The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-11-02


Previous to his execution, Stout wrote q
pamphlet cmbodying bis thoughts 50 as
far bc wished to present them. From the
"prefacc" TO his "v ritings" as they arc
calcd-evidcntly written by another per.
son--thc following sketch of his carly his.
tory is taken. Admitting il to be true, his
tragic end is no cause of wohder: 1a
Marion Ira Stout was boin in Wilkes
barre, Pa, Sept. 18th, 1885. When Ira
was two years old, his parents moved to
tho State OF New York, and settled in the
picturesque village of Ithica, at the head
Of Cayugu lake. He was brought up in q
state of unrestraned independence. /, His
mothers mild and afectionate influence
failed to control her reckless, s,lf willcd
son. With all his irregularities, he atten-
ded school with tolcrable steadiness, and
read and studied at times, with excessive
application. His favorite branch Of read
ing was metaphysics Hume Locke, Read
and various Others, whose philosophy he
had examined and compared with much
comprehension, at the age Of thilteen years.
His education was academic, comprising
an extensive acquaint.nco with national
les, and other branches, as well as English
Litcratnre, and some knowledge Of Latin
and French. ,t .-1l,t1 ,
AT the age OF eleven he began to deval-
op that dang srous adroitness Of the pen,
which we think has contributed more to
his downfall and ruin than any other infu-
cnce; his father Being an expert forgey, and
connected with gangs Of counterfeiters in
Canada, Ohio and the central part of New
York, Ira lived in close association and un-
der the jurisdiction of his father and Others,
who at times forced him TO perpetrate elab-
oratc pieces of forgery, and other criminal
negotiations. He was trained under innu,
ences grossly immoral and corrupling; his
tuition in every species Of the black arts
aud scientific rascality was complete, aud
his excessive mental activity and energy
male him an apt and rapid scholar. A
short part OF his life as passed in Canada
under the instruction of several friends of
his fathers, under tho bost engravers aud
forgcrs in that region, and where Jra's ae
quaintanco with the manufacturing Of bad
money-filling up bank bills and other
operations, was perfected. Under these
combined influences the worst part of his
character was developed. And white tho
intellectual was rendered moro acute, pen.
Grating and confident, tho moral perception
was D!untel, chilled aud corrupted. on
Ho travelled to different places under tho
direction Of letters furnished by his father,
visited those who were intimately connect.
cd with the Northern gangs, receiving and
conveying information Of any new counter
fci. issues, and countersigning the forged
bills for different persons. When Ira was
sixteen years old his father removed TO Os-
wego, thirty miles distant from Ithaca
His father was still engaged in an cxtcn
sivc countcr(titing business, and fnal' y, to
satisfy the private vengeance Of one of his
associates by the name of Bascomb, he
formel a plan Of barnng and plnndering a
store in Pennsylvania; from sheer compul-
sion Ira was forced to join this expedition
1t was p2rpetratcd, detected, and the par
ties arrested. lra's father and Others, TO
prevent being taken back TO Pennsylvania,
plead gully to tho charge Of forgery, and
We're sentenced t1 the Auburn prison for
various tcrms-lra's father for ten years.
Tho talents of Ira made very favorable
imprcssionon the Hon. Judge Avery, and
numerous others, anl his release was clfec.
ted by ;hc assistance Of few eminent mon.
But his hopes and ambition we've suddenly
blightel by means of a rcquisition sworn
OUT by some persons who preferred the
charge OF burglary against him in Pennsyl-
vania. This, we believe, was great injustice
To Ira, from the fact that these men had
sacrclly promised to allow him fair op
portuni,y for rclo2miny his character; and
he should have bc u nnmolested as long as
he was conducting himself with the ut
mpsL propricty. lie was taken t, Pom
sylyania, kept in Jail nine months, tried,
convicted, and sent to prison four years and
six months, and romained in prison he was
kept in uninterrupted solitude Ills coa-
duet in Rochester, up to the fatal tragedy,
is toIeraby well known. According to tho
President of the Commercial College, it
was correct, judicous, and honorable. His
days wcre spent in the mercantile institu-
ton, his nights in the study OF commercial
law, mathematics, and literary works.