The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-04-19
A DRAMATIC LIFE STORY
Related by a Young Man With a
Yeried Career.
BE WAS A CHILD OF THE ARMY,
Sut His Misdeeds Have Finanv ssrouEht
Him to Prison Celia ssAn~sN..~
Episode mt q Criminal 1rsss IN a
Massachusetts, Court.


folk superior criminal court somewha
sensational episode occurred late yestei
day afternoon. when William Georg
Symonds. a well-dressed. intelligent-loo
Ing young man, was called for sentence
He was indicted by the Norfolk grand jury
ut it's recent session at Dedham, for th'
larceny, Nov 27, 1899, OF two valuabl
robes from the stable of his employer, DR.
Mason of Brookline, and he pleaded guilty
The court asked Symonds II he desired to
Say anything before sentence was imposed.
and the prisoner arose and told his story.
symonds' Story.
His father, he said, was colonel in a
British regiment, and he was practically n
child Of the army. being born within the
lines. When IA years of age he ran away
from school and secured place June IL,
1878, in the British army as a solo cornet-
ist In the 10th hussars, and in 1877 went
with them to India. Later, In 1878, 10
and 80 he saw service in the Afghanistan
war and followed his war service mp by
going through the Soudan campaign
where he came near losing his eyesight be-
cause of the effects of the sun and fine sand
upon 1t.
In all, he served eight years and zoe days
In the army. After coming back to Eng
land from the Soudan he had an operation
performed on his eyes. lie next became
drillmaster and served as a solo cornetist
at the Theater Royal at Aldershot, Eng.
Before he secured his position as q drill
master he had got a lawyers clerk
To Secure a wife For Him.
He married the girl the clerk secured for
him, and later, because OF her lack OF
cleanliness. lost his position.
Dec. 10, 1883, he came to the United
States and secured place ss coachman
with Murray Rush, a wealthy Philadel
phian. The day after he went into service
with Rush his employers wine cellar and
stable were broken into and a quantity Of
champagne and robes were stolen.
He was arrested for making the break
and was found guilty and sent to the peni
tentiary for three years While In the
prison he alleged that he received q great
deal of cruel and abusive treatment, and
his charges against the officials OF that
prison resulted in an investigation being
made at the instigation of the British
consul i'm Philadelphia.
Or his release from prison Mr.. Rush sent
for him, told him he believed that he wa.
innocent of tie crime for which he had
sun ltnpTIsOuucuS duu tueu gave nln
money and
Sent Him on to Boston.
After working for Mr. Spaulding for
four months and spending three weeks in
idleness, he entered the employ OF DIR. A.
Il. Mason of Brookline as coachman. He
failed to suit Mrs Mason and was dis
charged Nov. %, 1892, and before leaving
DR.. Mason's stables he stole two valuable
robes, secreting them In his trunk. He
was sorry afterward that he took the robes,
as DR.. Mason acted the part OF the good
samaritan and gave him money to pay
his fare back to Philadelphia.
When he got back to that city he
pawned the robes for $40, and soon after
went to work for Mr.. Palmer as his
valet, in whose employ he remained until
arrested.
Il am no thief, your honor; never was
thief"
He asked the court to send him to Con
cord reformatory, but, no matter what
prison he sent him to,
Not to Dedham Jail,
where, he claimed, they nearly starved
him TO death, given "rotten meat, corn
beef as tough as leather and fish not half
cooked to eat. The pea soup and bread
are the only good things in the institu.
ton"
Judge Dunbar, after informing Symonds
that he could not send him back to Eng
land, sentenced him to the state prison at
Charlestown for term OF three years.