The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1876-12-15
Il Re0iarh0rh06Ee Story.
HOW A LAW LIBRARY WAS, IF TRUE, TO DE
ESTABLISHED IN CHAMBERsBURG.

HOW A LAW LIBRARY WAS, IF TRUE, TO DE
ESTABLISHED IN CHAMBERsBURG.
The following remarkable story is taken
from The editorial columns of The Balti-
more Gazette, which paper evidently OBJ
tanned its information from tie Chicago
Tribune The whole story is almost in
cleditable, but is given with such circnm-
stantial detail that it seems to call Tor some
ex xpanatiou from the Cham beTsburg people,
whom it seeks to compromise
Air. r. p. Derickson is n gentleman of
credit and renCwn in the city OF Chicago.
He is a man of wealth, philanthropIst,
and president of the Illinois humane So
ciety. Some weeks ago an aged stranger
called upon him, and importuned him To
assist her i'll rescung her son, who was
then i'll Jail at Chambersbqrg, Pa. If he
could be gotten out of the difficulty she
was confident that he would forever after
eschew the path of vice. The Illinois hu-
maue socipty was organized Tor tue purpose
of preventing cruelty to animals, and get
ting men out of Jail In Cham bersburg, Pa,
seemed like stretching the objects OF the
society a long way, but, says Mr.. Derrick
son in his account Of the mat tier, which we
find in the Chicago Tribune, ''sbC made an
appeal to me as president of the society,
and such an appeal always takes hold of
me-" lie therefore Concluded to GO to
Chambersburg on this mission Of beneyo-
lence, and provided himself with IL number
of letters of introduction, among them sew
eral to Governor Hartranft, one to Mr.. L.
IL. Kennedy, the president of the Cumber-
land Valley railroad, and one to the prose-
cutting attorney of Franklin county. TIE
good philauthropist arrived at Chambers
burg III due time, and was cordially re
ceIVed by the gentlemen to whom he bore
letters. lie found that young man john
son, whom it was his mission to assist, had
been concerned with ROLAND, one of the
most expert burglars in the country, in the
robbery of the ChambersbuIg bank. lie,
moreover, found that ROLAND WAS bargain
ing with the authorities as to the amount
of bail. He was willing to give $40, 600,
but the authorities wanted $50, O00. Said
Mr.. Kennedy, according to Mr.. Derickson 5
account, ''it WAS well understood that if :he
money was put up for bail the prisoners
would not appear for trial. Tie result
would be that the prisoners would get their
liberty and the county would get the
money"
Considerably perplexed in mind by the
revelations made To him, lie visited Rol-
land, but found him SO hardened that the
dew of grace did not fail upon his heart
with any teItiliZing Influence. He spoke
of burglary as his regular profession, and
said he followed il from choice, nor would
he abandon it for any other profession, ex-
cept, perhaps, that of preaching. He said
he was willing to put mp S20, 600 bail for
himself and Johnson, but $50, COO was too
much. IL was much higher than the Chi
cago authorities were in the habit of
charging. The peopIs Of Chdm5ers5uTg
udnted money 10 buy a tdto library, and he
did not feet disposed 10 accommodate them.
HI. DerlckSon found that 1t toGs q 1oeH
understood thing that tie amount IF tie bail
z
sheriff said that the people werc fools not
to accept Roland's proposition tie jttdge
soho so0s 10 preside Gt the trial "toas sorry
he 1cas in such position that he could nat
mdke suggeStt0HS," but be referred Mr.
Derickson To the attorney for the defense,
and said, ''if they wish TO bring ;Ie matter
before me there will be no Obstacles
But by this time" says Mr. Derickson,
81 began 10 reGiize tid. ii 15as an effort on
the part Of tic people II dioido soih Roland
has stoLSb property, and that l was being
used as a go-betYeen." He theveupou
made up his mind To return to Chicago.
and had gotten as far as Harrisburg uiien
he sas ~ ia tue newspapers that ROLAND had
cut his way out Of jail and had escaped.
lie Immediately returned to Chambers-
burg, was called IAN old fraud" was
threatened with arrest and altogether re-
ceivcd such treatment that he again left
Tor Chicago much discouraged philan-
thloplst. But his trials were not Yet over.
On the train beyond Pittsburgh he noticed
AN old man, apparently over seventy years
OF age, bent and decrepit. The glittcriug
eye OF that old man fastened upon Mr.
DericKson, and exercised a strange fascina-
ton. Finally he arnse and with bowed
head and trembling limbs approached the
phiianthropist. and putting his lips to his
ear whispered /: ROLAND. No man can
lay hand on me and live" That was
all. Nothing more was said, aud Mr.
Derckson is now back in Chicago Il sadder
but a wiser man. lie says he ''has learned
something of the method of establishing
law libraries in Pennsylvania, which he
shall always remember