Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1875-11-19
AN ILL-SPENT LIFE.



a mis-spent life-a life wasted-a life
that soon ANONYMOUSLY ends at the
hands of the hangman.
81 grew up with no purpose in life.
''Chance made my early days elysian,
and when my father died and | was
left the eldest son, chance decided my
fate.
"Although still in my teens, barely
fourteen years of age, | was thrown
among men who scoffed at virtue and
honesty, but were classed as gentle
men. Gentlemen, | became collector
in large wholesale house, gained by
chance through an advertisement. |
was apt and shrewd, and soon received
the appreciation of my employers. ]
fell into the common error of youth
that of imagining that | had made
myself so essential that my services
could not be dispensed with.
81 soon became extrayagant-my
earnings We're disbursed as if | were a
and | became indebted in
triffiing sums to nearly all my friends.
| formed good resolutions, and for
many days | kept them, only to re-
turn to the old beaten tracks and
throw away in an hour the money |
had economised by hard struggle
against my inclination.
81 had companion whom thought
was nv friend. To him | related my
story of financial embarrassment, and
he promised safe outlet to my sea of
trouble. He initiated me in crime by
telling me to retain collection, and
with it pay all my debts, including a
few dollars | owed him.
"'But.' | queried, 'how am | to ac-
count to my employers
"'Easy enough he answered; take
the next collection-mind not that of
a regular customer-and then pay the
first one. and so on, etc, until you
save enough to getNuare.'
Il listened, hesitated, and was lost.
| yielded, and thus took my first step
to disgrace and ruin. 1t is useless
to detail the result. / existed in mis-
cry few short weeks, every day fear
ing discovery. | started at avery
sound, and became inattentiye to duty.
At last by chance | was discovered,
and instead Of my employers steeling
their hearts against pity and giving
me the Just award of my guilt, they
bade me 60. Why did | not profit by
my experience when | learned my en-
ployers kept the subject quiet, and
breathed no word of my dishonesty:
"Disconsolately walked the streets
sHsil 7chance directed my footsteps to
o large dry goods house, where ! OBJ
tanned a situation us salesman. There
in my daily business intercourse, |
met f.ail woman, whom | became
infatuated with, aud having no oppor-
tunity to steal cash, | proved my af-
fection by making her presents Of
laces and such article as / could carry
away in my pockets.
..She expressed Il wish for costly
silk dress. which to me was law. She
came and selected it, and | surrepti-
tiously bundled it up and awaited
my chance to take it away unobserved,
but, failing in this, ] perforce was
compelled to depart, leaving the evi-
dence of my guilt behind. But, /
| could offer some excuse to
account for its secretion beneath the
counter at my department., and then
oh, horror. | remembered in it
had enclosed a note,
Il walked the streets thinking on
this, my second mistep, and wonder
ing whether | would be arrested and
put in Jail, for discovery was certain.
why not enter the store during the
night and remove the cursed dress,
my evil genius prompted; it was an
easy matter, the long alley, the empty
cases rendered the high wall no OBJ
stacle, the fastening on the rear door
was insecure-but the watchman-
pshaw, even if he heard me | could
escape undetected.' Long did | con-
slider, and each moment made my in
clination stronger.
"At one o'clock | decided, and
trembling like an aspen, / sneaked mp
the alley-way. Ere long the wall
was scaled, the door gave way to my
efforts with hatchet, which / found
in the yard, and | was in the dimly-
lighted store. | say dimly-lighted,
but the darkness was sufficiently dis
PEELED to render every object distinct.
crept to my department, at times
at my own shadow, which
seemed an imp of darkness dancing in
glee at my crime.
81 found the bundle, and as | start
ed to return, elated at my success, |
heard the front door swing back upon
its hinges, and saw the watchman.
"What shall | do? If | made a
bold rush | would be discovered and
possibly shot. / could not hide,
neither could | 60 as | came, for i'm
had not taken the precau-
ton, and | got into the yard, of ar
for an easy exit. Quickly |
matured a plan, and darted as noisely
as | could behind some cases in the
rear of the store. The watchman ap-
preached, glancing nervously around,
and as | awaited his coming / saw the
hatchet which had served me so we'll
lying directly in front of me.
"Without thought of the conse-
euences, if caught, | seized the hatch
ct, and, as the poor wretch passed me,
pistol in hand, / struck him his death
blow on the back OF his head, telling
him to the ground. AS | felt his
blood bespatter me, | lost all control
of myself, and again and again struck
him. And then | raised my eyes to
gaze on the reflection in the large pier
glass of murderer standing over the
bloody corpse of his victim.
I picked up the cause of my crime,
the cursed bundle, and hastily fled the
scene. Hurrying to my room, | un-
Il Jroccol ,,1 hid my, p,con,a1 n 1of Il nc