The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1890-02-15

The shocked father, frenzied to distrac-
tion, caused the arrest OF his frst-born,
as the willful doer of murder.
The village constable was called in,
and before night the unfortunate lad,
more lead than alive, lay in the lock-
up on charge of murderl Stunned
and shocked by the awful accident and
dreadful predicament in which he was
placed, he could say nothing in his own
behalf. His friends gradually fell away
from him. He was in dazed, helpless
condition, in which he could do nothing
for himself Although there was no
direct proof that he had intended to kill
the woman, or of what the law calls
premeditation, and although those who
knew him best willingly came forward
and vouch ed for his character, yet cir
cumstances were strongly against him.
He attempted, in feeble way, to mum
BILE out his story of the occurrence. 1t
was not credited, If understood. His
manner tended to show gull t, and even
those who were inclined to disbelieve
in it, supposed that he had allowed his
angry passions to arise and lead him to
extreme violence. The coroner's jury
found verdict against him of willful
clared him guilty, with a recommends
tion to mercy on account of his youth
and previous good character, and he was
sentenced to twenty years at hard labor
in the bloomsbury prison, where it was
supposed he would grow up, and become
useful servant of the State as a stone
breaker. There was no interference on
his behalf by any one; his riends turned
from him for the reason that his natural
protector-his father-believed him
guilty; who, while he did not aid, GER
tainly did not iEterpose any obstacle to
the due course of law. Within a few
days after the trial, the sheriff of the
county, with a commitment under the
seal of the court, appeared, and by him
the poor boy was placed in the Glooms-
bury Jail amongst some of the most in
corrigible and criminal classes, with
whom he would have to associate and
grow up among, in the false hope that
he would be reformed.
1t so happened that one of the fore
men in the breaking gang in which
the lad was placed in the reformatory
was distantly related to the deceased
woman, and this mans feelings were
decidedly hostile to the boy. This is
hardly to be wondered at; he believed
the boy, as the jury did, to be a red
handed murderer, who had escaped the
gallows by technicality. No sooner
was the youthful prisoner within his
power, than he began a course of treat
ment towards him, both in regard to the
days task and infractions of the prison
rules, that made Joe's life in the insti-
tuition seem like a hideous nightmare.
The prisoner at this time seemed to have |
recovered his senses, so to speak. He
could look back now at the horrid scene
in which he had been participant, and
for which he had suffered SO grievously, |
with reasonable composure. He began
to think that if the trial were to take |
place again he could have convinced the |
jury that he was entirely innocent. He |
now that the peddler had |
seen the occurrence, and while he did |
not know where the man could be found, |
ne felt that if the peddler could be pro-
iuced his evidence would be sufficient |
'or an acquittal. Joe pondered over this, |
lay and night; declared his innocence
20 the prison officials, and was laughed |
Vt for his pains.
"Of COURSE" said his keeper, 'all the
prisoners here are innocent"
He vainly attempted to communicate
With those who were, or should have
,een, his friends. No communications
we're allowed to be sent from prisoners
lnless with the sanction and concur
'ence of the prison authorities. The
leeper watched the lad closely, and
eemed to take peculiar delight in max
ng the boys life miserable. Joe failed,
IN one occasion, to turn out a sufficient
uantity of stones to meet the require
nents of the foreman-all the prisoners
,eing ''tasked," as it is called. AS a
esult, he was put on a diet of bread and
water, and received but one meal day
Vt that. On a subsequent day he spoke
o one of his fellow-prisoners on being
hided by the keeper for this infraction
lie answered disrespectfully. Again the
Dread and water diet was resorted to,
With the addition of dark cell. The
,oor food and severe treatment rendered
lin unfit for the severe work, and he
allied continually. Punishment always
ollowed. Smarting under sense of
weak from lack of proper
ood, worrying about the condition of
lis brother and sister from whom he
vas entirely isolated, coupled with
thoughts Of his own forlorn and friend
ess lot, made his condition any thing
nut enviable. He became callous and
Indifferent. His repeated protests of
innocence and complaints about the
everity of his labor, lack of food and
improper treatment were unheeded.
lis threats to report the keepers con-
tant insults and petty tyrannies to the
uperior authorities simply made his own '
ondition worse. He wrote kind and
ruthful letter to his father, in which
Ie spoke of his sad life in the prison,
sked his forgiveness and begged him,
for Gods sake" to hunt up the one
witness to the dreadful occurrence,
whose truthful statement, he had no
.oubt, would fully exonerate him; add
ng that he would die or go mad if his
in the prison continued. The
etter was intercepted in the main
'tfice by one of the officials, who in
ormed the prisoner that they did not
Illow such lying reports of ill-treat-
nent to be made by prisoners who were
10 tenderly cared for by the merciful
Of the Jail
The boy gradually became morose and