Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-08-22
$50 you have been there al

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| "Yes."
"For burglary r.
"No, sir" DL
"Tell me all about It man. What
crime did you commit that con-
signed you to a prison9"
"None whatever, sir"
"That is not the truth. It is
simply impossible that you were
incarcerated If you had not Offend
ed against the law" 3
II swear that l speak the truth.
was sentenced to three years in
the penitentiary for crime l did
not commit, and that 1 did not
know had been committed by any
one until ! was arrested for /
was decent man then; that / am
no longer such l do not view as my
own fault"
"Did an unjust charge and
punishment necessarily make a
bad man of youY"
81 will tell you the facts in
my case, and then you can judge
more understandingly. l had
finished my apprenticeship ac-
cording to agreement, and was
making arrangements to go into
business on my own account. My
means were limited, but | had
manged to save few hundred
dollars; the girl was engaged to
marry had the same amount. We
calculated very closely; and found
that economical management would
enable us to commence business and
housekeeping in humble style
without going in debt. / engaged
a small shop, bought some tools,
and had matters well arranged for
business, when we decided to
marry. We INDUCED in a little
trip to Louisville, where we stop
ped only three days, and returned
very happy; for we had no ap-
prehensions of evil, and certainly
did not imagine what was in store
for us on our arrival in Cincinnati.
We had scarcely reached home when
/ was arrested for grand larceny.
The stolen goods were found in my
shop, how they came there l know
not; and declare before God that
it is a mystery to me yet.
"The evidence was all circum-
srantial but it was twisted and
disorted into what appeared a per-
feet chain, and / was convicted
before / thoroughly realized it.
The last dollar of our savings had
been exhausted in efforts for my
defense, and my wife was forced to
labor for her own support. Her
former friends deserted her be-
cause she was the wife of q convict,
and she was often in distress for
the necessaries of life; but the
climax of her miseries came when
she found herself mother of baby
boy. Lack of pourishment and
nursing did the fatal work, and only
a few days sfter her confinement she
was borne to her humble grave,
with the little darling cold upon
that breast that should have given
1t life and strength" ~
The man bowed his head upon
his hands and tears trickled rapid
ly through his fingers, while his
strong frame was convulsed by
heavy sobbings. Newland's eyes
were not dry, and several moments
passed without word from either.
The would-be burglar at length
resumed:
81 served out my full time, and
1t is just to say that l experienced
better treatment in the peniten-
tiary than I have outside of its
walls since l left that institution.
A few days before receiving my
discharge Iyresolved I would not
return to Cincinnati, but go away
into the world where my disgrace
was unknown, and work at my
trade like an honest man. l jour
neyed as far as Pittsburg and
obtained situation there at the
fret shop to which applied. Ihad
worked there but little more than .
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