National Baptist world., 1894-09-07
TEMPERANCE.
A DRUNKARD'S HISTORY.
An Awful Record of Crime Brought About
Through Drink.

and told while Michael was waiting in
the ante-room of police court for ar
raignment. AS he stood there leaning
wearily against the wall, nervously
lingering his wooden bit of personal
history, he was an object to attract
notice.
A man fifty years old, with gray
hair, wrinkled, good d-natured. sharp
face, deep set eyes, generally half
closed, high nasal voice, rising alb
ruptly at the close of each sentence as
If he expected that somebody was GO
ing to contradict him and proposed to
make trouble if anyone did, and a
manner of preternatural gravity, the
heritage of his previous days debauch:
such was the man who gave his unique
autobiography to the reporter.
Nineteen times to the island in
1even year. Nineteen times in 'leven
! year, an every time for six months.
To-day'll be the even twenty, an that'll
| be six months, TOO. An me, who might
"a been eddicated man. maxim laws
instid of breakin' 'em. There it is all
on my little notch stick, cut in good
and deep to remember by. That's the
record of Mike O'Leary-Old Mike wot
has give the police many good racket
in his time. Man an boy I've been the
roun's of the stations an courts. but it
wasn't till long in 'S3 that | took up a
vOtin' residence on Blackwell's island
It's all on my little notch stick here
'even years of it."
Mr.. O'Leary held up his stick and ex-
amined it carefully. Then he put his
thumb III the first notch and continued:
''Notch number one. That was a
bird, that drunk was. / got it New
Years day, 1888. an | kept it up for
two weeks | was a mechanic then an
had money. but | ain't worked since.
After I'd been jagged for two weeks |
got into Harlem court one mOrnin' be-
fore the judge came an went to sleep
in his chair. 1t took three cops an
the two scrub women to get me out, an
there wasn't much left of the judges
chair when we got through. He sat in
a ordinary everyday cane chair an
sent me to the island for six months.
That's what that notch stands for
"That saved me the trouble of swear
in off. | got kinder acquainted over
to the island an used to the place, an
when | got out in the summer felt
homesick. so | went on the brace, an
some sucker give me dollar. | slep
sober that night in the Chatham
square lodgin. Next day it was hot
spiced rum an nickel whisky an
jag that lasted over night.
Then | went TO roost in the gutter an
woke up in the Oak Street station. 1t
was six months an a game of talk from
the judge thrown in free That's what
that nick in the stick means with big
D an 3 opposite. That d means
drunk an the is for the days / was
out. Then them two notches next is
drunks, too. One was out four days,
an the other two.
Next time l got out didn't scarce
ly get a smell of air, for JUS as /
climbed out the boat struck some old
pals, an we went to a gin mill close by
to celebrate. | was in the jug before
night, cause | started out to swim
back to the island, an tried to lick two
cops wot pulled me out an then pulled
ulc ILL., OLA IIlOI1Uilo 1OI CLiIU. OIL S1lLCI
that a vacation of near week For
six days / was sober as the Judge that
sent me up, then l was in the hans of
my frien's, an then in the hans of the
police.
"That wasn't nOthin' new, an after
I'd served out my term / got the twin
of it after bein' out two days an a
night. That's all in them notches.
Them is all drunks. l hit a new line
next time. Mlicious mischief, they
called it, but l don't see nothin' so
m'licious in throwin' rock over your
head an havin' it 60 through a plate
glass winder. The judge did. though.
He seen it for six months on my count
an that when l told him I'd only been
out for one day. He said it didn't make
no difference. That made me hot
said when | got out I'd be sober, an
sober / was for six months on the island
and six months more after got out.
One full year with never ball. That's
wot that long line cut in opposite that
ninth notch means. was up the state
worxin' on farm then. I'd "a been
there yet on'y they gave me vacation.
/ came to the city, an my frien's found
me. That settled me. Another skier
for gettin' drunk an half KILN Dago |
because he wouldn't let me warm my
feet in his peanut roaster I'd got the |
hang of stickin it out then, an 1 put |
another long line opposite that notch. |
See it? That's four months sober, an
it's the last time beat week. Drunk |
an disorderly, that charge was.
81 was out near seven days after |
that, but | was drunk all the time.
That wasn't what they sent me up for,
though. 1t was for carryin' concealed |
weepon. See that little carvin' of a
pistol opposite that leventh notch?
That's him. But there wasn't nothin'
concealed about that weapon. Not on
your life I was wavin' it roun' my
head an yellin' that, drunk as was, l
would make any son-of-a-gun that tried
to say anything to me think he was a
sieve. Say, was drawin' card for
one-half hour, but I got dizzy an
dropped the gun an they nabbed me.
After the six months / got for that I
was a free an equil citizen for two
days Then there was three more jag
terms, an you'll find six days. an six
days'. an seven days' vacations marked |