Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-08
BATON ROUGE, LA, THURSDAY, JULY 8, 1880

In that vessel he found Portuguese
sailor-a wild fellow, without common
prudence-who, putting sailors trust
in every one, openly informed bis mates
that he had, in q belt about his waist, .
large sum of money, which was to be
given to his mother on his return home.
He had great pride in the gift, and in
tho good opinion his family would have
of him when he made it, and chatted it
frequently. Alas, the wretched man
who listened, was ono to whom gold
was o temptation not to bo resisted.
lie Ireamt of that leathern belt which
hold tho treasure, at night, aud thought
of it all day. At last, as they lay in an
American port, the fiend's whispers grew
too strong for him. He lifted his gray
head from tho hammock, and peeped
into that of tho Portuguese. There lay
the black curls over tho bronzed brow,
and tho white teeth glittered in the
omen mouth, and lashes yelled the bright
eyes.
Ho was sound asleep, and it would DO
SO easy to unbuckle tho belt or cut It of
| that would 10 moro quickly done.
And the old man let himself out of his
hammock and crept to the side Of the
! Portuguese. lie drew his knife and cut
away the portion Of the belt where the
| money jingled, and thrust 1t into bis
breast, when the man awoke and grap.
pied him.
The Portuguese was young but un'
armed, and bewildered by the surprise
of this moment and that sharp knife in
the hand Of Harry Rose. The money!
my mothers money give it back" cried
the youth.
But Harry Rose could not give up the
money. He lifted the knife and drov 1t
into the poor fellows breast and fled.
Ho found boat, and rowed himself
to tho shore, and set the boat adrift and
struck through the city streets seeking
for a place to hide himself. But those
on the ship had been alarmed. They
found tho Portuguese dead in his ham
mock, with his belt--his precious belt,
of which he had talked 80 much-cut
away, and tho strange sailor missing.
lie was pursued and captured with the
money about him, and blood staina
about his clothes. .. ...
And in the city where he was born,
and where yet his old mother dwe]t, hi
mot tho fate of the murderer. And be-
fore he died, he made full confession ol
all his crimes.
There are people who 60 to 500 men
hung. Those who gratified that horri-
bio curiosity that day, heard the gray
haired man upon tho gallows speak
these words: .....
lam about to die, and I die justly
but if there is a parent here, l want to
tell that parent that my father and
mother who loved mo so, might have
saved mo from this awful and shameful
end. had tho propensity to crime
stronger than the rest; but l might
have been cured. .-
Il began by stealing a cent from al
old woman's toy-shop till. If l had beef
punished then, l boliove l should no.
have stolen again but it was made
light of, and l went on, and bore l am
But with my last breath, 1 want to ask
you to watch your children, and nj
matter how slight crime seems in on'
of them, to weed it out with all you
strength, that it may not bring them t.
my ond at last
Aud thon tho black cap was put on
and Harry Rose looked on the world nj
more.
And his is not tho only instance which
warns us from what small beginning
great crimes spring.
The theft of only cent may end ii
burglary Or highway robbery; he lispe
of white lie may come to forget truti
} and honor utterly; and tho little fis,
ready with baby blows, grown large ant
strong in manhood, may commit mur
dor. ....
Weed your children's hearts evon
!, as you would your garden beds, or RAM
things willgrow there apace aud chok
the flowers.
A PERILOUS BALLOON VOYAGE.
10 --.-
A balloon was recently sent up froi