The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1897-06-02
"For the Baddest5One -

Il
'1!ly in the Probate court, just a
Judge Cox was about to leave TIL
bench, a little tot of a girl steppe
from her mothers side and raisin
herself on; her tiny toes before tn
railing ia front of the judge
chair, timidly inquired:
"Please, Judge, may I see tn
prisoners?'
"Certainly nycilild," smilingl
replied the judge, "but we hav
none in this court. Perhaps
though, Mr.. McGill will take yo1
to see them"
+ "Oh,. thank you, Judge" tn
little one said, ''for-I want to SCI
the poor prisoners"
Mr.. McGill led the child to thu
cage in the basement of the cit,
hall building, where prisoners al,
locked up while awaiting their ap
pearance i'll the Criminal court
and as she peered through the
bars at them, her little eyes filling
with tears, she whispered to Mr.
McGill:
ooh, isn't there something ]
can do for them, I feel SO sorry
for them?"
The child's words of sympathy
and sorrpw were the first many of
the wretched beings had heard adj
dressed to them for years, the
hrst, perhaps, some had heard
since childhood, and their ewes
and more than one
"God bless you, little
one, as the little visitor followed
her guide out of the gloomy prison
walls.
One morning several days later
there came in the Registers of
Wills mail box addressed in a
childish hand. Opening it Mr..
McGill found that it contained
several punches of fragrant arbu-
tus. Among the flowers was a
note from the little tot, asking
him to distribute the flowers
among the prisoners that day in
5he cage, with the injunction that
lie should give the largest bunch
% "the baddest one" The cage
vas again crowded that day, sew
raj of the prisoners being those
Who were there when the child
allied. After learning that the
me charged with the greatest
rlme was a negro man, brought
Up for trial that morning, for
murder, Mr.. McGill distributed
he flowers among the prisoners,
wing the alleged murderer the
argest bunch.
AS he distributed them he .ex-
'la1ned to the prisoners by whom
hey had been sent, and that their
title friend wished them to,know !
hat she felt sorry for them and
loped they would hereafter be
God. Each prisoner carefully
lnned his bunch of sweet little
overs in the lapel Of his coat, |
nd as the one to be tried for his
fe was led up stairs to face the
rdeal, he remarked gratefully:
"Tell that little girl, mister.
hat I'm powerful glad to know
at I've got one friend left me.
'awd knows dat I ism guilty, an
b'lleve dat He has done sent me
csc flowers to tell me dat it's all
wine to be right wild me-"
So it was that every prisoner
no appeared that day in the two|:
rlmlnal courts wore a bunch of
rbutus, and as those who looked
lrlously at him accused of killing
Is tellow-man with premeditated
alice saw the modest, fragrant
overs pinned upon his breast,
ley concluded that they were |
'rdly consistent with guilt. And ,
tey were not. For on the second t
~ OF the trial the jury in whose '
'eplng the prisoners life was de- 7
AIRED, after a short deliberation
at he had only taken life in
'fense of his own, and therefore :
ey acquitted him.
OF course Mr.. McGill wrote To
little friend telling her of all :
is, and q. day OF two later an
her package came to him with . :
tie from her. The package con-
med q handsome copy of the|
'ook of all books" and in the .
tie she requested him to hand 7"
to the young negro. Mr.. Nc =
IL sent for him, and when he :
me handed it to him, explaining )
at 1T had been sent to him by Y
little friend, who wrote that
3 wished him to read it that he
ght know God and keep his L
amendments. l.
The man, who had never before
On charged with crime was vern