Huntsville gazette., 1893-12-23
HE WASAN EX-C0NVICT
Charles Arnold's Record Has
Been Brought to Light.
A DISPATCH FROM JOLIET PRISON

Five Years Ago, His Life's History Was
Entrusted to One Man in Atlanta, Who
Has Ever Since Kept 1t Locked in His
Bosom and Has Watched the ex-Convict
with Pride.
ATLANTA, Dec. 22.-Charles Arnold 8
history has been brought to the light of
day, and all Atlanta stands aghast.
He was an ex-convict, and had served
his term in the Illinois state prison at
Joliet.
Five years ago the man came to At
lanta with his wife and daughter. No
body knew from whence he came and
nobody asked until he had resided here
several months and had ingratiated him.
self into the good graces of influential
citizens and secured good position.
Then one of Atlanta's best known citi-
zens was notified in business way about
Arnold's past record, and he called
upon and questioned him concerning it..
The ex-convict told all the story of his
past life with the dark record which
blackened the last pages.
"But / have turned over a new leaf,
he pleaded, II have put my past life
with its evils and its wrongs behind me.
| intend to live henceforward like good
and honest man. Do not publish to the
people here what l have been. Let
them know me for what am and what
l will bel''
And the listener was moved with
compassion and kept the secret of Ar
ncld's life to himself.
1t was DR.. Amos Fox, to whom Ar
mold made the disclosures of his past life.
DR.. Fox was moved by the appeal, and
determined to give the man a chance;
and, as the years went by, and as he
saw Arnold, respected, trusted and sue
cessful he had cause to feel proud of the
fact that he had not crushed fellow
man and blighted his prospects when
that man had proven himself deserving
Of all the commisseration and forbear-
ance he had extended to him.
In the early part of 1889 Charles Ar
mold made Atlanta his home. He came
here direct from the penitentiary of Jol-
let, H., where he had served sentence
for embeZzlement.
Arno1ds Defa1cation.
In 1867, while paying teller of pri-
vate bank in Chicago, Charles Arnold
was discovered to be short in his ac-
counts nearly $1,000.
He was tried and convicted and sem
fenced to a term in the Illinois peniten-
tiary at Joliet Through the efforts Of
his wife and friends the sentence was
commuted and after wearing the con-
vict garbs for one year was discharged
from prison.
The American Security company, of
New York, had furnished bond for Ar
mold, and when the defalcation was dis
covered the company paid the bank
S., 900. After the payment of the bond
had been made it was discovered that
Arnold's defalcation was not quite $5,-
600, and the Security company sought
to recover the difference by suing the
bank.
DIR. Amos Fox has sbeen the Atlanta
agent for the American Security COM
pany and he was written to and asked to
see Charles Arnold for the purpose of
getting him to return to Chicago to ap-
pear as witness in the suit against the
bank.
This was the business transaction
which led Dr. Fox to make the discov-
cries he did. Arnold did not go back to
Chicago, and DR.. Fox heard no more of
the suit against the bank.
When all these facts came out, tele-
gram was sent to the keeper of the peni-
tentiary at Joliet, asking if Charles Ar
mold ever served a sentence there, and
the answer that came was as follows:
Here is the Report.
JOLIET PRISON, Ills, Dec. PA prison
er by the name of Charles Arnold, and an
swering your description, was here from
Chicago in 1888, serving one year. He was
discharged Nov. 81, 1888.
K. l.. ALDEN, Warden.
New ORLEANS, Dec. 20. - In the
United States circuit court the Jury Ii
the Italian case of Monasterio VS.. the
city of New Orleans, returned verdict
for the plaintiff for $1,000. The Scafd
case is now being tried.