The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1879-06-05
A PRAYER IN PRISON.
1t Attracted Attention and Established tn
Innocence Of Q Suspected Thief

Innocence Of a Suspected Thief.
The case of the hotel cashier who is
accused of making away with q, fifty dol.
ar.note ~belonging~to a colored sailor boy
has brought to mind many stories of mon
ey that was supposed to be stolen and
attcrward turned up in unexpected places,
sometimes in time to save the accused
person from punishment, and sometimes
not. Amoug others is a serio-comic cast
in which young girE was saved from un-
Just punishment through the intervention
| of Mr.. Lewis Leland, of worldwide hotel
renoWn, how one of the proprietors of the
Sturtevant House IN this city, but, at the
time of the story, was connected with the
Metropolitan Hotel
at was in 1862" said Mr.. Leland to the
Times reporter yesterday, "when was IN
the Metropolitan Hotel I was Just on
the eve Of taking a trip to California, and
Judge G, Of illinois, who was q
guest in the house, was going too, but he
was going one steamer ahcad of me. It
was oA Friday, and the Judge steam mer was
to sail the next day. On Friday evening
theJunge's went out for walk, saying to
me as he left the hotel, that he was sorry
we GOULD not go togother in the same
steamer. But I bad engaged passage in a
steamer that was to saii the following
Monday, and could not very we'll change
Judge c. went out and walked down
Broadway, toward the St. Nicholas He
had gone only few Blocks when he met
friend from Chicago, and they stopped
and had some, conversation on .i.e. side
wal k. The street atthat time Of the even.
ing was not crowded, and the two men,
standing there quietly, Foccasioned mo in
convenience; but. while they were still
talking policeman little the worse for
whiskey came up, and ordered them to
move on.
:. 6 i will not move on, said Judge c.,
who was not very we'll acquainted with
the inns and outs Of Metropolitan life. Il
am an American citizen, and I will stand
as long as want to-"
"This angered the officer and he arrest
ed the judge and took him to the old po-
lice station Marion -strcet--of-whieh
Captain Williamson was then in charge.
About an hour later received a very ur-
gent note from the Judge, begging me to
hurry to the police station apd get lin
out: He did not know that by law,
then recently, passed, he could not be
liberated before morning without getting
q police justice to hear the charge against
him. But went round to The police
station without delay and asked to see
him. They took me, down into the pris-
on pen, and there stood the Judge, in the
middle of his CELL looking the picture of
despair. gtH1Er0
"'For Heavens sake, Leland, SAID he,
get me out of this. The place is 80 Gov
cred with ycrmin, don't dasc to move
II was acquainted with the captain,'
Mr.. Leland continued, sand explained to
him that the judge had been arrested on
account Of the ofaiciousness Of drunken.
officer, and asked permission for him to
spend the night up stairs, in the captains $
private room. The permission was grant
ed. and l went out to get the Judge some
refreshment. 4 So -
"While we were down in the prison my
attention was attracted by a young girl in
the cell nearest the, door, who was down
on her knees on the stone floor praying
earnestly that the money she was accused
Of stealing might be found, and she be
liberated. oh, my God, said she, in a
voice half smothered with tears, may the
money be found and my innocence be
proved; what will become of my
invalid mother, and my dear little broth
er if am sent to prisoh?' She was terri
bly, in earnest, and used much better Ian
guage than could have been expected
from one in her condition.
I afterward learned that her father was
a German and her, mother an Italian, and
that she was very bright girl. Her
prayer made quite an impression on me
and I was entirely convinced Of her limo
cence.
s.sWhen l returned with the Judges
refEeshments,' Nj. Leland went q, 81
found =! another Of l the AetfopSltanI!s hotel
ing with the captain He said that he
had been robbed Of pocket book con
tanning $40Q by young waiteF-girl in a
lager-b beer saloon, and that he had caused