The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-01-23
The Old, Old Story.

OA~A
On the outskirts of a pretty little ceme-
terry at Pleasantville, i'm upper Westchester
County. is solitary new grave, over which
has just been erected handsome headstOne
in the inscription upon which occurs. the
following line: "Died in New York State. "
Within this grave is buried the pitifu life
story of a brilliant young New Yorker, who
might have achieved fame had he been bet
ter balanced. and whose death may point a
moral for more than one far away youth
who sees in New York only happiness and
wealth. Edward Darlington. the only sur
vivor of three brothers, left an exceedingly
comfortable home and widowed mother i'm
England years ago, and came to seek his
fortune here. He was Bohemian by ma
ture-the life OF any company, well read,
musical by instinct and training, a bright
cOnversatOnalist and a SUI; cessful wielder of
the pen in journalism and light fiction
Like most young men of this sort in New
York. he made more friends than money
but still managed to live comfortably and
see good deal of life. He turned his hand
to writing plays, and several creditable
manuscripts of this sort survive him. These.
as he neglected other work tor them, he be-
came rather hard pressed for cash. In his
predicament he listened to an alleged friend
who pointed out to him means of securing
the needed cash and replacing it in good
time. The result was forgery without
absolute criminal intent on his part; the
crime was detected. followed by his arrest
and incarceration in the TOnibS for several
months awaiting trial. While there a true
friend catered to his literary needs and was
a constant visitor. When his trial came on
he declined to betray his guilty friend or
plead the baby" act. Money might have
done something in his behalf. but he had
none. He was sentenced to nine years in
Sing Sing prison. He settled up his affairs,
disposed of his personal effects and went
philOsOphically up the river to expate his
fault But he could not let his mother
know the facts. So he wrote her that he
was abOnt to leave New York and could
not tell where or when he would locate.
All his correspondence with her was for
warded through his one unaltered friend.
This was about three years ago. A year
ago when his friend dispatched a period
ical box of good things to the PRISON. it
was returned with the news that Darling
ton was dead, and had been buried the day
previous in the prison cemetery. Never
robust. his confinement had proved too
much for him. and he was claimed by con-
sumption at the age of thirty three. His
friend had the body rendered at Pleasant
vile, erected a headStone. had the grave
photographed. and sent this pitiful relic of
her boy to they gray haired woman in Eng
land after he had broken to her the true
state of affairs. Although Darlington had
been his pen name. it is not the one which
is cut above his grave and upon which. in
through her tears.
While Darlington languished in a cell at
the TOmbS his pen was not idle. although
the conditions were scarcely favorable to
credtable work. He turned his efforts at
times to verse. and one of the results shows
an inclination towards suicide as the only
relief for wrecked life. Here are three
sample verses:
Preachers tell us mans coward
Should he seek to take his life,
Though he is by grief devoured;
Though he's conquered in the strife.
If this is so, VIII can blame him,
When his heart is racked with pain,
Tyrants those who would rec aim him
TO his misery again
Coward rather he who bears it,
Lnger ng on with gasping breath;
Making crown of thorns to wear it.
shuddering yet at death. -Kink.
The Following Contains an Honest
Confession.
Alex f.. Sweet of fFayaS SiftippS haC