Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-12-17
MISS LINDA GILBERT
The Prisoners Friend, Captures Burg
lar and, Treating Him Like the
Good Samaritan She is,
Releases Him and Sends Him ON HIS
Way RejoieiDg-A New style
of Prison Reform.

NEW York, December 16.-It takes q
great deal to astonish burglar. Shotguns
have no terrors for him, and he is used TO
gobIios. but ne can't stand the kind OF recep-
lion that Miss Linda Gilbert afforded one OF
the fraternity who entered her house recently.
Most readers will remember Miss Gilbert's
long wears of labor as q prison refoTmer,
and there is scarce prison IN the lana
which does not bear some evidence OF her
philanthropy. She bad outhls occasion an
opportunity of practically illustrating her
doctrine that kindness will do more for the
correction of the criminal classes tnan all
the bolts and bars and instruments OF Tor
ture that have ever been invented, and she
improved the opportunity, too. Bstween the
hours of II and ] O'Clock Miss Gilbert was
aroused from her sleep by noise at her
window.
She occupies sleeping apartment on the
second floor of her house, No. 264 West For
ty-third street, and the large French windows,
which are cut TO the level of the floor, open
upon the middle OF the block. Directly
across the interlying yards and fronting on
Forty second street is an Old Ladies Home,
with which there is q connecting alleyWay
from the street. Miss Gilbert supposes that
the man came in hy the aileyH%y, Climbed
over one high board fence and by means OF
another got upon the roof OF an clubhouse,
from which he could easily reach the window
of her room. The outside blinds were closed,
tllars.la EinElev-v-es ruircd frvus TIRE Dot
tom, and ii was the noise made BY the man
when be thrust his hands through The siats
and opened The blinds that startled Miss
Gilbert from her slumbers. The rest Of the
story can best be told, perhaps, in her own
language.
"When / awoke,n she said, "and realized
what was happening, thought almost with
pleasure, now l shall have a chance OF
watching one OF my black sheep at his work.
He csrefully lifted the window sash and
stepped into my room, crouching down q
little and looking stealthily toward the bed
as be did so. A light was burning dimly 10
the next room, and, as the folding doors
were open, | had every opportunity oil
watching him. He did not seem to me to be
an experienced burglar, for he made too
much noise. He wore rubbers on his feet,
but be had no tools or weapons
with him so fsr as could
Judge. The dressing case, that one
right behind you. is close 10 the window, you
see, and be got down upon his knees in front
OF it, fumbled about the drawers moment
and then caught sight of my watch lying on
top. wear no jewelry, and the Iimepiece
il about all he could have found of value in
the dressing case. | slid noiseiessly GU Of
bed, and, lust az his hand fell upon the
watch, my own hand fell upon his shoulder.
He drew back in surprise and dropped the
watch.
"Hallo," l said. @Don't you know that
you are robbing one of your friends?"
"No," he stammered, 81 don't know who
you are"
"Well, am Linda Gilbert
''You are?" he asked, looking me straight
in the face. 81 have heard of you, but you
never saw me in prison. l have never been
in prison.
The reporter asked: weren't you afraid
OF him, Miss Gilbert"
"No; why should / be-"
"Not a little hii?"
."No, am not afraid of the worst man in
the world. He said 10 me: Il must 90. /
haven't taken any thing No, you must
not co. / replied. You must sit down a
little while. 1 want to talk with YOU He
sat down as a child might have done, and
declare he looked as pleas I'd as a child when
offered to talk with him. turned up the
light and took good look at him. He was
tall, thin man, with sandy hair. His
clothes were scanty and his hands
seemed sickly. and said he was threat
ened with hemorrhsge of the uogs. When
he coughed pushed the cuspadore toward
him, and the next morning the chamberm AID
tod me there was blood in il. l asked the
man a great variety of questions, and he
answered them all without seeming evasion.
He said his name was Robert White; that
he lived at such number, Mulberry street !;
that BE had wife aud three Children. His
wife suffered with ague, and his children
were sickly. He had been on strike, he
said, and after that he could get no work.
His family were stsrviog, aud one day he
had an opportunity to steal watch. He
did go, and had stolen two others since. He
began to think il was the only way he had
of living. II had been his intention, he said,
TO steal enough TO take his family some here
in the country. He could not support them
in New York. My father occupied The room
underneath this. and brother OF Mr.. Theo-
dore Thomas was in the house. ! was afraid
OF awakening them, because my father is ex-
tremely nervous, and Mr.. Thomas hates bur-
glars, and would either have shot this one or
have had him arrested. My secretary, lady,
slept upstairs, and called her. We went
10 the kitchen and filed a market basket
with things to eat-two ducks that l had
ordered for Sundays dinner, some vegeta-
bles, bread and so on. This basket 1 gave
TO the man, together with 30 bill and
some advice, and he went out by the front
door with as glsd a face as one could wish
10 see. When my father heard of it next
for our country house. / tried TO hunt up
the mans family in Mulberry street, but
l couldn't find them. l presume we mis-.
took the number he gave US, and now" said
Miss Gilbert, 81 don't know whether L am
wise in telling the story or not.
Some will condemn me and say am
encouraging crime; but others will see that
1 have Uncovered the principle that ought
TO sctuate the world in its treatment OF the
criminal classes. Most people are III favor
of shooting burglars, but am not have
heard OF cleargymen, even, who have shot
burglars when their houses were entered, as
if when the Lord made Christians, he put
guns in their hands To kill sinners with.
Rich men who have been robbed will have
no mercy on the robbers, not moments
consideration for the causes which have led
them into crime, and no thought Tor the
only course that can ever bring them back
to honest lives. The only reason why the
very rich escape is hat they are SO well
protected, and Jay Gould, when he rides
down town, has an armed man De-
side him; Mr.. Vanderbilt the same
and the Stewart marble mansion Is
always under the eyes of detectives. i have
heard more threats made by criminals
against the few very rich than against all
the rest of the world, and there will be a
terrible reckoning some day unless the very
rich avert it in time and by proper methods.
L wrote as much to Mr.. Vanderbilt to-day
/ have spent all my email fortune in the
work of nv prison reform society, and told
him We were at standstih ior want o.
money. Help send some thousands of these
poor creatures TO places where they can De
self-supporting,' L wrote TO him, and the
houses and property and persons OF the rich
men will be SAFE" And when Miss Gilber,
babe the reporter good-by, she added: II
don't think would have told You this story
if 1 hadn't thought iis publication might,
perhaps. save some burglars LIE IN The Iu-