The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-06-18
A Reformed Convict.

Six years and three months ago,
Charles w. Angel was arrested, in Hi.
nois, for embezzlement. He was tried,
convicted and sentenced To the peniten.
tiary for term of ten years. Because Of
exemplary good conduct while convict,
he cut down his limit Of incarceration to
less than seven years. He was made
Superintendent Of the prison marble yard
and, being a skilled accountant, perform.
ed the duties Of his position with skill
and fidelity. He is now q free man.
No favors were bestowed upon him as
convict, nor did he esk any He began
wi.h the rudimentary processes Of stone
cutting, and worked himself up, by per.
slatent labor, to most responsible post.
80 expert has he become, and so thor.
oughly has he expiated his crime, that,
Immediately upon the expiration Of his
sentence, he was engaged by the peniten.
tiary contractors, at large salary, to
remain in charge of their business as it's
general manager.
The deputy warden said of him: "fn
my fifteen years experience I have never
known man with so great talent for
making friends s--amoug prisoners and
officers alike. We would part with him
with genuine regret If he were really
going away. as it is, we rejoice with
him upon his emancipation"
Mr. Angel has had Christening expe.
rience. 1t has been remarkable one,
because In majority Of cases, men like
him become desperate or hardened, losing
hope and courage. Not one person in
ten thousand would accept, as he did,
incarceration in that spirit of discipline
which makes better man of the offender,
and, may be, stepping stone to heaven
Of himself Mr.. Angel said
AT o'clock to. o.night the past becomes
o cloded book why open it7 I came
here over six years ago in obedience to q
sentence whose justice I admitted and
still admit. Since then Isheve paid the
extreme penalty Of the law and have
expiated 90 far as It ls possible the often.
ses OF tho past. have asked no favors,
made no complaint. and make none now.
simply thank God that have found it
possible, by unrclenting devotion to dep.
uty, to make place even here. / begin
the world, financially at least, Just as
did twelve years ago-with nothing
except number Of friends whose true.
hearted kindness seems to me now to be
worth the six years spent here. l ask
ior nothing now except to be left alone;
to have the same chance as any other
man."
Thst is modest, manly, pathetic. We
have no doubt that, in Gods providence,
this man has redeemed himself, and
should 40 stand before the world. That
he did not lack friends who appreciated
his repentance and expiation is credita-
Bile to the human race, which is not al
ways the unrelenting and implacable
monster depicted by Victor Hugo, in the
character of Jean Valjean and his pur.
suers. 1t is not likely that Mr.. Angel
will push himself forward or seek to
attract the public eye unduly. Nor is it
at all likely that he will ever again yield
to the temptations that made him felon.
He has shown himself worthy of trust,
and will not lack that celestial recogni.
ton which causes more joy, in the unseen
world, over one sinner doing peuance
than over ninety mine just men who used
II not.-Aug,sta Chronicle.