Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-05-16
A PRISON CHAPLAIN.

Il congratulate you, Jim, from my
very heart, old fellow, though how
you've managed to get so far ahead Of
us all can't imagined Vicar of 81
Why, it's position even ! never
dreamed of, and as for you, l always
looked upon you, old man, as a regular
prison chaplain and nothing else. No
offense, Jim; you know what / mean .
1t was indeed with shock of aston
ishment and almost incredulity that |
had read in my morning paper, only an
hour before, that the Rev. James Bourn,
M. A., Of Balliol college, Oxford, at
present chaplain Of the Jail at Smithley,
had been appointed by the trustees to
the important post of vicar of S.,
vacant owing to its previous occupant
having been made bishop s. was
one Of the largest towns of the nortn,
and its vicar was always man of i'm
portance in the church. The trustees
had had some Of the ablest Of church
clergymen applying for the post. and
that my old friend Jim should get it
though no one valued his gifts and zeal
more than | did--seemed to me almost
incomprehensible. Had it been private
patronage one could have understood it,
but public competition, and against such
competitorsl
Jim smiled at my words. We were
again seated in my study.
''Yes, Howson," said be, II thought
it would give you turn.
Then he relapsed into silence, but as
saw he had something further to tell,
l simply sat waiting for it, without
speaking.
'Howson, pursued he, ''you know
I've some curious notions and secrets,
don you? You often think them wrong,
but though not boasting, 1 generally
find them right in the end. You recol-
lect my last story and theory. don't you?
That came out all right, didn't it?''
nodded acquiescence.
well, old fellow, this is another,
and it has come out all right, too,
thank God. No secret you can have of
mine can be greater than the one you
hold, so may tell you this. It's to be
between us only, and another who nee
CcSdLAlJ IL OuO Will ACtp IL Sdlt
enough. know you've not agreed with
me when I've held that this dogging Of
prisoners-often only once sinned-by
the detectives after their release. from
Jail is altogether bad, but I've always
said it was, and | stick to it. AS soon
as any prisoner really shows penitence
and reformation in earnest do certain
ly think he ought to have chance and
be left alone I'm certain there would
be fewer criminals.
I've heard that doctrine before from
you, Jim. but what has that to do with
your promotion?"
Listen" said he.
''It was when j was at Lowmarket,
about eight years ago. that | set out
about 10 o'clock p. M, as my usual
custom was, for a walk before retiring
for the night. There is. as you know, a
footpath that runs all round the Jail
walls, above mile long, and it was
along this path l always went The
night being fine and starlight, | took
my sister, who was visiting us, with
me. You remember Muriel, a girl of
about IS then? We walked along, chat
ting gayly, until we came to the back
of the Jail, about half a mile from my
residence, and then, whether it was ow-
ing to the heat Of the evening-a hot
August day it had been-or probably
from natural weakness, for Muriel was
not as strong then as she is now, can't
say, but all of sudden she said, Jim,
I don't feel welll' and before I could
do anything more she had fallen to the
ground in faint
II had fancied for some few seconds
before this happened that there was a
slight noise and rustic on the other side
of the prison wall, but had set it down
to rats, which were always about the
brook which flows past. As Muriel fell
l heard another slight noise like dull
thud, but was too anxious then to trou-
BILE about it, | bent over and rubbed
her hands, supporting her as well as |
could. You may guess how delighted ]
was to hear steps coming toward me,
though the walker was yet hidden by
the angle of the wall / needed help
DdQlys 41l0 uCNf fCOluCI w dc u cO4ulc1, ON
his clothes, but he stopped suddenly OH
seeing us and seemed inclined to turn
back. Seeing | had noticed him, how
ever, and observing the situation, after
a slight hesitation he advanced. asked
him to help me back with Muriel to my
house, which he did. He was unusually
quiet, and though gave him a recital
of what had happened said nothing. By
the time we got home Muriel was about
right sgain and apologized for giving
us so much trouble. We both thanked
the soldier for his kindness, and though
he would have gore on almost forced
him to come inside We all sat down in
the dining room.
"Harkl What was that sound? Againl
Againl The soldier grew pale and start
ed, but l knew well what it was, though
seldom heard. 1t was the boom of the
prison cannon, telling that prisoner
had escaped. Immediately all was
alarm. We could hear the warders and
the horses dashing hither and thithe<
after the fugitive, and went to the
door to ask who had escaped. learned
it was No. 285, young man, doing
Eve years for forgery, his first offense,