The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-09-23
W0OED IN THE DOCKS.

There were tweuty-seVen persons
charged with various ences before
his honor that morning. 1t was only
about eighteen months ago.
One of the accused was young girl
about seventeen, who was weeping
very bitterly. The usual crowd of
hangers on in the police court was leer-
ing eagerly at the emisfortunate tramp,
the irrecaimabe drunkard, the fore
headless petty larcenist, and the burIy
burglar.
But there was something in this
! young girls sobs, in this sorrow of
the fair-haired maiden who had pass
ed the night in the same cell with
drunken prostitutes, female dive
thieves and women Of the worst class,
that was heart-breaking.
Even the bailiffof the court-accus-
toned to criminal misery and Injured
to the scenes of suffering from the
suicide of WantOn to the execution
of murderer and his parting with
I his mOtherand siSter-eVen the bailitf
felt touched, and walking up to the
railing, whispered some kind word in
her ear,
And next to her sat young man
pale as death. The humiliation Of
his position stood out in bold bas re-
lief in his attitude and in every fea-
| ture of his face, in the nervous clutch
of his hands, in the shifting Of his
feet. the disarranged 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. 81 am sure you have done
nothing wrong. | would pledge my
! life, you have not. Tell me your
troubles and | will tell you mine. |
have been with wholesale ie,veler
for two years, and [ got into bad
company, took some gold that was
to work up into a bracelet and sold it.
| | first accused some one of having
stolen it, but last night | confessed.
| They had me arrested, and | shall
plead guilty and take my punish
ment."
The girl turned her head quickly,
and between her sobS. said:
but IL have done nothing wrong;
only one Of the girls at the store where
| worked put some laces in my pocket
| becauSe-she is jealous of me, and
then they found it there, and police
man came, and oh, my heart is
breaking" !"
X X
"Hugh Murray. accused of rObbing
his employer, what have you to
say ?"
"Guilty -
His face was whittier than eyer, but
his mouth was firm and resOlute, and
after he had said the word that made
nm convict, he faced the magistrate
and said:
"Your honor, l have said guilty,
because | should be a liar if 1 said
anything else; but, your honor, |
have this to add to my plea: | never
dLank wine in my life until last Fri
day night, and | was utterly under
its influence when | took that gold"
At this juncture an elderly man
stepped forward and said, in voice
choked with emoti0n,-
"YOur honor. | am this young
mans employer, and | am sorry that
| have taken these steps now. With
your permission will Withdraw the
charge"
But his honor only looked a little
dimIy through his spectacles and
said, -
"Too late complaint sworn to,
arrest made, prisoner pleads guilty"
And it came to pass that Hugh
Murray eXpiated the one criminal act
Of his life by six months in the house
of correction.
But before he left the dock, he man
aged to whisper to his neighbour
"IelI me your name. won't you
| have been 50 bad, and | am sure YOU
are so good; and perhaps when my
punishment is oyer you who are so
gentle will let me come and see YOU
and call you my friend"
And she, with her great eyes all
bleared with tears, said faintly,-