The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-06
HE HOLDS THE SACK
CHARLVS CHAPLIN CLAIMS He Is &
VICTIM OF CIRCUMSTANCES.

While working for a Man iu Barbe
County, the Postohice at Crystal Spring
is Robbed by His Employer and tn
Goods Left in the Possession of the 30
He is an Orphan and Thinks there is
Law for the Rich and One for the Poo
He Saws that Boys who have Home
Should be Thankful.
Charles Capin, aged II years, IS one o.
the United States prisoners confined il
The county Jail and If his story as re-
. talted TO an Eagle reporter yesterday L
sr-,Ee. the boy IS the creature Of circum'
stances and is deprived of his liberty
bv the crime of others. The boy mas
attracted considerable interest by par
rles who visit the JAN by 1lisfi ne appear
enr-e ard lrle attention of the reporter
being called ITO him yesterday he engag-
I'd t1Te boy in conversation and learned
khe following story, which was to-u III d
straightforward manner:
sI am confined in taf1 simply because
I am poor. and unfortunately last sum
nler worked for a man. VINO Il seems was
q thief. ] am II years of age and lost
my mother when 'oTlly 4 years Old LAST
snrfng began working for a man nam
ed GUY Pr-ant on a farm fifteen miles
west of Srysta1 Springs. The farm IS
located two miles west Of the east line
pf Barber county. / had never been 10
CRYSTAL Springs but a few times in my
fife. and in fact I'D not know the loca-
ton of thu posit0ffice. or the man name
who was postmaster and conducted me
Etor7e until ] mad my preliminary trlal.
'.You sea 7 want you to understand
br,Y easily boy cen be deprived OF has
liberty on ctrcu1nsetart8al evidence, and
hcrv a boy who has Ia fhoTue of his own,
be Il ever 50 humble. has reason TO be
fhanl1f1Il. Iwould often be left alone on
the farm for Guy Pearl, the man Tor
whom ] worked was frequently gone.
con JlInv % Some men drove up to the
hoq1sea and inquired for Guy. / told
them trlat ne YVES ait his fathers about
two miles distaf7t. a brother OF Guy s
was in tina stable when d1a men Grove
I'D out did not know 1t. The men sald
they w1arr,sd to look Through the house
end 7 v-ec.t with r7eTn. In Guys room
taley found a lot Of groceries and post
eee stamps which jIhey said had been
Springs on the night Of July 16
This was THE first knowledge had
of there having been a robbery, but
Waiter Homer. the postmaster and
s4torekeeper, said the godoS were has
ard they took them
'sTIheEy told me to get in the buggy
with frle1n and show them the way to
GUYS fathers. ! did as they told me.
When we arrived at the house it was
found that Guys brother had given
THE alarm, and the two had skipped for
the terr1itory. I got out Of the buggy
Intending ito walk back home but was
surprised when the officer told me WIS
q prisoner I did not even know there
had been a theft. or that my egnplOye
wtaes a burglar. but they said I had been
found with STOLEN goods IN my posses
ssnn and would have to stand an exam |
brtaifiorl before Judge Bousil at Arkan- |
sas City
"At the preliminary trial the same |
evbderce I have relsted was brought /
out There was not a word to connect |
me In any manner with the theft far |
srter than rf1at YVES m possession of |
Slre house and tillait Ggle house contained |
stolen goods.
you see THAT I have not only had |
The misfortune of working hard all year
cause my employer was a thief I am
naaie 10 suffer. OF course I Will come
out all right at my ttrial but I cannot
help think GlOw different would be my
case IF ] was nor a poor, forsaken or
phaE1. Gllald intended taking my sum-
,ner's wages and ATTENDING business
college, mis- winter. last winter stood
at sVie head Of my 6lass ait the DISTRICT
Bchcol and finished tile first part of
Algebra, but now all Is gloom. I am
fully convinced that there is law for
the rich and one for the poor. I have
always tried no he honest, but here 1
nm deprived of my liberty simply be
cause ] am poor.
'T wish you would tell visitors when
They come ITO 1.-The jail If rhey would only
tf1lnk tarld bring IA good book OF newspa-
per n would be gladly received. and
might do some good. You see have
good lot of papers in my cell and
spend much of my time in reading"