The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-10-27
VAN DEUsEN,s FAIR FRIENDS.
fl
Plead Tor His tihefty and :Deluge
Him With Flowers and Tears.

Him With Flowers and Tears.
New York Oct. 81 Down in the Tombs
is dlney cell, helnmsd In with a fringe
Of flowers. Once each day bnght-faced
women, ariayed in costly gowns, visit tie
| prison and battle the buds with their tears.
With faces pressed against the bars, they
| speak to the inmate as sister might sp eak
to II brother In troHlilc, and tell him Of the
| efforts they are ma king In his behalf.
The prisoner tall and handsome, was once
an officer in the British army. Now he is
convicted felon, sentenced TO impr.s6u.
| ment FOR a year on Backwell's Island TO.
| the theft Of a womaL's Jewels. His name l.
| MaJUr Alva Van ID eusen.
The ma jcr's fair friends say he is the vic.
tim of vile conspiracy, planned and ex-
/ ccuted by blacknailers. His enemies--:f
| the man ard the woman WHO prosecuted
| h:;a may lie called enemies-say he is a
thief. IIis troubles all cluster about a mys-
terious package that was handed To- him
one evening last July by John Ducart, n
druggist, 90 DAYTON, Ohio. Van DeHsen
ass hcwas told 10 throw the pat ka re n way.
Dacart and lis wife say he was told thatit
| contained Mrs. Ducart's Jewels, aud was
asked 10 keepit safely for them until they
should ask fo- IL. The two stories were
tod In court a few weeks ago; the Jury a. !,
copied the Statements OF the prosecution,
and Recorder Goff sentenced the ma 1or to u
years Imprisonment.
Arrest. conviction andiIhprisonnent Were
not sufficient to ALLEVIATE the friendship of
the women with whom Van Deusen be-,
came acquainted W hen be was Il prosper
Gus caterer at No. 81 West Seventeenth
street. Mrs Nettie Bliss, W no conducts d
boarding house at the same number, inter
cs,eai heI self in the fate of the major, ana
enlisted the aid and sympathy OF all her
friends 10 secure his release Col r. J.
HARE wag retained 10 take charge OF the
case, and an application was made to the
supreme court for n new trial. The motion
for a certificate Of Reasonable doubt was
argued Yesterday before Justice Pryor,
who reset we'd his decision.
Mrs. Bliss and her friends oonfidentlycx
pect that the verdict OF the lower court
will lie set aside. They rave canvassed the
ground thoroughly, and if the smiles. tears
and entreatics of earnest women viii move
the hearts OF stern supreme court Justices
there Is little doubt that the ma .or Will be
granted another trial Mrs. Fisher, the
wife of Judge Fisher. Of Washington, ahd
also the SISTER of Mrs. Bliss says she has
interviewed every member OF The court
and warned them of the injustice they
would du an innocent man If they should
refuse To grant the ma i0r's application for
a new trial
"Oh, IL H. a shame To keep the mai or IA
prison" said Mrs. Bliss yesterday. ANY
one who lnnws him knows he is AZ inBO
cent OF any wrongdoiHg ] am. He is
simply the victim of Ida ckmailers There
was the tos;imony:of two persons against
one"
And while the wesry.3rm of the Law Is
poised "a the air these faithful women
visit the prison daily and tell the ma iUr
90 be chpcrful. They bring flowers To hiin
and tell him the truth viii yet b. estab
lished, and that then he will walk out 81
prison With h.s hhnCr re-established AMI
rs liberty restored. They tell him that
If the supreme court should refuse t.
grant HIM new tidal they VIII 20 to Gov.
BaCk and tell him OF TIA great wrong that
bas been done Ia sf1 innocent man, and SIX
him 10 pardon the TIA ur.