The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-08-27
A COLLEGE PRANK,
What Came of 1.-THE Son of n Proni-
nent Indiana Family Convict in n
Penitentiary.'

What Came of 1.-THE Son OF n Proni-
nent Indiana Family n Convict I'm
Penitentiary.
An affecting incident occurred re-
Gently in the Jacksonville penitentiary.
A lady from the central part of Indiana
had accepted an invitation to take
stroll through the prison. In company
with several others she was shown the
various departments, and as the party
proceeded, occasionally an allusion
would be made by the guard to the
more notable of the prisoners within
the high walls.
In going through one of the rooms, a
young man in full convict costume was
observed standing over box which had
just been opened. One of the party re-
marked that the box contained tempt
ing lot of cakes, iellies, and confections.
The guard casually rejoined that I" that
was sad case." The young man hap.
pening to hear the conversation, looked
up and observed the persons in the
room. He was about to resume his
work of unpacking the box when his
eye fell upon the lady referred to above.
With cry, partly of Joy and partly OF
grief, he rus he'd towards her and kissed
her before either she or the others
could recover from their astonishment.
Seeing the general surprise he ex-
claimed, "Why, don't you know me :?
You are Eddie C-'s mother" The
lady then recognized in the convict a
young man about eighteen years old,
from the city in which she resided. He
had been convicted of burglary about
three months before and had been
sentenced for two years to the State
penitentiary.
His case was peculiarly sad one.
He was connected with one of the best
families in his section, and was young
man of great promise. He was gifted
with an unusual inventive faculty, and
was fond of playing all sorts of pranks.
The town in which we lived was more
of country village than q city, and
was but abort distance from neigh
boring town of about the same size.
Together with q number of college COM
panions, he organized band of "Mo-
docs" of which he was chosen leader.
They made frequent excursions at night
about the country, doing nothing for
which they could be held amenable be-
fore a court of law. They always went
out on professional frolic, intending
only to have fun. One night they con-
cluded to visit the neighboring town
and enter the store of certain man
and take some articles, conceal them,
and after the excitement would have
subsidized, to return them. In order to
effect their design, their leader invent
ed a number of keys to fit the locks of
the store, and, on the night appointed,
the boys went to the town, entered the
store and took out some boots and
other articles of small value. The
theft was of course discovered the next
day by the proprietor, and the authori-
ties notified.
One Of the boys engaged in the
affair, a day or two afterward made
some mention of the affair to outside
persons, and as soon as the report be-
came generally known, the whole party
was arrested on the charge of burglary.
AS soon as they were taken into GUS
tody, the property stolen was given up
uninjured. The trial came off at the
ensuing term of the Criminal Court,
and the indictments against them were
all quashed, except that against their
leader. The jury could, of course, re.
turn no other verdict than guilty, al
though every legal means were used to
effect his discharge. He was conse-
quently taken from the college he was
attending and sent to prison. There
was great sympathy excited in his be.
half among people to whom be was
known. The lady who recognized him
at the prison, was one of the most in
innate friends of his family, and had
known him from infancy. On being
asked about the coltents Of the box, he
replied that his mother, at intervals Of
two or three weeks would send him al
sores of delicacics from the home table
He was very Respondent, and wept bit
terly when the lady left him, bealine
messages from him to those at home.