Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-07-06

"'Just as expected'f said the Off
Ger. And grasping me with one hand,
holding his billy with the other, he said
sharply: you come with me =
"'But sir! / exclaimed, more and
more frightened and confused, it's just
as tell your
"'Of course Il always is = said the
officer with brutal sarcasm, dragging
me away. Il believe know you, you've
been up for tricks Of this kind before
let me explain p
"'You'H have a chance to explain
tomorrow morning in the Police
Court. he replied; and in spite Of any
thing could say, he hurried me of TO
the nearest station. The man who had
had me arrested followed US, and
another officer we met ON the way was
sent back 10 take Charley into custody.
II was in an indescribable state of
wrath and trepidation and dismay
when was showed roughly into the pO-
lice station, and confronted there by
my captor as il had been one of the
most degraded criminals.
"When / tried again TO make my ev-
idence clear, was quietly informed
that drunken men were the common
prey If pick-pockcts like me. who in
variably claimed 10 be their friends
and protectors when caught taken
charge Of watches and wallets, as | had
been seen to do.
81 hoped that Charley would be
sober enough 90 eXonerate me when he
was brought in. But he seemed tipsier
than ever; and angry mt his arrest; he
refused to answer any questions, mere
~ claiming that he was n gentleman,
while the police were all scoundrels.
He was tumbled into one cell, / was
locked up in another. and there we re-
NAMED until the Black Maria took us
up in its evening round and conveyed
Us To the City Tombs.
"Can you imagine boy Of eighteen,
OF good habits and a respectable fami-
/ ly. in such terrible situation? There
no use in my trying to describe to YOU
the agonies of mind endured that aw-
ful night! / had n mother, married
sister and numerous friends i'm Franz
ingham; but knew nobody in Charles
town or Boston who could vouch for
my character.
The next morning / was put into the
dock along with n crowd of other pris-
oners. You know what the dock of a
Municipal Court is Ike?
Imagine n sort Of pit in one corner
OF the room containing benches that will
seat some fifty or sixty persons, with n
partition that completely screens YOU
from the view of spectators until YOU
are called upon to mount the steps to
the bar fronting the end of the Judges
bench.
e shall never forget the appearance
OF the dock that morning. To WELL
brought-up, fastidiOus young fellow
like me, the company of depraved men
and women and boys i'm which found
myself-their rags, their haggard faces,
their black eyes got in drunken quar-
rels-well, / won't attempt to picture
the revolving scene and the effect IL pro-
duced on me. To this day can not
think of IL without a shudder.
81 looked In vain among the figures
on the crowded benches for that of
Charley Dibbin, who, / firmly believed.
would acquit me of all evil intentions in
his case IL / could be brought face TO
face with him when sober. There was
no Charley Dibbin there.
ANA an nOhl the IOrtl1rnS
OF anxiety, watching the other cases
before the Court, and waiting for INV
own to be called up. An awful thrill
shot through me when my turn came at
last.
John Patterson
mounted the steps and stood at
the bar. in full view of the Court and
spectators. The officer who had arrest
ed me, and the stranger to whom Twas
indebted for that mischance, gave their
evidence against me, and the fatal watch
and pocket-book were produced
The Judge then asked me IL / had
anything To say; upon which, forgetting
my dread Of court and spectators. /
poured out my story.
1.-The Judge listened with n kindly
interest which gave me announcement
and hope. When had finished nc said:
60 IL was your friend, Charles Dibbin
"A person wcll-knOwn 10 you-whose
watch and wallet you took for safe
keeping?'
Yes, sir. / replied. That is. he Is
not an intimate friend of mine; but he
belongs To the same town, and / know
him pretty WELL
The Judge asked: Is he among the
prisoners in the dockP'
b" turned and looked down into the
pit, and once more cast my eye around
upon the strange faces there.
No, sir, l replied; he Is not
Then n terrible thing happened. /
cant tell you just how Il was. for IL took
my senses away at the time, and / was
near swooning with the shock.
! " "A young fellow / had already no
ticcd, because he was one of the few re-
spectable-looking men in the dock.
| mounted the steps. and stood bV my
side at the bar He was CHARGED with
drunkenness; but / thought little Of
that. He pleaded guilty. Then he was
asked II he had had his pockets picked.
and he said he had.
II" didn't think very much of that,
either. But when he was asked to iden-
tify Charley Dibbins' watch and rocket
book, and he quietly swore that both
belonged to him. things began to whirl
with me.
Then he was told to look carefully
ut the prisoner. was the prisoner
meant, and he looked at me accord
ingly.
The Judge asked: Did YOU ever see
that young man beforeg
- can't say that ever did
"' DO you know John Patterson or
Charles Dibbin? said the Judge.
never heard of either of them be-
fore. was the reply.
. was utterly bewildered by all this.
and hardly knew what TO make of II
except that il meant danger to me. /
was in turn called upon TO look careful
" ~ the prisoner.
"The prisoner this time meant the
other fellow and I looked at him con-
fusedly.
:" Is that your friend Charles Dibbin?'
the Judge inquired.
-" He Is not Charles Dibbin,' re-
piled. with fear and trembling.
Ibid you ever sec him before?'
After some hesitation, I said:
81 sec now that he may be the man
that Il tOOE for (harlos INsl~ht.. =.