River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-10-25

i
keep back the tears and look as though
she wasn't afraid, that felt rsther soft
myself
So | says:
SIN ready
And they took me Of to the station.
Mary was there when the case came on.
the little thing lying IN her arms. Even
then, standing in the dock, could not
help thinking how she was altered since
we were married-from fresh, happy
looking girl, she had changed into a pale.
thoughtful woman. | hardly heard all
the evidences: but | knew that jenkins
swore that he had suspected me to be
one OF the gang of poachers for long
while.
Every thing being ready | pleaded
not guilty; but the magistrate said he
thought the case clearly proved, and he
sentenced me TO six months hard labor.
looked at Mary, feeling stunned like.
and sees her looking after me so pitiful
and despairing that thought / would go
mad. How they was to geta living with
out me | couldn't think.
When the SIX months was over / came
back home
1t was June when | went, it was Decem-
Der when l came back There was snow
everywhere, and it was showing when |
got TO our cottage / see the window
while ! was some way off, the light shin
ing out of it SO bright and warm; but all
the same, l felt kinder afraid to go in for
it didn't seem likely as l should find them
as left them.
Well, when got up to the door instead
of knocking went and looked in at the
window. There was a man and woman
sitting together, and children playing
about; but I'd never seen them before.
| had to stop bit and lean against the
windowsill, and then / goes to the door
and asks for Mrs. Smith as used to live
there.
My mother was in the workus. Mary
was lying in the churchyard, with one ba-
by on her breast and the other sleeping
by her side. 7
had some sort of illness, but don't
remember much about it. Those people
in our cottage took care of me, and nurs-
ed me through it, and as soon as 1 could
/ went tony mother. From what she
told me, got to feel so that / could have
murdered J9nkins He had gotme out of
the way and then he could prosecute my
poor gIrl as much as he chose. He had
determined TO make her repent of saying
"No" to him, and spread things abroad
about her, so that she could get no one to
give her work of any kind. She was told
toapply to the parish, and-well, you can
guess the rest, sir; can't talk about it
even now
A day or two after | see my mother,
some fellows asked me TO join them; they
were going poaching at Squire Watts,
as there would be no moon that night
Once l should have been ready to knock
a man down for asking me; but then
said | would at once, because thought |
should see Jenkins We had only just
got into the wood, when we found some
one had been peaching on us-they said
afterwards it was me, but hadn't thought
of such thing, else perhaps | might
for the keepers were on the watch. There
was a regular fight, some of the men got
off; one or two were caught. Ihad knock
ed one of the keepers down, and was
trying to get off before | was recognized,
when some one seizes me by the collar,
and says:
Not so fast my fine fellow
! knew the voice directly, and then, |
don't exactly know how, only that in less
than minute Jenkens was lying quite
still on the ground. Ididn'tmove or try
to get away, but just stood still and let
them take me.
My sentence that time was fourteen
years, for Jenkins was half killed. I'm
out on ticket of leave now, and get just
enough gardens to do to keep me out of
the workus. But, as you say, sir, it isn't
every one that would have me if they'd
heard my story