Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-04-26


Suit of Clothes ana invited 20 Re-
main.
Detroit Post, April 81
At a late hour one night last week
gentleman who occupies handsome
residence on one Of the fashionable tho
roughfares was awakened by an unusual
noise in his sleeping apartment, and be-
came conscious Of the fact that some per-
son was stealthily moving about the
room. The gas was turned off, and the
inside blinds of the window we're closed,
so that all was darkness, but the next in
slant the intruder stumbled over a chair
near the bed, the movement revealing
his precise location.
The master Of the house was a man Of
unusual self-possession and determina-
ton. Without uttering word, he sprang
from his couch and .grappled with his
unknown antagonist. The struggle which
ensued in the dark was brief but decisive.
The burglar made desperate attempts 70
loosen the hand which grasped bis throat,
but his antagonist, although on the shady
side of fifty, was a man of great muscu-
lar power, and the fellow efforts to es-
cape were iruitless. Kneeling upon the
PROSTATE form Of the painting burglar,
the victor in the struggle called to his
wife to light the gas, command which
the lady, who was awakened by the scuf-
he, and who was nearly beside herself
with fear, was not slow to execute.
The instant that the gas-jet flooded the
room with light, the gentleman released
his hold upon the throat of his adversary
a pale, hsggard, ill.cIad young man
and the latter staggered to his feet. For
a moment the two men confronted each
other, and then with wild cry, in which
horror, shame and remorse we're all ex-
pressed, the younger sank at the feet of
the elder.
Father
"Charliep
The recognition was mutual; the ex-
clamations rang out almost Simultaneous
ly. 1t was indeed the reunion of a sor-
rowing father and prodigal son. Eight
years 0go the former was a resident Of
Wilkesbarre, Penn, and the latter, his
only child, bright youth of twenty, who
unfortunately fell iu with fast associates,
and became proficient in all manner of
youthful dissipation. Finding parental
restraint irksome, the boy ran away from
home and shipped upon a vessel bound
for Liverpool After several months
spent in London, where he lived by his
wits, he shipped as q cook on vessel
bound for Africa, but was Frustrated by
severe fever and was sent back to
England. Upon his recovery, he went
to South America, where be secured a
position ia the employ Of an extensive
stock-raiser remained three or four
years, at the end of that time having
saved several hundred dollars in gold
Soon the old rowing disposition came
over him, and he drifted off to Cuba and
Mexico, and finally arrived in New Or.
leans last fall, where he soon lost what
money he had through the agencies Of
the wine bottle and gaming table Du4
ring the winter, he worked his way North,
and about two weeks ago he arrived in
in this city with only three dollars in his
pocket E10fnIfI 6 hgn .e0
During all bis absence the prodigal
had never written home and had never
heard from his parents. He was igro-
rant of the fact that they had removed
to Detroit, and he determined to earn
money enough, il possible, to take him
back to Wilkesbarre where he intended
to endesvor to lead a respectable life.
Owing to the hard times, he could not
obtain work, and was finally forced to
seek lodgings at the Woodbridge street
station. After sleeping there several
nights, he was warned that upon his next
visit he would be cent to the house Of
correction as vagrant. That night he
wandered about the city hungry, penni-
less and desperate, and it was while in
this forlorn and desperate condition that
he yielded to the sudden temptation to
commit crime in order to relieve his ne.
cessities. By some strange yet fortunate
fatality he entered the house of his own
father, and what followed has already
been described. Att " . :
Such was the story which the unhappy
young man related to his griefstricken
parents in the room which he had en-
tered for the purpose of committing a
robbery. BE protested that no matter
what exoesses and sins he might have
committed, he had never before descend