The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-31
A SAD STORY.
Unparalleled Case of Sister1y ARec-
ton in an Aged CoupIe.

ton in an Aged CoupIe,
Judge Smith had an experience VEG.
terday that he says he hopes will not
come 10 MIN again this side the val
ley of the shadows. Just after the
morning session of the court he no.
tlced that little old lady in a tidv
black dress, neatly made and fauItless-
ly htung, remained in her seat when
court was adjourned and the auditors
LETT the room. After a few routine
matters were adjusted with Prosecu-
Tor James, Judge Smith started out
the side aisle. AS he walked along the
rows of empty benches a face like a.
benediction was raised to his, and the
aged lady asked:
Are you Judge Smith,"
L am he. What can 1 do for vo,, %"
Some time ago." said the little wo-
man in black, her old English type of
face assuming a sad aspect, you SEN
fenced my brother to Jail for sixty
days for stealing some carpenter's
tools, so he wrote me, and then later
he wrote me that he was sick, and 7
now fear that he is dead. Can YOU
tell me anything about him? His
name is Jerrold Marsden, and he said
he gave his real name when arrested
The history Of the case was vet
1LCoA III JuQS6 mlnQ. Mars
den was carpenter 20 years old, sick,
out OF work, no money, and actually
starving when he stole a few carpen-
ter's tools from some workmen on a.
new building and sold them to a sec
onG-hand store.
When your brother told me his
story at his trial was deeply moved
by the circumstances of his condition.
He said that hunger drove him to the
theft, and that he wanted no mercy
shown him; he wanted to be sent to
the penitentiary, and not for a small
term of years, but begged me, if in nv
power, TO send him up for life. The
original charge was robbery, as he had
broken open door to get at the tools,
but the charge was changed to petit
larceny, and [ sent him, more at his
own request than anything else, to the
county Jail for sixty days
subsequently 1 learned that he was
taken so i'll that he had to be re-
moved to the hospital, and l think that
it is there that you will find him.
and Judge Smith directed her where
to go. During the afternoon she re-
turned with the information that she
had found him, and then recited the
story of her life and his, which, for
sisterly affection, shows but few if
any parallels.
To be brief, they Mary and Jerrold
Marsden, were orphans and alone in
the world at the age of and IA years
respectively. They We're educated in
England and have drifted all over the
world in the tide of research and ad-
venture; in wars as soldier and nurse.
and while sometimes seas or oceans
separated them, they would. when enc
or the other became involved in sick
ness, trouble or difficulties, go to one
another with that help and cheer that
never failed to find way out into
brighter and better existence.
tI hadn't seen him in many years, -
she said, ''but now I've found him,
and even though he is felon 1 love
him; he is my brother, and he was al
ways good to me, and provided for me
when l needed his help. He must have
been sorely pressed or he would never
have committed a crime. We are both
very old. but I can vet do something
to help him. L came a long distance
here, but I am in time to nurse him
back to health again." and she punctu-
ated each word with tears Of devotion.
Judge Smiths eyes were swimming
when he went to his desk and wrote
some letters to the county selectmen
asking that, if possible, arrangements
be made 10 care for Marsden at the
county ipfi,p1orv