The national Republican., 1861-02-09
A TRAITORS YoUTHFUL PORTRAIT.

The Rev. DR.. Bacon-in the NJ Y. Indepen.
dent-gives Yale College reminiscence that
has pecriiar interest just now. OF the class
that graduated in 1929 he says:
"There was one. Of the class whose name
cannot be found on the list Of graduates, or any
annual catalogue after 1927. He was and still
is a handsome little fellow, looking very small
in his class, who, with few exceptions, were of
full manly growth. This youth hailed from a
great State of, the chivalrous sunny South
bright eyed, dark.complexion, and ardent as
a Southern sun could make him. In the early
part of 1928, there was mysterious trouble in
that class. Watches, breastpins, seals, pencil.
cases, pen.knives, two.bladed knives, tour.blad.
ed knives, &C., &C., &C., aud lastly, sundry sums
of money, lying around loose in students
rooms disappeared unaccountably. The losers
looked gloomy at each other, and suspiciously
at others. Something must be done, aud they
finally constituted themselves a volunteer de.
tective force set their trap-baited with thirty.
five dollars in good bank.notes-and soon
caught the thief He confessed. On opening
his trunk in his presence, they found it nearly
full of missing valuables-jewelry, pocket.cut
lery, and horologery enough to stock Chatham
street store.
"He begged pitifully not to be exposed they
looked pi,eously into his handsome young face,
and relentcd at the thought of blasting his open.
ing lie. He had been a universal iavorite, the
pet of his class so they agreed not to inform
either the city magistrates or the Faculty of
the University, but ordered him to clear out ;
at once and forever. He went instantly to good
President Day, obtained a certificate Of honor
able dismission, and vanished.
"That little thief is now Senator in Con.
gress, advocating and justifying and threaten
ing the robbery Of forts, and the stealing of the
military cutlery and hardware generally, of the
Federal Government, without any more color
or shadow of pretext than he had for his like
operations on his fellow students just thirty
three years ago. A third Of a century has not
made, and can never make, ary change in such
an originally born rascal.
"Had these early flchings been a mere
thoughtless, boyish escdpdde, momentary
yielding to temptation while in great want, they
would not deserve mention now but they were
systematized theit-long continued, accumu.
lated, and boarded pilterings, from trustful
bosom friends.
"Had the fellow not at length reproduced
his private morality in public life, would have
allowed the secret of his early crimes to remain
in the hearts of the few who then knew and
now remember it."
1t is of Senator Benjamin, of Louisiana, that
the above story is told. The New Haven Your
nal contains an inquiry and its own answer
upon the subject of the identity between the
cul prit and the Senator:
Editor Journal In the autumn of 1928,
or previous, Rev. Dyer Bull occupied the first
front chsmber in the old Roger Sherman House,
near South College. Mr.. b. then had with him
as private pupil, a short, black eyed young man,
whom he introduced to the writer as Mr. Ben.
jamin. Benjamin soon W, mt out, and the writer
asked Mr.. Bull if that man was member of col
lege? No, sa,d he, he has been, but has left
the college. He steals so that it seems almost
impossible to break him of it-stesls from his
classm ates, and anything that he happens to
fancy, that he can put his hands upon
"Whether this same young man has not
since risen to Offices of high financial trust, has
not been Senator in Congress, and has not
directly or indirectly been cognizant of the late
Wholesale mint robbery at New Orleans, may
be we'll a subject Of inquiry. VERIrAs."
"He is the same man. He left college under
discovery of theft.-Ed. Journal"