The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-04-04
a the settlemsat Of the momentou, e,

| n-AttCIs
! am just in receipt of o letter from a
iriend In Hecklcnburg county, giving
me the particulars Of the arrest and trial
OF man for the theft Of "a pounds OF
loose tobacco, worth $3.50. The pris.
oner was sentenced, after Jury trial OF
| tWo days, 70 eayen months. confinement
IN lail at o cost TO the Commonwealth Of
9@oO. The items werC given: being the
cost OF arrest. of guarding prisoner, and
mis- trial before magistrate, his commit
ment TO Jail, fees of clerk and Common
Weaiths attorney, pay Of witnesses, paw
and board of jury two days, and board OF
prisoner before and after trial 24O days
Fat 40 cents aday
10 fine the honest, working portion 9.
the community tor that in effect was the
verdict $3.50 for the alleged punishment
OF the larceny of less tIian q hundred
weight Of loOss lugs, was O hideous out
rage, crime worse than the stealing of
the tobacco. The Commonwealth IN
more guilty than the rogue. A man is a
simpleton who surrendeTs a thief to the
punishment ~ Of the law. The law re-.
wards the rogue and Furnishes the public.
| 1t our hero had committed O crime of
little greater dignity, tie penitentiary
you'd have been his reward. Under c;r-
culnstances Of befitting ext.avapance
and pomp, he comes TO his new abode,
that commands 80 fine view of the falls
OF the james River. Once year, when
! the present writer enjoys @, little leisure,
/ his instincts take him TO :he county of
his nativity. the good o.d county Of Meckg
lenburg. When he returns to Richmond
having enjoyed the good cheer and hon.
est greeting Of his friends, the trip never
costs him more than $3.50, sometimes
only 50. And yet he travels in o way
that is to him sufficiently comfortable,
aud respectable. but oatch OF r0gues,
sent from Boydton to the penitentiary,
come in the costly magnificence of O
royal retinue. Each has his own escort,
while a high official attecls the ,yal
party to provide for their general comfort
and accommodation. The travelling az.
| penses of these attendants, their board
| bills, and charge for services, added to
the actual cost of the Transportation of
the convicts, make the cost of landing
these precious scoundrels at the peniten-
tiary at least $40 each, or at the rate of
forty cents milel
Arriving at the depot, tine finest hacks,
ordered by telegraph, await their conye-
nience. Entering the State hotel, they
find abundant reason of self-felicitation
upon the good fortune they enjoy.
Warmth and id!eness, peace and plenty,
crown at length their virtuous lives /
Good and comfortable clothing, faro
abundant and excellent. labor 40 light
that it ~ pursued, 1t would seem, only
os the adiuyant Of digestion and in the
interest of health. In their present com.
fort, they recall, with shudder, the
hardships of their former life. They re-
member, with happy sense of relief,
the chill November nights, when they
hunted possums and caught pigs, the
fierce onset of the mastiff, the sharp re.
ports, in quick succession, Of the masters
gun. But now, o happy day they are
free alike from the fear of want and the
fear Of labor; their troubles vanish into
thin air, and all their cares are sweetly
soothed in the gentle lullaby of the
Jamesl Honest laborers,. Facked with
care, by constant toll and grinding econ}
cmy can scarcely accomplish bread, eim-
ply bread; and yet their eeanty earnings
must be wrenched from them. under he
foims of law, TO fatten and pamper these
pets of the Commonwealth. "a
Instinct with philanthropy, We are ex-
-tremely sensitive as to their comforts and
accommodation. A howl of virtuous
indignation, that found expression in
nearly all the newspapers of the city,
was raised few years ago, because o
peripatetic phiianthropisJ had REPRESENT
ed that the bunks of our station houses,
the apartments Of our Jail, and the cells
of our penitentiary, were o shade less
luxurious than the accommodations of
the Exchange. Hotel. Investigating
committees were raised, who were in.
strncted to examine into and report upon
the evils Complained Of; to sugeEst Inc
remedy, and the metlcta &C prevention
iii the future, if tie allegations were
foGhd TO DO true and SO NO proceeded
with might and main to wipe the asper-
sion from our good name, and to prove
that no community whatsoever cherished
more tender consideration than We for
tramps and vagrants, for rogues and bur-
glars a ;ii00ii has uCatceiy waxed and
waued since the Christmas bill Of iaro
of the guests of our "Vallcy Inn" was
published in our newspapers, quite as o
matter of pride-such an array Of. good
things as might tempt the stated appetite
of an epicure or gonrmand; certainly
| such as seldom cheers tho board tf those
whose. money furnished the rich and
tempting repast. Do We really mean, to
invite the immigration hither of those
''honest patriots, who leave their country
for their countTy's good 2" ( Is it strange
"A thing that moro than once he's hap
pened-that o prisoner, receiving bis
sentence from the Judge, prays that the
period of his4 incarceration may be Se2+
tdnded9 that o tramp appears, Of his
own motion, before an officer of theduW,
and demands admisaien to the hens..;;G:::ii
charities of our city jail9 that an ex.
penitentiary convict, accepting scarcely
o Neek's freedom, commits o felony that
he nAy be promptly retarned TO his com.
Portable quarters in the State hotel? Is
government instituted only for the bene.
fit of thieves and paupers? and have
honest and indnssrious people no rights
that these are compelled 20 respect?
Vaat as Is tho expenditure Of money,
as already considered, in the so-called
punishment of .criminahs there 10 yet q
further loss, which figures have not dis
played, and cannot display. We under
stand the concrete more easily than the
abstract. a few years ago employed
and retained for two yeers Or moro Ia
/ borar on my little farm, He was hpm.
BILE, polite, useful and happy in his place.
Ho had q teW tricks, which somewhat
abated his value, bnt still he was yalua.
lble. Now ard then he appro', lated to
his OWE, use tEiiiipg articles IA. came in
his way, bnt hisEmSsiias heysr took an
| Iiambiiious or dangerous turn, He was
cofFfCihis ttsnf5reScntiotIss - tiDA 1bitiOtiS