The Washington times., 1894-10-24
D1SGUSTED The PROSECUTOR
Mr.. Myers Dropped His HOusebreaking
Case Against Stewart Shepherd.
THE WILD CAREER OF A YOUTH
He Gave Promise of Bright Future Until He
Met Mamie Russell, with Whom He
ElOped-She Soon Tired of Him and Then
He Took to Drinking AbsInthe.

He Took 10 Drinking AbsInthe.
The main witness for tho prosecution in n
case before Judge McComas yesterday gave
Assistant District Attorney Jeffords deep dis
gust The prosecution was against Stewart
E. shepherd and James /. Miller, for house
breaking.
They were charged with having entered il
legally the real estate Office of George NJ.
Myers. at No. 1905 f street northwest. There
they took coat. an umbrella, a pencil. and
600 cigarettes Of a brand handled exclu-
sively by Mr.. Myers. They were soon after ar
rested and told q straight story. Shepherd
had been employed in the office and knew
where the key was. He got the key, opened
the door, and they went in and helped them
selves.
They told what they had done with the
things they took. They threw the key away.
The coat and umbrella were found whore they
had pawned them for 81 and for so cents re-
spectiyely The cigarettes had already gone
up in smoke. The boys pleaded guilty in the
police court and were held for the action of
the grand jury. Mr. Myers went before that
body and an indictment was promptly re-
turned.
Yesterday when the case was called Mr..
Myers was put upon the stand for the gov
ernment.
SURPRISED THE PROSECUTOR.
"Was your Office broken open in last
month";" asked Mr. Jeffords.
NO" replied Mr.. Myers.
Mr. JefTords looked up in surprise.
"Were n coat. umbrella, and lot Of cigar
cites stolen from your office?" asked the at
torney. waving his hand toward the coat and
umbrella, which were in evidence before the
jury.
mo replied Mr. Myers again.
Mr.. Jeffords' surprise settled down into a
look of puzzled uncertainty He continued his
questioning long enough TO learn that Mr..
Myers now considers the umbrella and coat as
a couple OF old, useless traps that were lying
around his Office and without any particular
value.
This testimony was supported by Eugene
Brady of Mr.. Myers Office He said also that
Shepherd had often collected for the Office
rents, and his rents had always been all right
Upon this testimony Attorney Truttt, for
the defense. asked that the defendants be dis
charged.
'Nour honor" responded Mr.. Jeffords, "if
there has been no houseDreaking and no
theft, as stated by the principal witness in
this case. don't see what l can do but con-
cur in the request Of the attorney for the de-
fense." The boys were discharged.
Miller has bad record. with one or more
terms in prison to his discredit, and his es-
cape in this case was due to his having been
caught in company better than his average
II was Shepherds family connections that
brought about the unexpected turn and the
story Is 4 good one.
Shepherds S mother is Mrs. Harvey Page. a
wealthy widow. She was in court yesterday
but was disinclined TO talk. She said she
lived in Virginia, eight or ten miles from the
city, and would take her boy in her carriage
and drive home with him. She hoped by
keeping him in the country and taking good
care Of him she could prevent his falling into
further dissipation and, through bad COM
pany, getting into jail.
HIS MOTHERS STORY.
A good deal Of sympathy was awakened by
the presence in the court of Shepherds
mother and by the statement that the boy
had lain in jail several weeks because he had
unlocked the door and gone into the Office
where he had been employed and taken an
old Office coat an umbrella, ana some cigar
cites. 1t was stated that he was half drunk
at the time. and Officer Fathers who made
the arrest should have recognized that it was
not a case of housebreaking. The boys
term in jail while awaiting trial was spoken
Of as very severe punishment for such an
offense.
But all the facts give a different color Mrs
Page has been on very friendly terms with
Mr.. Myers and has a considerable sum of
money invested in his business During the
early part OF the year she had her son, Stewart
Shepherd, In the office as an associate in busi-
ness with Mr.. Myers. He had been much dis
slpated. and she was anxious with all a
mothers love to reform him. 1t is said he
had fewer faults than the ordinary youth. and
gave promise of bright career up to the
time he met Mamie Russell three years ago
and ran away with her. Soon after she tired
OF him and eloped with the son of a Pennsyl-
wanna avenue saloon keeper. At this Stewart
went rapidly from moderate drinking to wild
excess. 1t is said absinthe became his favor
ite, and he kept himself for a long time in
state almost Of insanity.
1t was from this Mrs. Page hoped that regu-
lar business and association with a quiet IN
dustrious man would win him. The boy went
along well enough for a time, but later fell 10
drinking again. A check was wrongfully eX-
eeuted and a charge of forgery made against
Stewart. He was put under arrest and the
evidence was being put in shape to make a
case against him. The outlook was dark
Then unexpectedly Mr.. Myers appeared
and urged that the prosecution should be
dropped. He told of Mrs. Pages relation to
his business, and it was evident he was
anxious to retain her good will
In response 10 his opportunities the case
against the boy was given up and he was set
at liberty He had not been out of the Jail
forty-eight hours when he picked up Miller,
his jail-bird associate, and they were into
Myers Office helping themselves to what they
could find.