked
the trunk. | returned the key to my I'M
cle's vest pocket and without noise, escap-
ed from the room.s The money placed
in the stuffing Of the old saddle and soon
fell asleep"
Had YOU no pangs of conscience" l
asked.
No sir. I had been thoroughly i'm
bued with the doctrine Of my shrewder
companion, that what l was taking was
my own"
Why, then use such secrecy!"
Lest my uncle should detect and pun
sh me. Please rccollect, sir, that had
no education. l could neither read nor
write. did not know anything about
law or its distinctions. In my own opin-
ion. | was not robbing my uncle, but only
taking my own. Since then | have been
taught otherwise. | heard the law laid
down in my trial and then for the first
| time, understood that | had been commit
ting crime.
You acknowledge and feel this now?'
intewogated.
Yes, sir. But it appears still very
strange chat my uncle who robbed me Of
four thousand and more dollars, is free
still, while am here in prison. But sir,
| am an uneducated man, and suppose that
it is all right"
There was a degree of ingenuity about
the young convict that deeply interested
me in his favor. He saw that listened
| Win oCOP iHtClOSb " ND ldl dtlfC) tluu
thus continued:
Early the next morning, as I was go
| ing out to look after the cattle, two men
strangers to me, came full in front of me,
and stopped me as I was shutting the
house door.
You are a prisoner, young fellow"
said one of the men, laying his grasp pain
| fnllv unon nv shoulder
For what? What have | done?" | ask
ed, with surprise.
That you Il soon have to confess" re
sponded the other.
They then tied my hands behind me-
and led me through the streets between
them, and lodged me in Jail. 1t seemed
to me like dreadful dream. About ten
o'clock was brought o.t, and conducted
before justice. There was great crowd
collected Among them | saw my uncle
He then charged me with having robbed
all amounting to thirty-three dollars and
forty cents. He said that | had money
ten dollars now on my peason, which
was marked for on every dollar he put
away, he made spot of ink over the last
figure of the date. | was then searched.
and ten dollars so marked was found on
my person.
1.-THE result was. was committed for
trial. In court my uncle appeared as pros
ecutor. The testimony against me was
overwhelming, yet | had been able to
prove that three times he placed the mon
ey where could rot be bat tempted to
take it. But this rebutting evidence he
explained away by saying that he did this
to try me and fasten his losses upon me,
if | were the real robber.
was sentenced, sir, for three years.
am sorry that | have done anything
wrong; but am sure that my uncle has
wronged me; not only in not letting me
have an education. but in making use Of
the money that should have been appro
priated to myself"
But was there no probate judge to
call him to an annual account?p | asked
with indignation.
Yes sir But he was particular
drinking crony Of my uncle's; and let him
90 on from court to court without draw
ing him up.
L wa ua'O HOb uOCil 81 IlluCn SutlbN3
Yourself" | said mentally, as the victim
of the villiany Of Others"
Subsequent acquaintance with this
young convict convinced me that he was
one of the most honest minded, frank, in
genious persons | ever knew. His guilt
was to be attributed wholly to ignorance
of laws and to the temptations which as
sailed him. 1t was my privilege to teach
him to read and write. He served on his
time, and when he left the prison, | OBJ
tanned for him situation as a cooper, in
Nashville. He won good name as an
Industrious man. Every month, he was
at communion. in Christ church.
When he reached his twenty first year
| advised him to take steps to recover his
property from bis uncle. He id so, and
is now i'll the possession of a fine estate.
where he cultiyates farm, has married a
lovely girl, and perhaps one of these days
may yet represent his state in Congress.
| have before me more than thirty letters
from him, all of which tell me Of his pros
perity and happiness. The uncle, when
compelled to reinquish his unjustIy de
tanned property, was stripped of his last
dollar, and is now, while write, convict
of the same prison, sentenced for life; for
having set on fire and attempting to burn
down his nephew's house, and firing at his
nenhew himself with the intention Of kill