Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-18
BARDSLEY A WRECK.
The Convict Financier Now a Broken
Hearted, Crushed Gid Man.
A MERE SHADOW OF HISOLD SELF.
His Only Dream Is That He May Yet Be
Free Nan Once More.
GRASPING AT NEW GLlMMER OF HOPE

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.1
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 17.-John Bards-
ley, defiant, obstinate and silent, refused to
betray his colleagues in the great steal of
State and city funds. Neither the queries
of the District Attorney, the admonition Of
the Bench, nor the prickings of his own con-
science moved the obdurate municipal crim-
lnal when his was the testimony that was
needed in that hot midsummer day to open
the doors of the Eastern Penitentiary for
other and equally guilty culprits. He was
stern, unainching, and aggressive in his re-
fusal to make answers. The strong face
was stronger and more set than ever before,
and the sturdy, brawny form seemed to
knit closer and closer as the peremptory '1
will not answer" came from the firm mouth
above the square jaw. He was then the
personifeation of an iron will which could
be swerved bv neither Judge nor jury.
John Bardsley TODAY is broken-hearted,
fearful, and crushed old man. His nerve
and force have gone. He is neither defiant
nor aggressive, but pitiable in his weakness.
The few sentences he is allowed to utter to
the very few visitors are broken with sobs of
anguish which plainly tell the tale of des-
pair.
Conquered by the Law.
The brain that dominated Councils for
years and forced the City Treasury within
his grasp now only dreams of freedom and
liberty. The law has conquered.
A gentleman who has recently seen and
talked to the convict saws that the old man
has no interest, no heart in anything, but
lives and breathes only in the hope of a re-
lease to the world. No pictures adorn the
L.
made to brighten up the place. Above, be-
low, and on all sides there is nothing but
the gray, torbidding stone. Almost to-
tally friendless in his time of punishment,
he is obedient and tractable to the officials,
with the weakness of a child. He does his
allotted task of carpenter work in his cell,
but his thoughts are not on his work, and
the tears mingle with the chips as he dreams
of liberty.
"John Bardsley believes that he will be
pardoned, declared his recent visitor, to-
day, cor that his term of imprisonment will
be shortened. He has believed this from
the very minute be pleaded guilty. The
sentence of Is years astonished him, as he
had fixed the term in his own mind at five
years. He did not appreciate his position
then, but understands it now, and feels
that liberty is not for him in the near
future.
New learning for Freedom.
''The vearning for freedom has been in
tensifed by his understanding that a Con-
gressional committee is to be appointed to
investigate the management of the Key
stone and Spring Garden banks. He grasps
at the thought that something may come
out of it that will be to his benefit, and in a
weak but yet eager wav, asks questions con-
cerning it, and what is to be done and how
it is to be done by the proposed committee.
The gentleman in question expresses the
belief that John Bardsley, if permitted,
might be willing to appear before the COM
mittee and answer queries more freely than
he did those put to him by District Attor-
ney Graham. There is some conjecture as
to the power of the committee to bring the
prisoner before them as witness, and some
gentlemen are understood to be very snx-
ious to have the powers limited. In the
meanwhile John Bardsley believes that the
committee will do him no harm.