The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-12-27
A TOUCHING STORY.
One That Ought 10 Move the Hardest
Heart.


Heart. j,
was sitting at my breakfast Ia Ii
BILE one Sabbath morning when l
was called to my door by the ring r,
of the bell. There stood a boylI
about IA years of age, poorly clad, \
but tjdied up as best he could. Il
He was leaning upon crutches,
one leg off at the knee. In voice
trembling with emotion, and tears
coursing down his cheeks, he said
..Mr. Hoadland, | am Freddy
Brown. have come to see II you
will go to Jail and talk and pray
with my father. He is to be hung
tomorrow for the murder OF my
|mother. My father was good
imam. but whisky did it. | have
,|three little sisters, younger than
mvself. We are very, very poor
land have no friends. We live in a
back alley in dark and dingy
room. | DO the best ! can to sup
tIport nv sisters by selling old pa
elpers, blacking boots and odd Jobs J
DIbut, Mr.. Hoagland, we are awfuily
$ lpoor. viii you come and be with
: |us when fathers body is brought
home? The governor says we may
have his body after he is hung"
J. was deeply moved to pity.
lpromised and made haste to the
.9liail. where ] found this father
;. He acknowledged that he must
Ihave murdered his wife, for the cir
olcumstances pointed that way, but
ie ne had not the slightest reniem.
brance Of the deed. He said III
he was crazed with drink or he neve
would have committed the crime
ne He said: "My wife was goot
it woman and faithful mother to m.
little children. Never did ! dream
orlthat nv hand could be guilty Q
r? ?lsuch a crime.' The man coult
re face the penalty Of the law bravel.
,rs |for his deed, but he broke down an.
cried as if his heart would breal
tolwhen he thought OF leaving hi
;slchildren in destitute and friend
less condition. read and praye'
with hi and left him to his fate.
a. The next morning made m
=" way to the miserable quarters
these children. | found three it'll
NE girls upon bed OF straw in on
er- -lcorner Of the room. They wer
lid clad in rags. They were beautifl
girls had they had the proper care
ice ceThev were expecting the body
their dead father, and between the
nd sobs they would say, Papa WI
ispood. but whisky did it,"
In a little time two strong offlcel
theIcame. bearing the body Of the dea
Ifather in a rude pine box. Inc
~ .at il down on two rickety old stool
rhe cries of the children were
i Iheartrending that they could n
e' endure il and made haste out OF u
room. leaving me alone with IN
- terrible scene.
In a moment the manly boy ner
nor ed himself and said, "Come sister
meIkiss papa's face, before it is cold.
They gathered about his lac
ant smoothed it down with kisses, al
des jbetween their sobs cried out: "P
'ver pa was good, but whisky did 1t
Papa was good, but whisky q
he lit"
| raised my heart to God al
=, said: 80 God, did ! fight to sa
n country that would derive rt
ha enue from traffic that would ma
one scene like this possibleY'
slmy heart | said: "ln the WIZ
- history Of this accursed traffic tn
has not been enongh revenue
VINO rived to pay for one such scene
al this. The wife and mother m
dered, the father hung, the child
that outraged, home destroyed. T"
there promised my God that wo
vote to save my country from
more rule Of the rum oligarchy. | tn
Han promised that political pa
10 should never again have my
: that was too cowardly to declare
~ absolute, uncompromising prom
ticn. There is but one such pa
Aud and | vote that may finish
work at the ballot box. A sys
: OF of government that derived its
enue from results such as are :
Sup-lin this touching picture must y
on? change its course or die, un
Gods law is lie.