The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1866-10-18
The Power Of Kind Words.

We have seldom seen more striking
Illustration Of the power ot kind words,
tllau in the following extracts from the
confession of the robber and murderer,
Henry Wilson. lu two instances few
casual words Of kindness saved the lives
ot those who uttered them, although
they knew nething Of their danger:
"When we got in front Of the house,
We saw &har we took to be a man and
his wife, and three young wOnen and a
boy, eating supper. proposed to Tom
that we should 50 in and ask to warm,
and sit down by the stove few minutes,
and I would look over the chances a
little, and if concluded that we could
not guard the doors and windows to
preveMt the escape of amy one, would
say, Come, Tom, lets be goiny;' but
if should say, We'll, Jack, are you
ready +" he was to place himself between
the front windows, to guard them, and
would guard the door, draw our re-
yUlvers, and demand Il surrender |
told Tom not to shoot any one anless it
was necessary, to prevent their escape,
and we would tic them all, rob the house
Of what we wanted, then kill them and
set fire to the house; and if any one
should come in while we were at work,
we were going to shoot him as he came
III at the door. --f
'Dwe you DO thisP said | to Tom.
Yes, dare doanything that you dare
do said Tom. 50 I went to the door
aud knocked. The man said Come in
We went i'll and asked to warm by the
stove. lie said, Yes, you can warm
We sat and warmed till they were near
ly Through supper, and [ thought best
to make The attack before they got up
from tho table So | got up to give
Tom the signal, and the man. supposing
had got up to go, said, wont you
stay aud take some supperP Yes, we
wiILlake supper with you The man
looked as if he thought accepted his
invitation to supper rather coolly; but
if he had known what our intentions
were, he would have been perfectly y sat
isied with my answer, for his kind in
yitation at the moment when was about
to give the sigual to Tom, saved his life
and that Of his family"
Ho also relates another incident where
by two lives were saved in the same
way:
"When | got to the Herkimer, | left
the railroad and took the carriage road,
ndabout mile from the town | saw a
man aud woman in the road before me
going tho same way. | thought | would
pass them and see how they looked, and
ii well dressed would turn back, shoot
the man and rob him, and take the wo-
man over into the fields away from the
road and keep her company until about
one o'clock, and then kill her, and /
wpnId have time TO take care Of myself
before morning. This was about ten
o'clock in the evening. So | went on
and'passed them, and saw they were
well dressed and walking very slow, and
appeared to be lovers. went on ust
out of sight Of them, and then started
back, took out my revolver and cooked
it, and just as was going to shoot him
bespoke very pleasantly to me: Good
evening SIR answered, Good even
ingsand passed on. Siuce / have been
writing my history, several persons have
said to me, they hoped would give
good advice in it. The best advice can
give is--always treat stranger kindly,
for you don't know who or what he is,
nor do you know how much good Il kind
act or civil word may do YOU