The morning news., 1888-09-22
A NJ Z RID E R ER'S TERN
TERRIBLE CRIME FOR WHICH AN
INNOCENT MAN SUFFERED.

of Trial.
From the Netoork Cali
ut is quito natural and usual for prison
ers to protest that they are innocent" said
the prison doctor one night last week, while
enjoying his cigar after supper and admir-
ing the view up and down the Sound to a
reporter. "In fact, we rarely find a con-
vict who will admit his guilt even though
the evidence in his case were thoroughly
conclusive. Nobody in the prison ever be-
lieves convict's story because this fact is
so well known. OF course there are marked
exceptions and have one in mind which is
really interesting, because it shows how i'll
luck will sometimes pursue an individual
and how weak will leads youth into
trouble.
THE VICTIM OF BAD LUCK.
"For q long time we had employed in the
barber shop young man named Whipple,
who was born up near Canojoharie. His
father was small farmer, aud, after giving
the boy sort of a pickup education, he
sent him TO learn the trade of harness-nnk-
ing in a nearby town.
81 knew the family quite WELL and learned
the earlier incidents of the lads career at
the time through local gossip. Young
Whipple did not like the smell of harness
leather and grumbled a great deal about his
fate. His father kept him at the business,
however, and thrashed him once or twice for
making threats against his employer, who
was really hard man to get along with,
and frequently used the buckle-end of a
strap on his apprentices when anything
went wrong in the shop. Whipple was not
particularly bright boy, and as he got the
most Of the larruping, he had the most
cause to complain, aud over and over again
he had been heard to threaten to burn the
harness shop.
ACCUSED OF ARSON.
"When he had been working for the har-
ness-maker about year the shop took fire
one night and was burned down to the
ground. OF course everybody thought
that Whipple set it on fire, and the suspi-
cion was in measure substa"t "tiated when
search was made for Linn and it was found
that he had fed.
efforts were made to capture him, but
they were all unsuccessful at the time and
it was not until onths later that tidings of
him were obtained. Then we heard that
be was arrested at Utica for picking pockets
at a political meeting. Nobody believed
this to be possible, aud his father went on
to see him. Young Dick told his father that
he was perfectly innocent of the charge and
that he was arrested with nearly a dozen
other strangers on the day of his arrival in
the city with travelling dentist. for whom
he drove phaetOn.
CONVICTED on CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.
"On being arrested he was put in big
cell with four other prisoners, all of whom
had been searched in a careless manner by
one of the officers, and nothing eliminating
was found on any of them. Next morning,
for some reason, they were searched again,
and a stolen pocket book, rifed of its CON
tents, was found in the outside pocket of
Dicks sack coat This was considered to be
conclusive evidence against the youth, and
he was committed for trial, while the others
were discharged for want of evidence against
them. 1t caused his father considerable
trouble and expense to get the boy off, and
just as soon as he was acquitted constable
grabbed him 5n the charge of burning the
harness shop He came home in custody,
and was promptly committed on the charge
of incendiarism.
''At his trial he set up an alibi, which,
while it was proved to the satisfaction of
his father and few friends of the family,
did not convince the jury, and Dick was
convicted and sent to prison for two years.
Meanwhile the harness maker was having
trouble with the insurance company, and
he pressed the conviction as a clincher that
he should have his money. The insurance
people were not satisfied and refused to pay
the claim The case was brought to suit,
and in the trial it proved that the company
had a sharp detective working on the case
for months and he testified to the removal
of large quantity of stock from the shop
just before the fire was discovered. This
brought the harness-maker under suspicion,
and although it could not be proved that he
fired his place, it was proved that he was
trying TO defraud the insurance company.
THE REAL FIRE-BUG CAPTURED
"Whipple at once engaged the services of
the detective to work upon his sons case,
and in few days was able to prove that
the boy ran away eight hours before the
fire, aud that his alibl was capable of the
most complete establishment. The case was
reopened and Dick got out Of prison after
serving four months. He left town imme-
diateiY and went back to his native village.
His i'll luck pursued him, however, and he
never missed getting into trouble if there
was u chance.
"Inext saw him when took nv place in
the prison. He was then in the barber shop
with two 9th rs, and was cheerful, though
protesting his innocence constantly. l. had
several long talks with him when the oppor
tunity afforded. He told me the history of
his travels after leaving home the last time.
He said that he tramped over 100 miles
without other incident than being half
starved. and then he was arrested one morn
ing while sleeping in hayrick and con-
fronted with charge Of highway robbery.
IN DANGER OF BEING LYNCHED.
"a farmer had been attacked on the road
the night before by three tramps and beaten
into insensibillty. They robbed him of his
watch and money and left him i'll the road
for dead. 1t happened about four miles
down tho road, III the direction in which
Dick was going. He was hauled before the
local magistrate and then taken into the
presence of the injured man, who positively
identified him as one Of his assailants 1t
looked dark for Dick, but be was beginning
to be reconclled to such mistakes, and spent
the night in Jail with a resignation which
surprised him. If the farmer died, Dick
was in for a hanging-match, and If he lived,
there was Il chance of his youth being passed
IN prison. He tried TO recall the incidents
OF the previous evening, and could remem-
Der but one which might DO Of use 20 him.
HE asked for drink of water at farm
house six or seven miles buck on the road
that evening, and young woman asked ii
he wouldn't rather have milk, and gave him
a dipperful. This he thought might estab-
lsh an alibi, as it was eleven or twelve miles
from the scene of the robbery, and must
lave occurred within an hour or two Of the
time the farmer was attacked. Would the
girl remember him and come to his aid II
he seat Tor herr He believed that she would
aud this gave him comfort enough TO per
NIT him TO rest well.
THE wpoNG MAN AGAIN