The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-06-09
How Young Men are Graduai
lyLed TO their ruin.
From the st. Paul Press.

N
and who several days since plead guilty
to one of.the indictments on which be was
arraigned, was brought before Judge
Wilk!n yesterday morning toreceive his
sentence Mr.. Partridge is a fine looking
voting man, under tweuty-six years of age
and appears thoroughly penitcnt He en-
ployed no attorney, but plead guilty. at
ter having confessed his crime, as he did
when he so freely gave himself up in
Philadelphia, where nothing was known
OF the crime. Whon asked by the court
if he had anything to say why. sentence
should not be passed upon him, he made
the following remarks. 1t is not nece%
sat to comment upon this lesson ard a
w;rning to young men. HISTORY spe@ ks
foi itself:
AS nv plea to the indictments against
M renders 1t unnecessary for any evil
dc5ce of my guilt to be offered to the
co 5rt. T have thought that it might be
W. for me to make brief statement Qf
til circumstances,that led to the commits
81 Of the crimea They may, perhaps,
b. somewhat extenuating, but do not
eli "a that they justify it, nor do | think
til i any circumstances would justify the
Commission of such crime. | was enga-
&c / as back keeper by Mr. Joseph III.
n; the last of December, 1868. !, After
res1ainino in h soffice two.or three weeks,
TO rove my ability for the position
W; sent by him to keep the accounts OF
biz business in this city arrived here
ab ut the middle of january, and at once
to k charge of the books. | entered upon
m duties determined to merit the es
te, il of my employer, and to be faithful
to aim and myself | was at first atten
fl, to business, lived within my means,
an was saving something from my sala
ry I contracted habit of drinking oc
ca onally while in the army, Gin which Fl
Sc ed nearly three years, when | was
di narged on account ola wound receiy-
ed lille inaction, which disabled me from
SCI ice) / never drank to excess, but
alb vt the middle of February | resolved
to aDstain from a habit Sc pro6tless, and
di, not drink another drop of intoXica-
til liquor of any kind until the 9th of
n oh That was the twenty fifth ami
We a.ry of nv birthday. In the evening
of aat day went into q billiard-rooml
to lay few games Of billiards. there
m several acquaintances, and, upon tel
lii them it was my birthday, Twas i'm 4
20 hned by them to drink in honor of
til casion. | resisted the temptation for
aN nile, but finally succumbed,a asked |
th party to drink with me That glass
WI The cause of my ruin. My resolution
on broken, did not hesitate to drink ;
&g u, and left the hall intoxicated. |
FL N there | went to house OF i'll fame,
rei .siued there short time, then went
to te bar-room of the hotel where [
DO sded and continued drinking. Il
th 50 met a stranger, whom met for the
fir, time that evening in the parlor of
tn house Of ill-fame had just left. He
en- g, me III conversation and soon ask
cd ne to accompany him TO a gambling
no sc near. / told him [ never played /
or isited such places. He said would |
no be obliged to play, but insisted upon
my going until went After watching
tn 5ay short time got to playing my
sci played perhaps an hour and left
til house a winner. The next evening
DIR * again. After drinking several
tines again visited the gambling house.
fI n at first but as continued drinking
rs GA became reckless and lost all my
mt icy. looked upon the play q. few
mi ates, rcgretting my loss and anxious
to IN back my money. [ thought it
ha more money to play my luck would
20 change, and could regain all, then
st. . playing. saae 6 soE
In that evil hour, and in state
Of amortization I entered my employ
err Office and took from the safe $50 of
hi money. That was soon gone, and,
sne re desperate than before, returned
AMI took 500 more. / continued to
di and play until three O'clock in the
m,.rning, when staggered out without a
q, ar. Not until then did realize the
az emit Of the crime / had committed, and
tn thought Of the degradation, shame,
and ruin that was before me made me
nj rly insane. felt that suicide was
th only thing left to me, yet hesitated
10 AXE my own life, and with so much
si upon my soul went to my bed but
no. TO sleep. tried to think OF some
W. to make good the amount of my de-
&c cation before it was discovered, or,
e. ling in that, to cover the crime. Final
Is came the thought of forgery. /
q. ,ught l could thus obtain money to COW
81 my defalcation, then win back what L
hid lost at play, deposit the amount of
Il forgery at the bank, and hoped tocov
cs all traces of my crimes. AS it was
Sunday Ihad plenty oftime and oppor-
d. nifty to practice the necessary signature,
al when / had an imitation that L
Nlought would pass at the bank, filed
r q { : check in the7usual manner, with
iich draw $500 the next day without
q lection But vain were my hopes of
xcyaining what had lost. | con tinued to
lose, forged other checks, and became
r ckless aud dissipated. God only knows
Nnat suffered at that time. My COM
p.nions thought Iwas very gay and very