Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-18

PEELED any errors he might have been labor.
lng under was heard, When be got back
to England he belled his expressed landa-
tlons and wrote things that will ever stain
bis reputation Tor fairness aud veraoity.
DICKENS DuToHMAS.
II 10 rather trite subject TO refer to the
prisoner whom the great novelist made
famous by his pity and who aterward be.
came known as dickens Dutehman," and
yet there are features Of the marvellous
manner In which he gave the lie to the
story OF Boz" which Mr.. Vaux told me,
Of which he 10 Q part, and which may not
be generally known. The reminder that
this man, Charles Langheimer, was one Of
the prisoners with whom Dickens conversed
and Of whose condition he drew such q
mournlul picture, Is scarcely necessary. He
compared the little garden leading into the
main cell to q grave.
"a more detected, heartbroken, wretched
creature II would be difficult to imagine. l
never saw such picture Of lorlorn ufliction
and distress Of mind" wrote Dickens, and
later on he added: ~ never saw or heard Of
any kind OF misery that impressed me more
than the wretchedness OF this man."
What O spectaclel This poor creature be-
Ing driven into bis grave by the heartless
regulations OF the system Of solitary con-
fnementl That was in 1841. In 1870 Dick
ems died. In 1885 Charles Langheimer was
still alive. But that 10 not all the tale.
When the novelist law the German thier he
was serving his second term of imprison-
ment in the penitentiary. After that he
served u more, or IA In all, in the same in
stitution. once saw him in the Quarter
Sessions after be had been sentenced to q
brief imprisonment in the county prison.
With tears pouring down his cheeks he
begged to be sent back to the penitentiary,
even though his time had to be doubled.
His request was granted.
STEALING WAS A DISEASE.
With Langheimer stealing was disease.
Mr.. Vaux tells me that at one time he could
have trusted him to carry 81 900 in gold to
bank, but upon his return Ii he saw door
way open he could not resist the temptation
to enter it and pick up the first thing he
could lay hands on. After his last impris-
onment his daughter, who is married to
very respectable man, refused to have any
thing more to do with him. He was then 80
years of age. and without penny. He was
given an order of entrance TO the almshouse.
With this in his hand he entered Mr.. Vaux's
Office and said: "See what have come TO-
Please don't let me 60 to the almshouse.
Send me out to the prison. It Is the only
good home ever had. Please send ne back
there"
II Dickens could have heard those words
wonder what he would have said.
Charley" said Mr.. Vaux, IT don't
know whether or not the Warden can take
you in, and then, too, you are dreadful
nuisance. But it you will promise to be-
have yourself you can 60 out to the prison
and ask the Warden If he can find room for
you."
He presented himself and made his re-
quest, and pleaded earnestly that it might
De granted. Finally the good-hearted
Warden said: "Well, If you behave your
self guess we can find room for you and
enough for you to eat"
HIS JOY KNEW NO BOUNDS.
The old man actually leaped for joy, and
tore his almshouse pass into bits, which Mr..
Cassidy, the Warden, afterward collected
and pasted together, and the card is now one
OF the curiosities Of the big building. The
next time Mr.. Vaux visited the prison he met
who began one OF his custom
ary complaints-similar probably to that
which deceived Dickens-this time the
trouble being OF an alleged rheumatic char
acter. Mr.. Vaux loosely seized him by the
shoulders and shook him until he screamed
The next time they met the old man said,
"Mr. Vaux, shake all the rheu-
matism out Of me-"
But in a lew days the pains of old age,
whose meaning he did not understand, re-
turned with renewed violence, and he sent
for the Warden. When Mr.. Cassidy saw
him in his cell he knew that poor Lang
heimer's time had come, and two hours later
he quietly breathed his last In the prison In
which he had spent the greater part Of
prolonged life. Solitary confinement had
permitted him to die OF old age.
LOUIS N. MRGARGEH.