Omaha daily bee., 1888-01-17
REFORMED, BUT or NO AVAIL.
An Escaped Convict Captured While
Leading an Honest Life.

~ Sdu scene, llluslTullNS VI VIC uilcT |
immovability of justice to all scenes and
tales of sentiment, was enacted in u
comfortably furnished Hat on East
Sevedty-ninth street Friday evening.
julius Fuerer was forced to confess to
his young wife. who had married him
supposing him to be an honest man that
hew rs an escaped convict, that he had
married her under II false name and
that her happy home was about to be
broken up and she and her sixteen
months babe were to be thrown upon
the worlds cold mercy. He had been
captured after more than three years of
freedom, during which he had led II
spotlcss life, and, even while he made
the confession, was in company of two
officers of the law, who were waiting to
take him back to Sing Sing.
Fuerer was convicted OF forgery in
this city in May, 1854, and was SEN
fenced by Judge Cowng to five years
Imprisonment in state prison. He was Il
young man, about thirty-two years of
age, the son of u minister in Germany,
where, he had received an excellent
education and had graduated with II
diploma. Coming to this county he OBJ
tanned employment as II drug clerk and
eked out hls income by obtaining goods
on forged orders to the amount OF 5000.
In September. 1854, he escaped from
Sing Sing by slipping out of the line of
prisoners and hiding in a corner Of the
prison. He had been permitted to
sleep in the old female prison on the hill
on account of the crowed condition OF
Sing Sing. He made his way to the
river, stripped himself of all but his
trousers and plunged IN. Half way
across he thought himself
too weak to get to the other
side, and he made the best
of his way back to the prison side. He
wandered half naked in the woods till
kind female supplied him with clothing.
Then he made his way to Stamford. OBJ
tanned work in Il drug store and saved
enough money to travel to Hartford,
where again he earned money, pro-
cceded to Boston, worked there, and
thence pushed to Canada.
Detective Jackson, of Sing Sing, found
him employed in drug store in Mon
treal. Although the crime of forgery
| comes within the eXtradition treaty, yet
an escaped convict under sentence for
| forgery cennot be reclaimed. There
| fore Mr.. jackson could do nothing
while Fuerer renamed in Canada.
| Fuerer worked at his business of drug
clerk in Montreal, Toronto and Quebec,
| under the name of Charles Chestnut,
| but all the time conducting himself un-
| exceptionally. About four months ago
Fuerer began to drift back to this city
by the way of Boston and Philadelphia.
| He was accompanied by a young wife he
| had married in Canada, and by his lit
| tie child. Detective Jackson became
convinced recently that Fuerer was
somewhere in the city, and he consulted
Inspector Byrnes, who detailed Thomas
| f. Adams to assist the officer from Sing
| Sing.
Friday evening the two officers en-
| tered drug store on Graham avenue,
| Williamsburg. Fuerer was behind the
prescription desk, when Officer jackson
stepped up to him. The young man rec
| onized the officer, turned pale and ceased
preparing the prescription on which he
| had been at work.
''You are my prisoner" said Detective
Jackson.
$50 you have found me at last" said
Fuercr, attemptinga ghastly smile. But
the smile soon changed to tears, and he
sobbed: "Oh, my poor wife! My poor
wife and baby!'
Come along quietly" Officer jack
son said, land we will make it as easy
tor you as we cam"
LET me see my wife and baby first!
Let me see them once more before l.
gO!" sObbed Fuerer.
"Certainly," replied the officer, you
can see them, and we will accompany
YOU"
Sadly Fuerer, accompanied by the Off
GERS, came to this city to his home on
East Seventy street, whore in neat
apartments we're found his wife and
child. The wife, a bright, young
brunette, at first started to welcome her
husband, thinking he was home for the
night, when something in his appear
hat e hi ion,
caused her to step back without the kiss
of greeting she had evidently meant to
impart.
"Oh, Charley" she exclaimed; ''what
is the matter?"
The husband and the officers sat down
and the husband could not control him
self sufficiently to talk for some minutes.
At last, as his little child crept to his
knee and looked about wonderingly n,
the unaccustomed visitors, he sobbcd
out:
Mary, have a story to tell you
should have told you long ago" Then
then stopping, us if to summon courage
to proceed, he made a clean breast tC
his stricken wife. He told her that his
name was not Charles Chestnut, under
which he had married her, and that al
the time of the marriage he was fugi
tive from Justice. He asked her to for
give him, and declared, which thSre il
no reason to doubt, that he had re-
formed and had pursued an honest
career since his escape from prison. The
effect of the confession upon the wife
was heartrending. She was too daze(
to speak for several moments after hel
husband had concluded his story. Bu
she had not harsh word for the mar
| who had deceived her,
You have been good husband tt
me, Charley" she exclaimed, 'and
love you still" and she flung her arm!
around the convict's neck and joined
her tears with his, while the little baby
cried with them.
The scene could not last. The officer:
permitted tender farewell and the
wife was assured by her husband tha
she would be sent to his relatives IN
Germany, there to be cared for until he
should have completed his prison term
Fuerer was then taken to Sing Sing
On the way to prison he told Detective
jackson of singular presentimeut
The portrait of Mr.. jackson was pub
lished recently in the Sunday World
Fuerer saw the portrait, and read tht
accompanying article. "As | looked n
the picture" he said, Il had present.