Evening star., 1897-04-10
"FoR fHE BADDEsT ONE"

At the close Of business recently in the
Probate Court. just as Judge Cox. who was
presiding in the absence Of Judge Hagner.
was about to leave the bench, q Little tot
of girl stepped from her mothers side,
and raising herself on her tiny toes before
the railing in front of the judges chair,
timidly inquired: please, judge, may I see
the prisoners?"
Certainly, my child smilingly replied
the judge, 'but we have none in this court.
Perhaps, though, MIR. McGill will take you
to see them.
"Oh, thank you, judge the little one
said. ''for do want to see the poor prison.
ers so much" turning to Register of Wills
McGill, as he stepped up to her to act upon
the judges suggestion.
Mr.. McGill led the child to the cage in
the basement of the city hall building,
where prisoners are locked up while await
ing their appearance in the Criminal Court.
That day the cage was crowded with men
and boys severally accused Of about all
the crimes known to the law. The ma
Jority of them were hardened criminals.
and there was little in their appearance
to arouse sympathy in any one. But as
the child peered through the bars at them
her little eyes filling with tears, she whis-
pered to Mr.. McGill: "Oh, isn't there some
thing l can do for them, l feel so sorry
for them?'
The chld's words of sympathy and sor-
row were the first many of the Wretched
beings had heard addressed to them for
years, the first, perhaps, some had heard
since childhood, and their hardened faces
softened. not few eyes noistened, and
more than one murmured, God bless you
little one as their little visitor followed
her guide out of the gloomy prison walls.
The little girl, after thanking Mr.. McGill.
left with her mother, and the incident was
several days old when one morning there
came in the registers Of wills mail box
a cd in obi iSh hon ~
Mr.. McGiil found that 1t contained several
punches of fragrant arbutus Among the
flowers was note from the little tot, ask
ing him to distribute the flowers among
the prisoners that day in the cage, with
the injunction that he should give the
largest bunch to the baddest one The
cage was again crowded that day, several
of the prisoners being those who were
there the day the child called After learn
ing that the one charged with the gravest
crime was young negro man. brought up
for trial that morning for murder, Mr.. Nc
Gill distributed the flowers among the
prisoners, giving the alleged murderer the
largest bunch.
AS he distributed the flowers he explain
ed to the prisoners by whom they had been
sent, and that their little friend wished
them to know that she felt sorry for them
and hoped that they would hereafter Le
good Each prisoner carefully pinned his
bunch of the sweet little flowers in the
lapel of his coat and the one to be
tried for his life was led upstairs to face
the ordeal, he remarked gratefully: Tell
that little girl, mister, that I'm powerful
glad to know dat I've got one friend left
me- Gawd knows dat / isn't guilty, an l
blieve dat He has done sent me desc
flowers to tell me dat it's all gwine to be
right wild me-.
So it was that every prisoner who ap-
peared that day in the two Criminal Courts
wore a bunch of arbutus, and as those
who looked curiously at him accused of
killing his fellow man with premeditated
pinned upon his breast, they concluded they
were hardly consistent with guilt. And they
were not. For on the second day of the
trial the jury in whose keeping the prison.
ers life was declared after short de-
liberation that he had only taken life in
defense of his own, and therefore they
acquitted him.
OF course Mr.. McGill wrote to his little
friend, telling her of all this, and day
or two later another package came to him
with a note from her. The package con-
tained a handsome copy of the book of
all books" and in the note she requested
him to hand it to the young negro. Mr..
McGill sent for him, and when he came
handed it to him, explaining that it mad
been sent TO him by his little friend, who
wrote that she wished him to read it that
he might know God and keep His COM
mandments The man, who had never be-
fore been charged with crime, was very
much touched. and after asking MIR. Nc
Gill to tell the child how much he appre-
ciated her gifts to HIM, said 1t had all
been a lesson to him which he would strive
to never forget, and he left promising that
he would try to be at all times hereafter
all that his little frerd would have him be.