St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-11-12
DRAWN BACK.
How Defaulter Irion's Conscience
Forced Him to Return.j


Forced Him to Return.j
New York Star.
In the soiled and ill-fitting garments
OF a common sailor, Frank NJ. Irion, the
defaulting clerk of the city court OF
Birmingham, Ala. arrived here yester-
day on the steamship Egyptian Monarch
from London. At quarantine three well
dressed men boarded the steamer and
walked forward to where a gang OF
sailors were busy in the fOrcastle. They
We're Deputy Marshal Bernhard and two
officers from Birmingham, who had
been waiting to arrest Iri0n on his ar
rival.
swell, Frank, can this be you?" asked
one Of the officers, approaching tall,
Well-fOrmed young man of thirty years,
who advanced from among the sailors
with his cap in his hands as they ap-
preached.
!"sYes," responded the young man.
land Pm glad you've come. l want to
go back and suffer for my crime. My
remorse is terrible"
sThen 1 arrest you," replied the
officer.
There was stir among the sailors.
who could not understand why one OF
3
officers of the law.
"That's all right, boys" said the pris-
oner. turning to his rough companions;
"l-deServe arrest, for Pm criminal"
Hot tears ran down his cheeks and his
fellow sailors seemed almost equally
affected.
When the steamer arrived at her dock
at the foot of Twenty-fourth street,
North River, lriOn was taken ashore
willing captive. The officers took him
to a hotel.
The story of Irons career since he fled
from his native town, Birmingham, Ala.
defaulter for thousands OF dollars, as
told by himself, is remarkable as rO-
nance. Some fourteen months ago he
was trusted and respected as clerk OF
the city court. He moved in the best
circles of society and was member OF
several social and intellectual clubs. He
became defaulter and fed.
An examination of his accounts
showed systematic course of decep-
ton and fraud.
Iron rambled over the Western coun-
try and gradually spent every dollar he
had when he left Alabama. Finally he
or friends, and beset with a growing
everywhere. In desperation he shipped
before the mast as common sailor on
an English ship bound for Liverpool.
Even at sea his fears did not desert him.
Added to the dread of capture, he was
possessed with horror of passing his
life branded as criminal.
The voyage was fearfully rough one.
and in rounding Cape Horn IriOn be-
came i'll. For weeks he was too sick to
work, and at times it was feared he
would become insane. More dead than
alive, he arrived In Liverpool, where he
left the ship and proceeded to London.
determined to place himself in the
hands of the United States consul and
he sent back to Birmingham to atone
for his crime.
He arrived in London in the early
part of September and went direct to
the Office of Consul General Waller. To
him he made full confession and
consul placed the matter in the hans or
Martin Waller, vice consul, who Sc
cured him berth as common sailor
on the Egyptian Monarch.
On the day the Egyptian Monarch left
London for New York cable was re-
ceived by Consul General Waller. ask
ing him to arrest lriOn Oh his arrival i'll
London and hold him prisoner till the
arrival of an officer from Alabama. An
answering cable informed the author
tiles in Birmingham that IriOn was on
his way to New York.
On the voyage Irion worked well and
cheerfully. One of his fellow sailors in
describing him said "He was just like
any of us sailor men. From the way
he worked about ship it seemed as if he
must have been born salt. We liked
him because he was real gentleman.
He was the most intellectual sailor |
ever saw, too. Such things he knew!
Why, he was posted on everything. We
never expected he was refugee from
justice, although he said once OF twice
that remorSe for certain thing he had
done was killing him.
Another sailor on the steamer showed
Star reporter scrap of paper on (which
was written in clear, bold hand,
Frank M. Irion, Birmingham, Ala
bama."
Il didn't know his name till he wrote
that for me-" said he. 'and none of us
in the forecastle suspected him of being
anything but very intellectual but pc
culiar man."
In appearance Irion is tall and power
fully built. with slight beard of light
color. blue eyes, and frank, open
cOuntenance. His forehead is remark
ably high. and his actions, aside from a
ronarcoful attituda fraoly and monlv