The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-14
DRIVEN TO THEFT.

POOR MAN STEALS BIG OF FLOUR FOR HIS
STARVING FAMILY-ARREsTED AND RELEASED.
II never stole penny's worth before"
The speaker Samuel Owens, a journoyman
painter, who by the pressure OF hard times had
been driven to steal bag of flour for the
relief OF his suffering mi Though in the prime
OF lite, and willing to do any of work.
the poor fellow had sought in vain for employ ment
and, despairing of immediate help, committed
crime on Saturday night for which he was
locked up on Sunday. and brought up
for examination in the Harlem Police Court
yesterday morning. The facts of the theft
were simply these. After day of hunger and des
pondcncy Owens ami his wife had crouched down by
the fire and sought to their hearts by the
rudy blaze; but while the hckerng light brought
comfort TO their eyes. their were assailed
by the piteous means of three little children
not yet well Injured 70 suffering as their parents
This was too much Cor the unhappy father. Kissing
his wife, whose efforts to hush the childish clamors
proved altogether vain. he patted the little
derby ON the head and saying that they should not
go another day without food rushed from the room
without knowing where TO look for aid. In few
moments, however. Owens found himself in front of
grocery store at No. l5ss Third ave
bags of -four. Though not long after
eight o'clock the well lighted sidewalk almost
seize one OF the hanging bags and carry it to the
wretehed home he had just lett. Yielding
ana started AZ full speei down the street
But the watchfu eye of an officer had witnessed the
the. t. and Owens was quickly ovcrtaken. When ar
rested he burst into tears and seemed utterly broken
down The patrolnan escorted his prisoner to the
station house III East Eightyeighth street. whence.
after days confinement, he WAS taken
to the Harlem Police Court yesterday morning. At
the bar of justice Owens recounted his misfortunes
in detail and assured Judge Duffy that nothing but
the terrible strait to which he himself and those dear
TO him had been reduced would have driven him to
take pennys worth of anything not his own:
GhR IN a "a hpl taNnd ia an and
said that justice would not, in his opinion. be COM
promised by the dismissal Of the charge. Fur
grocer. who appeared against Owens. to
give the man bag OF -four and send
had wish to carry the matter any further. and
told the Judge that he would make the present
OF the flour Owens accordingly accompanied his
late accuser to the store, where twentyfour pounds
OF Hour were given him to carry away
MISERABLE SCENE
man in a front the third floor OF tenement
house at No. III East Nnctieth street. On the first
floor is lager beer saloon through which one passes
to reach the stairs. merry party gathered in
the back room. in striking contrast to the group
the top floor. Owens stood disconsolate in the mid
die OF the room. his eyes inhamed by manly tears
that flowed unbddcn at the meciful decision of the
Judge and the storekccper's generous treatment
Near the window sat woman. neatly though poorly
dressed, and near plain, uncovered table sat
who appeared to be there to condole with and
encourage his dsheartened friend fowl headed
youngstcr four Of pulled at the reporters
coat anu turned MS eyes upward an appearing
glance at the intruder. Finally the little one fell
asleep his mothers lap and forgot his distress for
few brief moments
CAN'T GET WORK.
Owens is a man of dark and sallOw complexion
and wears mustache and goatee. His face is more
OF the Italian than the American type; but he
is native and life long resident OF this
city. Il am journeyman painter" said he,
Had peursy aDd m sres he w M is baS
For three months I've had nothing to do. Before
that worked as laborer in Eighth avenue and
casionaly got job. after that to throw in coal
and this is four I've had nothing to give them
to-day but some pancakes made from that bag of
-four, and tomorrow it will be the don't
know how long it will go this way But Ill never
lay hands anything that don't belong to again.
I've had enough of that"
"Have you done your best to get work?"
Eyes, sir; I've done everything in my power. l
tried to get work Ninth avenue, where the Metro
politan road Is being put up; but hadn't any in
| huence. don't know any business men,"
'Havc you appealed to any charitable association
mo; didn't know anything about them"
LITTLE HELIEF.
just here there tap at the door, and two fire.
men told Owens they had brought him present
| from the company's house in the neghbor-
hood. The grateful man took the envelope
but could not speak his thanks loaf of bread and
| the wherewithal to buy quart OF milk also
brought by who had heard OF his necessity,
and ray of hope broke into the hearts that had
| well nigh TO despair.
The reporter took his leave, and, CROPPING his way
down the cold dark and narrow stairway, made some
inquiries about Owens Of the boy who tended
the bar below. The latter said that the
man named Coggy. with whom Owens only stopped
occasionally. The woman he believed TO be Mrs.
Coggy, and Owens wife staying somewhere else.
The man was sober aud did not frequent the saloon.
to work at anything. Recently he had been in a
hospital.