The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1895-02-08
THE CONvICTS SON,
How a Young Australian Surprised
His English Frienda
A Story which shows That n Man May
Be n Convicted FeIon and Yet he In
nocent OF Any Crime-Every Mans
Honor In His Own Hands


Markham had astonished every one with
his skill as a marksman, says a writer in
the New York Morning Journal, "Why,
you shoot like an Indian" said Jim
Crawford.
II am worse than that" said the
other, calmly. ~ was born in Austria
liza, the son OF convict" Frank How
son and the other young men drew away.
The young host flushed angrily.
"What do you mean?" ne asked.
"You know very well that If you're the
son of convict we can't associate with
you, and so I'll tell the coachman to-
have the carriage ready for the FIVE
o'clock train"
His young hosts plain speaking did
not seem to give the other any uneasi.
ness, for he answered, with a short
laugh:
"All right-as you please. But you
may change your mind about my not be-
ing good enough to associate with after
you've heard my story"
Frank looked uncertain at this mos
ment, and then sat down and looked un-
easily at the other, who began;
"My father was arrested twenty-eight
years ago on the charge of killing his
uncle and tried for the murder. The
testimony, which was entirely circum-
stantial, was not sufficient to hang him,
but was so damaging that, in spite of
his most solemn protestations of inno-
oence, he was transported for life to the
penal settlements of Australia.
"He was taken there, and for ten
years worked like slave, with chain
and ball dragging at his heels.
SAT the end of that time another con-
vict died in the same prison, where he
had been sent for highway robbery, four
years after father was transported. On
his death-bed he confessed that he mur-
dered my fathers uncle, and gave minute
details OF the crime, and even told the
place where he had hidden the knife
which he had used in the crime, and
also where he had hidden the murdered
mans watch and pocket-book.
"Of course my father was released and
every thing done for him by the Goy=
ernment of New South Wales to show
how deeply every one regretted that an
innocent man should have suffered for
so long.
SIN year he married the daughter of
merchant who had visited the prison
very often and been ministering angel
to him and to the other convicts.
"After living a short time in Mel
bourne his dislike of the city as being
the place where he had suffered so much
unjustly drove him to move away, and
with my mother he went far up into the
interior, in the brush, miles away from
any human beings, except the natives,
and there built log hut and lived for
twelve wears.
81 was born soon after our new homo
was finished, and in less than two years
after my brother came. We grew up to.
gether, with no companionship but
each other and the few natives who
lived in the mountains near us. From
them we learned how to throwt the boom
erang and draw the bow, until, young as
we were, we excelled even them in
their use. We could bring down the
kangaroo with the bow at one hundred
Yards, even If it was yrunning at full
speed, and smash a bottle set behind
tree one hundred feet away with the
boomerang.
"When was thirteen and my brother
eleven father discovered gold on his
farm, which by that time had grown to
thousands of acres, and in two months
the country was flooded with miners
and he was worth 100000,
"My mother prevailed upon him to
move back to Melbourne, where he is
now the Governor of New South Wales
and one of the richest men in Australia"
81 beg your pardon, my dear fellow,p
exclaimed Frank, eagerly extending his
hand, while the others crowded around
him with equally profuse apologies.
But, to their astonishment and
chagrin, he did not seem to notice any
of the proffered hands, but, with quiet
smile, turned to Frank
"Now that you know how came to
handle bow so well--as also how a
man can be convicted felon and yet
be innocent Of any crime-it would
make your stock of information still
more complete if you could learn that
even if father is guilty Of crime it
does not make his son any the less
honorable or fit to associate with the
world. Every mans honor is in his
own hands, and is not affected in the
slightest by what others may dot is
by mans own deeds that he will be
judged by his Maker! And now, my
dear Frank will go to your house and
pack my valise, and If you will have the
carriage ready for the five o'clock train.
I will relieve you of my presence.
And, in spite Of his friends protesta-
lions, the boy that afternoon shook from,
his feet the dust of the Howson estate.