American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-06-19
Wicked Jack' No Longer.

VlCAcu JdCA NJ 1OuStIs
You have met him, doubtless. He is
that newsboy with the bad eye and the
general wicked look-the boy who isn't
afraid to "chin" the most dignified man
who ever walked the streets of Detroit.
Wicked Jackl Why, bless you, he has
carried Free Presses and sold papers here
in Detroit ever since he was old enough
to find his way to the Office! 1t is safe
times per year for ten years past for
sassing'' the public, and that he has
licked" more bootblacks, apple-ped-
dlers and newsbOys than can be piled
into the corridors of the City Hall. All
the philosophers who have been attached
to the Free Press since that boy came
upon the stage of active life have had a
struggle with him. They have coaxed,
entreatcd, argued, bribed and even sought
to brighten HIM, but Jack was iron clad.
He knew that there was need of mission
airy work, but it was SO much easier to
be wicked than it was to be good that he
continued to be wicked.
The public might have done better by
the boy. 1t is not known that any hu-
man being, outside of three or four news
paper philosophers, ever asked him to be
good. No other efforts were ever made
to get him into school-to keep him
clean-to repress his Oaths-to calm
down his too-ready muscle. The news
paper men might have succeeded had
they had more time, or had they been
backed up by outsiders. 1t doesn't do a
boy bit of good to pat him on the
head and tell him of heaven and then
let him walk out among q crowd of
young rascals who have collected to
make an assault upon him and give him
a wholesome mauling, and Wicked Jack
diccnuorod fhof h.c Gcfo and foot odo o
better road through life than kind words
and square dealing.
Where has he lived? And how? All!
We all ought to feel ashamed For four
or five years he slept in barns, in boxes,
on the wharf-anywhere where night
overlook him. None of us ever asked
him home or gave him money to secure
better lodgings. and what else could the
boy do? A year ago he got the privilege
of sleeping on a hay.mow in a livery
stable, but he mad to help about the barn
to pay for it. His meals were made up
of crackers and cheese, fruit, or what
ever his profits would buy, and his
clothing was handed out by some sid
society or picked up in the alleys.
That's the way Wicked Jack lived, and
yet our churches are sending money to
heathens over the sea! Money has gone
to the heathens in Africa while Jack, the
newsboy, has been allowed to come up
with the vile and wicked, knowing all
about wickedness-knOwing nothing of
hcayeni Those who know the boy best
did not believe that anything could touch
the soft spot in his heart, and yet some
thing did. He entered and left the barn
as he pleased. They knew Jack to be
wicked, but they also knew that he was
about the stable heard groans, as of some
one in pain, but they could not be located
or traced The next evening the groans
were heard again, and there was some
thing suspicious in Jacks actions as he
skulked into the barn and climbed to
the hay-loft. One of the stable men fol-
lowed, creeping carefully and quietly.
The boy had his home in an old wagon
box under the caves of the roof, and the
man was finally near enough to hear
talking. There was q strange voice and
there was Jacks voice, and pretty soon
Jacks voice was heard reading. Crouched
down on the hay, the listener caught the
words:
"Oh, remember not against US former
let Thy tender mercies speed
lily prevent US, for we are brought very
low"
Going a little nearer-looking over
into Wicked Jake's home-the man cav
what? The boy leaning back to let
Iuc ldSt rays Ol uayIlSuL uItcI IuIouSu
between the boards on to the sheet-wOrn
page of Bible that he had picked up,
was reading aloud TOTO himself? No
to an old man-an old man lying on
Jacks blanket!
1t was strange, but stranger still when
they learned that Wicked Jack had
found the poor old man wandering
through the streets, ill, hungry, no home,
no friends, and had taken him and cared |
for him two long weeks! And that boy |
had used his money to buy medicine and
10 get little delicacics for his patient,
going hungry himself, and not
q man around the barn or a boy on the
street had been allowed to share his Sc
creti
They lifted tine old man down and sent
him to the hospital. He would have
been dead but for that boys kindness.
Wicked Jack has found new fricnds-he
will enter new path soon. His name
has been abbreviated. 1t soas Wicked
Jack. Can you call him that now?
Isn't he entitled to all the respect you
could show the son of a king-a king
Free Press.