Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-06
THE BOLD BEN BRILL.
A Robber Chieftain Writes From the
Riverside Penitentiary,
BEGGING THAT A FRIEND BE FREE.
Graphic Description of Band of Burglars
IgnOble Ending.
VICTIMS OF YELLOW-BACKED NOVELS

At the coming meeting of the Pardon
Board in Harrisburg application will be
made for the release of young man from
Riverside whose criminal history can be
traced directly to the effects of reading dime
novels.
Five years ago Ben Brill and young
fellow named Koch, both from the South
side, were sentenced to Is years in the peni-
tentiary. Yesterday Attorney S. A. Am
mon received statements from both prison.
ers to be presented to the Pardon Board,
giving a full history of their escapades.
The letters themselves are marvels of con-
struction, couched in the most eloquent
language and the most grandiloquent style
imaginable, containing all the studied set
phrases of the regulation novel.
The graphic Ben Brill starts out to tell of
an organized band of boy robbers on the
Southside, their rendezvous and secret pass
words, and of the many petty peculations
committed by them; all under the guidance
of their acknowledged chieitain, whose
chosen robber name was Ben Brill. He
lived double life, did this bold Ben Brill,
and in private life hustled around South
side mill, accompanied by some such
harmless name as Smith or johnson.
When the shadows fell o'er the hills, unas-
suming johnson became the scowling, cruel
chieftain Ben Brill, the chosen leader for a
gang of dime-novel readers and till-tappers.
CRUSHED, BUT DEFIANT STILL.
In bold Ben's confession, now in Am
mons hands, the crushed but still defiant
chief tells of how he first met Koch in the
mill, and how they were first drawn to-
gether by discovered affinity existing in
a mutual love for yellow-backed literature
and wild adventure. The idea struck the
peerless 1S-year-old chief that Koch would
make an excellent tool, and he confesses in
touching and tender words, how he undeN
mined the youths natural honesty, how he
painted the robbers life in beautiful colors,
and threw a. glamour of romance of the
stealing of a mere piece of bologna from a
butcher shop that proved irresistible to the
aspiring Koch, who hesitated and fell.
Then the brigand chieftain tells of a
couple of insignificant sneak-thieving acts,
and then in an awe-struck way goes on to
whisper of one dark and gruesorne night
while breaking into house, they awakened
the inmates, and fled ingloriously before do
ing any more damage.
As pursuers were hot upon the trail, the
painting chief whispered an order that they
make ''datoor" and thus foil the foe. AS
the attempted burglary was out in the
suburbs, this brilliant maneuver necessi-
tated a semi-circular chase of about Is
miles hut with clenched teeth
THE ORDER WAS oBEYED
by the single follower Koch, and over fence
and under hedge, now hiding or lodging,
now sneaking or crawling, now leaping
like hound or trailing like snail, the
Jones & Laughlin tunnel is reached at last.
"Stop," ordered the watchman. "On, my
brave band" yelled Ben Brill, who dashed |
into the tunnel, followed by the brave band |
in the shape of limping Koch. Here new
difficulty presented itself in the shape of an
,ther watchman, who, according to Brill's |
did dastardly act by drawing |
weapon, and without one word opened fire |
upon the devoted band of two. Brill fell at |
the first fire, and thinking his wound was
fatal, implored Koch to fly and save him.
self "Never," said the intrepid youth,
md seizing his supposed dying chieftain by
5he collar he yanked him through the tun-
lel, out along the river bank, and hid him
N some tall grass.
"For Gods sake, fly and save yourselfl"
loarsely whispered bold Ben Brill, as he
elt his life slowly ebbing away, and the
man flew, not to save himself, but
or doctor. He returned with a physician,
md found the dogged chief not dead, but
arrested, piece of plaster patched up the
yory wound and both were led off to Jail.
The scene is then transformed to the court
'oom. The two culprits having no money,
lad counsel appointed, and Brill goes on to
ell he was amazed on being told to stand
Up for sentence, as they had no trial, and
lad not pleaded guilty. His counsel came
md whispered to him that Judge White
lad said he would double the sentence on
very one of the seven indictments if the
rial weren't finished that morning, so he
lad pleaded nolle contendere on the whole
even.
NOT UP IN LATIN.
As "noIle contendere'' isn't greatly used
n dime novels, neither of the boys knew
vhat it meant, so they agreed to the action
# their counsel, and almost fell out of the
'ox when Judge White gave them 13 years
ach to the penitentiary.
'Our treacherous, perfdious counsel"
writes the crushed robber chieftain, "de-
erted us at the hour of our direst need, be-
ause he knew we had no money. By this
gnoble, traitorous act, he caused my inno-
ent companion, Koch, to plead guilty of
i've of the seven indictments, of which he
Tas innocent, and alone am guilty"
He then goes on to say in a very earnest
Tay that poor Koch really was innocent,
n that he did not ask for pardon himself,
nj only asked the board to pardon his un-
ortunate tool. He then goes on to tell of
is conversion to the faith by Chaplain
filligan, and ends with another TRADE
gainst the treacherous, traitorous, perfd-
BUS counsel.
Koch's statement is even more volumin-
us, covering q sheets of legal cap, written
n both sides. The language is just as
though it is written in a
lore submissive spirit than that of the un-
onquered chief. Mr. Ammon will 90 to
harrisburg about the 18th. 1t is work of
ure good nature on his part, as poor Koch
asn't penny, but talks mistily of intangi-
lie rewards somewhere else.