The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-01-07
JOHN ROACH's STORY.
Tho Old Man Tells How He Reformed :.
Thief
From n Recent intervier,

Tho Old Man Tells How He Reformed I.
Thief
From Recent Interview.
! asked him il he had discovered
much dishonesty around him,
ri have employed more than 25,-
900 different men," he said. '"These
men have built for me more than one
hundred iron vessels, and my annual
pay roll has often been about $780,
900. ] was counting up the other
day, and find that, out of the 1000
men, have discovered more than
seventy in crime-offenses against the
law which would have sent them to
the pcnitentiary. l havc not only
kept them out of 1t; but In almost
every case the course l have adopted
has saved them-reformed them en-:
tirely and preserved them to- their
families. More than sixty / have been
able to keep permanently in my en-
ploy, and some Of them have made
themselves my most efficient work
men: All of them are devoted to me;
some have told, me they would lay
down their lives for me-"
/ asked him I'd tell me the stories.
'The stories?" he said; oh, they would
be too long. Love and tenderness are
the key to all reform, though, have
proved that. All these cases in their
treatment were somewhat like the
very first met: It was man with
oiit skill, who came to me for work;
bringing a character from his pre-
ti6us employer: Finding he had q
family, l showed off an unmarried
man and hired him as hight watch
man on board a vessel at the wharf.
In two or three months / discovered
that he was stealing junk and selling
it,. / sent for him. He came to the
office. l seated him by my side: You
miserable, ingrateful; wicked thief,
your / said. II gave you work, and
you are robbing mel At first he
showed bravado; and denied it. Il
know it is truel' said, and if YOU lie
to me you shall repent behind prison
bars!' / asked him about his family.
He had good wife, he said, and two
daughters. .-
care they good gir l!ss
MIYeesjj we live in bad street; but
my girls are good girls, and they are
ond of their daddy, sir!'
"How old are they?"
"The oldest is seventeen
"Seventeen! Is any young fellow
coming around paying her attention.
Eyes, sir; Johnney McFarlane, and
he is clerk in a CIR and Street store;
and they are to be married next
month"; things go right, Mr.. Roach
"Will it make any difference if her
father goes to states prison, and your
wife and girls are driven from their
home and the i1eighbors ieer them and
say "There goes the wife and children
of Andrew Gwynne, the jail bird?' :"
"At that he broke down. He burst
in tears fell on the floor and cried:
%, my God! Kill me, Mr.. Roach!
Kill me! Idon't want to live any
longer! I'd rather die than go to
Jail. have hardly thought of my
self as thief, till now. I'd rather die
than face it,
l made him sit still and l sent for
his wife. She came and sat down by
HIM in amazement, and told her the
story. He cried that it was true, and
he wanted to die: 1t came, he said OF
spending part of his days In the beer
shop Under tie house, where he threw
for the drinks and then for money.
When he lost he sold the junk to pay
his debts. He thought it was the rich
john Roach, and he'd never miss
t.
Does your wife care anything for
your l asked him: And she jumped
and gave him q hug; and said she Low.
ed him as her life, and said she would
60 to Jail with him. If let you off,
what will you promise me?' asked
him. Never to steal again!' he said.
That's not enough I said; you must
swear on the Bible that you will never
drink again And he swore it. Then
l said to her, You too, must promise
me something Yes, SIR she said.
You must promise me- l said,
never to tell anybody in the
world of it, and never to throw
it up at him-never to remind him
of it, or to hint at it when you feel
cross and fretful toward him, for that |
will make trouble Then l went with
him to the door, and told him he
could 60 and find another place. A
policeman happened to be standing
near the door, and the man SHE'D of
Us if he was come for. When they were
six or eight rods away called him
back. He thought had changed my
mind and was going to give him to the
officer, but he came and followed me
into the Office again with his wife. You
came here with recommendation
from a respectable man. l said. Il
can't give you one. How are you going
to get work. He said he did not
know. I said he would have to earn
another character, and he might as
we'll begin with me as anybody. Isent
nim back to his work. He wasn't long
= Waterman. He was so faithful and
energetic that put him at the forge.
His wages went up. For twenty years
ne was one of my most valuable and
trusted men.