Middletown transcript., 1870-06-18
popular GALES.
A BAD MANS STORY.
BY JAMES FRANKLIN Fits.

1t is familiar proverb that truth is
stranger than fiction; so familiar that it
has lost half its weight in the minds of
men by its constant repetition. Yet al
most every successive day of my life am
reminded by the strange and startling
events that fall under my notice, both in
professional and in domestic life, how WV
idly, vehemently truthful are these house
hold words-truth is stranger than fc-
ton. Without further preface, the fol-
lowing illustration is drawn from my rec
ollection; and excepting the suppression
of the real names of the parties whom it
concerns, for obvious reasons, pledge its
entire, unornamented truth. 1t has of
ten seemed to me that while such life
histories are being enacted all about us,
crowded with extraordinary incidents and
events, there is no call for the efforts of
the romancer's pen, or the imaginations
of his brain. While that great riddle of
CREATION" the human heart, that restless
thing, lis still throbbing on, and the
mixed drama of human life, now tragedy,
now comedy, is being enacted, it has often
seemed to me that the fiction writer could
be better employed in simply recording
the truth. And what we have now to tell is
the plain uncolored story of the life hith-
erto of one thoroughly bad man. make
no apology for presenting it; repugnant
as his story is to all moral sensibilities, it
is yet strange, passing strange, that one
life should show such a startling expe-
rience.
In the spring of the year 1862, when
our country stood upon the threshold of
its mighty civil war, was stationed at
Havre de Grace, Maryland, engaged as
Judge Advocate of general court-mar-
tial. The employment naturally turned
my thoughts upon criminal prosecutions
generally; and in one leisure moment,
while glancing over the columns of
weekly journal sent me from my home in
one of the western counties of New York,
my eye was arrested by the heavy cap
tons of the report of murder trial. Gu
riosity was followed by the deepest inter-
est when | saw the name Of the accused
Clarence Wallen. 1t was the name of one
who had been my schoolmate very early
in life.
At the time of his trial for this fearful
crime judge that he was but little more
than thirty years of age. He was half
orphan, his father being dead and had
been brought up to manhood under the
kind aud indulgent care of wealthy un-
Gle, his mothers brother The assoca-
tions and example of his uncle's home,
which was situated in the vicinity of Nj
agara Falls, in one of the most romantic
spots on the banks of the noble river,
were of the very best. His uncle and
aunt were Christian people and of unusual
refinement and culture, and took the same
in his welfare and happiness as in
those of their own children, several in
number. Of this family, the girls, three
in number, were the bellies of the neigh
and generally acknowledged to
be the most beautiful and engaging in the
town.
l we'll remember Clarence Wallen at
school, while he was yet quite lad. He
was always handsome fellow-of less
than the medium height, but we'll put to-
gether, and very quick in his motions,
with swarthy complexion, black hair,
1efant dark eye, and bold resolute face
1t was not good face; even at that early
lay it had the stamp of bad passions and
selfish will. Yet do not remember that
ne distinguished himself at school by any
special wickedness. He was not apt as a s
scholar; books were repugnant to him
md a skillful analyzer of human character c
ind actions might then have seen that he +
vas but waiting for the time when he t
hould go forth into the great world and c
ct the world hear from him. And the b
world did hear from him in terrible way, |
IS shall presently relate. h
Emancipated from school, he took a d
lerkship in the employ of railroad COM v
amy in which his uncle was interested, b
nh with which he had sufficient influence