The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-08-18
WHOLE NO. 24O3.
The Story Of a Crime.

y few weeks ago Boston was startled
by daring crime. The criminal, s
lad of about nineteen, eluded capture
for three days, in spite OF all the de
tectives and a score Of eager newspaper
correspondents. What crime had this
young man committed that he should
be bounded by the law and by the
press? He had stolen over thirty thou.
sand dollars from a national bank, and
in the simplest way.
He had been the trusted messenger
of the bank. Every day large sums
had been given into his keeping. One
morning he left his home without any
intention Of doing wrong. He went tC
the post-oilice, as usual, and reported
with the banks mail. At 10 O'Clock
he started on his regular tour, as a
messenger, from bank to bank. Up to
this time he had outwardly been an
| honest lad.
On the way from clearinghouse TO
a bank, the temptation at once to take
money suggested itself. In few min
utes he would have thousands of dol
lars in his possession. 1t would take a
lifetime of hard work for him to ac-
cumulate that amount Of money. He
began To feel as if he were wrOnged.
He was only earning a dollar and a
quarter day. This, as he thought,
unjust inequality, he could now
easily remedy.
But his conscience was not dead. \
cold shiver ran over him. He stagger-
Ell along, hardly needing where he
went. Conscience battled with his
temptation. The resistance TO do evil
became less as the battle went on, and
each moment the crime became less
repulsive. At last the banks had all
been visited, aud lie must deliver the
money that he had collected. What
should he do? Remain honest or be-
come the dishonest pOssessor of wealth?
He was in fever of doubt and hesita-
tion. He looked up at the clock. IL
was noon. Already the officers had
probably begun TO inquire about him.
His wavering had consumed an hour
of time. He still paused in doubt. He
turned back in despair. Then some
thing snapped in his heart, he said,
and he dashed down the street like a
pariah dog. In n few moments he was
at the railroad station, anl there
boarded train, without much cOnsid-
Grafton as to whittier il went. He had
now east behind him an honorable
life, and was felOn fleeing from the
law. Aud, as he said when he was
caught, few days after, he could not
tell the reason why.
But there was a reason why. There
is little mystery about it. According
to the young mans own confession,
the temptation ~ steal from the bank
had come TO him some time before he
committed the crime. He saw what
an easy thing it was to run away with
an independent property, and he men
toned the matter 70 two of his young
friends.
Don't do itr' they both advise d.
Don't do it for your life.i
50 he put the deed away for the
time, but the thought of it, the plan
ming of it, he allowed to remain with
him; aad this explains the mystery of
his sin.
Our habits of thought make us what
We are. To think of wrong-doing with
desire to do wrong is one form of
evil. 1t is the preliminary step,
which may lead at any moment of
temptation to open degradation. As
my thoughts are, so will my life be, IS
an inexorable law that no Juggling can
modify and no repentance, however
bitter, can annul-Youth's Compan-
ion.