Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1880-10-18
Stranger than Fiction.

you would 60 to the Jail and see pris-
oner in cell No. 2, who has been COM
mitted for burglary. do not believe
he is guilty he is man of education
and has undoubtedly seen better days,
but he is now drunkard.'
l asked what the evidence was against
him. He informed me that an extern
sive burglary and robbery had been
traced to low drinking house in the
purlieus of vice in the city. The officers
had broken into the house just as the
thieves were dividing the booty; but
they had all escaped through back
cellar way except this man, who was too
l went to the cell, and saw there
middle aged man seated on his cot, his
head resting on his hands. There was
an expression of heart-broken misery on
his countenance that is never seen on
the face of a hardened criminal l told
him l had been requested by the sheriff
to call and see him and asked him if [
could render him any service.
He said [ could not; that he did not
want an attorney; had no money to pay
one, and did not care what bacame of
himself.
l soon discovered that he was man
of culture, that he was not a common
thief, and became interested in him.
For some time he was very reticent, but
said he was entirely innocent of the
crime charged against him, yet the evil
dence was so strong he had no doubt
that he would be convicted he hoped
he would be, so that he might the soon
er get rid of the world and the curse
which had followed him through life.
l left him for the time, yet l could
not Danish him from my mind. The
expression of hopeless misery and deep
seated sorrow of his face haunted me all
that day. Somehow was impressed
with the idea that he was really limo,
cent, but that, broken down in health
and fortune by the curse of strong drink
he desired to be placed out of the reach
of temptation.
A few days after was again called
to the prison to see man who had been
committed for manslaughter, which had
occurred in drunken row at political
meeting. AS passed the cell of the
prisoner who had so much interested
me, | saw him standing at the window
looking through the grating at the out
side world, smiling under the influence
of June morning.
l spoke to him. He turned, and,
with the manners of polished gentle
man, thanked me for my former words
of kindness and my offer to defend him.
| seated myself in his cell and by de-
grees led him to talk of himself and his
former life. At last he gave me his
confidence, and told me his story. He
had inherited wealth from his ancestors.
and with it, as is too often the case
habits of idleness and dissipation. He
had been a "man about town." with
money to spend freely, and no one to
control or guide him. At the fashion
able parties and gatherings where the
wine cup is circulated freely, he acquir-
ed taste for strong drink, which in
creased with indulgence until it became
almost irresistible. For time he was
able to control his weakness, or to con-
fine the knowledge of it to the circle of
his equally dissipated associates. "And
here" he said, "my crime commenced
? "a crime deeper and more wicked than
the one l am now accused. Yet the
a law knows no such crime, though none
1 are blacker in the calender of human
+ iniquity. If man perpetrates fraud
on his fellow in a business transaction
the law will interpose to right the
. wronged; but if man by fraud wins
, the pure and innocent heart of woman
: she has no redress. and the law does
not punish the fraud At one of thu
e fashionable parties attended l becam,
o acquainted with Agnes c.. beautiful
d orphan, who was on a visit 20 som,
: friends in the city.-Young. unexper
fenced and lovely, she attracted my at
/ tention, won my love, and in few
. weeks we were married. Our weddln,
Il was the event of the hour, for | wa
/, wealthy and she possessed marvelou
beauty.
W "We spent two years in Europe
ID a winter in Paris, that centre of Euro
id pean fashion and dissipation. By tn
er time of our return had become cor
y frmesdrunkard and my wife almos
heart-broken, My friends demonstrate
with me in vain. I was chained to th
nt rock like the victim on Mount Caucasus
to and the vulture intemperance was teal
e. ing at my vitals. One cold, storm
ne night l came home from drunken c;
CT rousal reeling and maddened with drinl
My poor wife frightened and in tear
:, fled from me to another room. Th
on enraged me. | followed her, and in m
W. insane madness struck her blow tn;