The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-08-25
VOICED IN Il DOCK.

There were twenty seven persons charged
various offenses before his honor that
morning. It was only about eighteen
ago.
One Of the accused was a young girl
about seventeen, who, was weeping very
bitterly. The usual crowd of hangers-on
the unfortunate tramp, the ir1eclaimable
drunkard, the foreheadless petty larcenist
and the burly burglar.
But there was something In this young
girls sobs, In this sorrow of the fair haired
maiden who had passed the night in the
same cell with drunken prostitutes, female
dive thieves and women of the worse class,
that was heart breaking.
Even the bailiff of the court-accustomed
to criminal misery md Injured to scenes of
suffering, from the suicide to a wanton to
the execution of o murderer, and his part
ing with his mother and sisters-even the
bailiff felt touched, and, walking up to the
railing, whispered some kind word in her
ear.
And next to her sat a young man pale as
death The humiliation of his position
stood out in bold bas relief, in his attitude
and in every feature of his face; in the
nervous clutch of his hands; in the shift
ing of his feet, the d~isarranged hair and
the silently expressed suffering.
The judge was late that morning, and
kept the prisoners waiting.
Don't cry" the young man was saying
to the girl who sat next to him, Il am sure
you have done nothing wrong. I would
pledge my life that you have not. Tell me
your trouble and I will tell you mine. I
have been with q wholesale jeweler for two
years, aud I got into bad company, took
some gold that I was to work up into a
bracelet and sold it. I first accused some
one of having stole it, but last night con
fessed. They had me arrested, and I shall
plead guilty and take my punishment.
The girl turned her head quickly, and
between her sobs said:
But II have done nothing wrong; only
one of the girls at the store where I work,
put some laces i'll my pocket because-be-
cause she is jealous of me, and then they
found it there, and a policeman came, and,
oh!-my heart is b%reaking!"
"Hugh Murray, accused of robbing his
employer, what have you to say?'
"Guilty."
His face was winter Than ever, but his
mouth was firm aud resolute, and after he
had said the word that made him a convict,
he faced the magistrate and said:
"Your Honor, I have said guilty because
I should be a liar if I said anything else,
but, your honor, I have this to add to my
plea: I never drank wine in all my life I'M
til last Friday night, and I was utterly un-
der its influence when I took that gold"
And at this juncture an elderly man step
ped forward and said, in a voice choked
with emotion, your Honor, I am this
young mans employer, and I am sorry tina
l have taken these steps now With yout
| permission I will withdraw the charge"
But his honor only looked a little dimly
through his spectacles and said: late!
complaint sworn to, arrest made, prisoner
pleads guilty"
And so it came to pass that Hugh Muir
ray expiated the one criminal act of his life
by six months in the house of correction
But, before he left the dock, he managed
to whisper to his neighbor, "Tell me you
name, won't you? I haye-been SO bad, anG
| am sure you are SO good; and, perhaps
when my punishment is over, you, who are
SO gentle, will let me come andsee you, and
call you friend"
And she, with her great eyes all blearcd
with tears, said family: t'My name is lisa.
bel-lsabel DAILY. I hope you won't eve1
be bad again, and that they won't be u
kind to YOU"
And he passed out of the dock with those
words ringing in his ears: II hope you won
ever be bad again, and that they won't be
unkind to you" And when he reached the
cell from which they were to take him ava
to the house Of correction, the Grmness tina,
kept him up SO far all left him, and, crouch.
ed on the cold stones, he burst into a fit OF
passionate weeping.
He was not long alone, for his employer
had followed him, and the once severe mas
ter was now as badly broken down as the
clerk whom he had caused to be punished
so severely. The old jeweler put his arms
around Hugh's neck, and for several min
utes could not speak. At last he said:
My poor boy, I wish I could undo this.
When I saw you standing in the dock, you
made me think of a boy of my wi who
was ruined by the wine cup, and left me
for / don't know where. What can I dol
How can I undo this?:"
There was no reply, for both hearts were
too full to speak for a moment, but the
young man at last raised his head and said;
I was not crying like a baby at my punish
ment, and I have nothing but good will to
you. II you have been harsh to me, I dc
not know it. Let me be candid with you.
I was a thief and q drunkard; q thief fol
for the first time and a drunkard for the
first time, but still I was both.
If you think you have been harsh, then,
when my punishment is over help me to 90
somewhere where I can get work long way
OF. u where nay story Is not known-and, AS
l live, l will repay your kindness tenfold.
And there is q young girl" he continued,
charged with stealing some lace up stairs.
Will you see to her? / am sure she is in
nocent, and in the dock she forgot all her
trOubles Tor q mOment to ask me never