Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-09-29
A PRISON ROMANCE.

a correspondent OF lne L iHllaueipuiii IHco
writing from Erie, Pa, contributes the fol-
lowing narrative: "Three days ago q we'll
dressed, finely-formed, self-possessed gen.
tleman knocked at the door of the humble
cottage occupied by the widow Gates, who
lived in the back country, some twenty
miles south of this city, and inquired con-
corning the widows son, who had left home
some ten years ago. In a short time the
strangers identity was revealed, and the
widows long-lost son was i'll her arms
The name ofthe gentleman is Char les Staf-
ford. Ten years ago he was q rough, un-
cultivated backwoods lad. The whole of
his life since then has been passed, until
Wednesday last, in the penitentiary at Allie
phenv. and the story of the transition from
a boorish to refined condition discounts
the fiction which was the primary cause OF
the change.
son Wednesday Governor Pattison signed
Stai1ord's pardon and liberated him after
serving ten ofthe fifteen years to which he
had been sentenced for Il crime that shocked
the whole of this part Of the state, the de-
tails of which ii is unnecessary TO relate
here, from the fact that the fearful story has
been told in the trial reports, and that the
victim OF the crime is now young matron
living in the vicinity and morbidly sensi'
tive on the subject Stafford, the igno-
rant, uncultured wood-cutter, was arrest
cd and was convicted upon strong cir
cun.s!untal evidence. The strongest link
in the chain Of evidence was the fact that
when arrested he wore the red vest which
the victim of the crime noticed upon her
in hn
assertion that he had been induced to change
vests with man named McGahm, who said
he was going West, was uncorroborated,
and when number of other links were
supplied by some witnesses named Rock
we'll and Recder Moore, there was no doubt
in the minds ofthe jury, and they convicted
him in less than ten minutes.
-Four years ago the man named by Staf-
ford as the person who swapped vests with
him died in the charcoal woods Of Michigan,
and before dying confessed TO the truth OF
the prisoners; story. He denied being the
actual perpetrator, but said Stafford was as
innocent as an unborn babe. The confession
was duly attested and sent on here, but was
considered 800 obscure by the authorities.
Two years later, Reeder Moore, the witness
who gave TIE most damaging testimony,
committed suicide, and while III the throcs
Of death he confessed and cXonerated Stall
ford. Public excitement ensued, and the
community began TO fear that an innocent
lad was lauguishing in prison. Lawyers OF
eminence and citizens OF prominence prof
fered their services, and by degrees II mass
of evidence was obtained tha: conclusively
established Stailurd's innocence. Through
the tedious process OF the State Pardon
Board his release was finally effected On
Wednesday.
When we arrived at the penitentiary and
reflected upon the fifteen years to be passed
there, Stafford says he almost went mad.
His ignorance he saw was against him.
The Judge who sentenced him had adverted
to his unintellectual condition as being in
harmony with the british nature of The
crima, and he had seen the approving mods
of the Jury. He felt that he could never
hope to help himself or prove his innocence
without education: so he resolved to possess
inc power which knowledge gives. Through
the kindness Of the officials he learned how
to read and write, and then he launched
into the study of mankind as reflected in
the daily press. The newspapers furnished
to the conyicts were devoured by him with
avidity, and soon he knew moro Of the
world and its doings than thousands out
side the prison walls. One day he procured
novel from the pen of Alexander Dumas
'Thc Count of Monte Cristo"--and upon
that work of fiction his future life was
shaped. There was no learned abbe i'll
the penitentiary to dig into his cell, as in
the case of Edmund Dantes, but for cell
companions he once had minister who
had gone wrong and lawyer who had not
done right. From these ne obtained much
useful information.
He now lived for revenge Upon his knees he
sworc by the Eternal God that each of the wretches
who had sworn away his liberty should be made
to suffer as hc was suncring-year for year, tear
for tear groan for groan. By the force of his
newly acquired intelligence he reasoned out
theory which plainly indicated the guilty party
and laid bare the cunning plot of the conspirators
What was dark to him when an ignorant lad was
now clear as daylight. The perspcuity of the
letters he sent to- mis- lawyers was remarkable and
materially aided them in their search for the
facts. United States Detective Benson followed
M the clues thus furnished aud succeeded in ar
resting four of the alleged perjurcrs.
Staffords plan for revenge is to make the law
his instrument in crushing them. Some OF them
have grown wealthy in the meantime, one being
rich banker, but he proposes to devote the re-
maiudcr Of his life to the parpose of establishing
their guilt The wife of the man whom he charges
to be the actual pcrpetrator of the CT me has made
damaging admissions which Stafford was engaged
in copying when the reporter found him. Hhen
he read of the death of the man in Michigan anu
of the suicide of Reeder Moore, he says he cried
with passion aud rallied against the King OF Ter
rors for robbing him OF his prey. The death OF
the judge who sentenced him was regarded by
him as the fuflment Of the curse which his Old
mother hurled at the court after her sons sell
tcnce was pronounced
ADVICE TO MOTHERS.