The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-12

= discussion is rampant in the pies;
to-day, aud the text is, "Gan convic;s
reform?n
Reader, did you ever tell lie? Did
you ever commit theft? Did you ever
do anything dishoncrable or mean and
dirty? If so, and you long since repent
ed, don't you know the possibility Of
recovery of reason? Don't you under
stand that under favoring circunlstan-
ces your little effort can be made stur-
dy and grow up into desirable proper
tions for good among your fellow men,
and can't you therefore understand
that if, having been detected, you were
followed necessarily, exposed there,
made shameful here, pushed by un-
kind hands from every opportunity of
recovery, how you might have said to
yourself some time in moments BIT
terness, "Wbat's the use?" and then
throwing up the sponge of endeavor,
plunge back again into your old time
habit?
Why, of course, you can understand
it, and if you can't, so and see the con-
victs, any one of them marked and
branded as Cain is said to have been,
with his portrait printed in books and
sent from one station house to another,
with his record published to the world,
with the Superintendent of Police in
every city informed as to his name, his
appearance, his record and crime, the
date of his release, and then tell me, if
you can, how it is possible for con-
vict, unaided, to recoup himself and
stand once more man among his fel-
lows?
I can't give you the particulars, but
within ten days story has been told
here of man released from Sing Sing
some little while ago without clothing
of a decent make, with no money, sent
adrift upon the world.
Every body who is adrift seeks the
great commercial center.
The moment that man passed the
boundary line of New York city he WAS
recognized. Being recognized he was
spotted. Being spotted he was follow
ed. Being followed he was watched.
Being watched he was suspected. Being
suspected in these days is as bad as be-
ing guilty. He tried to get work. \
policeman told who he was. He tried
to get work. \ detective showed his
picture in book. He tried to get work.
Somebody informed his would be en-
ployer who and what he was. Finally,
in despair, he turned up on Fourteenth
street as peddler of bone buttons.
Now, he couldn't get much lower
than that.
To pe sure he was on the sidewalk,
and there was a gutter, and fearing that
he wouldn't get in the gutter police
man walked up to him and said:
"Here, l know you; get out of here"
and drove him away, amid the jeers
and taunts oflittle boys, who in time
will join that great army of malignapts
concerning whom thepoet sung, "Man's
inhumauity to man makes countless
thousands mourn"
A PRETTY TOUGH YARN.
The story of my Sing Sing man at
tracted very widespread attention, and
I received many letters about it, one
from an esteemed correspondent in
Lynn, Mass, who very humanely eN-
pressed her desire to be of practical aid
and ordered the man something to do.
Her letter came just at the time he had
secured the situation to which I refer,
and she, as others, will be interested to
know the unfortunate termination Of
his endeavor. It seems that an ac-
quaintance Of his in neighboring
State has brickyard, in which the
convict found employment. Being a
man of parts be was put into the office,
where he had charge of what they call
delivery book. For the services rem
dered he received his board and S3G q
month. He had no relatives, and be-
came very much interested in a young
woman who lives in Williamsburg.
While he was in New York, prior to
his brickyard employment, he was
under the surveillance of the police
continually. Having no money he
could pay nothing in the way of black
mail, and, as may be remembered,
from every position he secured he was
driven away. I was very glad that
good luck procured for him the posi-
ton he finally got, for two reasons,
In the first place and more especially
it removed him from New York, and
be had, 7 thought and he thought, q
chance to recover and rebuild himself
up. He met the Williamsburg woman
while in this city and correspondent
with her after he went to work. One
day he came down to visit her,
That brought him to New York.
He took her to a theatre, where he
was recognized by detective, who
pointed him out TO q policeman at the
door. Ee was followed to the Grand
Street Ferry, where he babe the young
woman good night, and hurried to the
Grand Central Depot to take the i
O'Clock train for his town. The detec-
tive crossed the ferry in TIE same boat
with the young woman, followed her
to her house, and as she assembled the
steps spoke to her. She was frightened
at first. but the mans manner reaS-