The Monitor-register., 1897-05-21
"The Baddest One"

the Probate Court, just as Judge Cox,
who was presiding in the absence of
Judge Hagner, was about to leave the
bench, a little tot of a 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 1 see the prisoners?"
"Certainly, my child" smilingly replied
the Judge, "but we have none in this
court. Perhaps, though, Mr.. McGill will
take you to see them"
"Oh, thank you, judge the little one
said, ''for l do want to see the poor
prisoners 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 looked up while
awaiting their appearance in the Crimi-
nal Court. That day the cage was
crowded with men and boys severally
accused of about all the crimes known to
oho io"' AuO moJOlity VI ohO" WCAO
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 whispered to Mr..
McGill: ooh, isn't there something l can
do for them; l feel SO sorry for them ?"
The child's words of sympathy and
sorrow 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 a few eyes
moistened, and more han one muir
INJURED: "God bless you, little one," as
their little visitor followed her guide out
of the gloomy prison walls.
The little girl, after thanking Mr.. Nc
Gill, left with her mother, and the Incl
dent was several days old when one
morning there came in the Register of
Wills mail a box addressed in a childish
hand. Opening it Mr.. McGill found
that it contained several punches of
fragrant srbutus. Among the flow rs
was a note from the little tot, asking him
to distribute the flowers among the
prisoners that day in the cage, with the
injunction that lie should give the largest
bunch to ''to the baddest one." The
cage was again crowded that day, several
of the prisoners being those who were
| thpra tho Iau tho child oal1ad A ftor
learning that the one charged with the
gravest crime was a young negro man
brought up for trial that morning for
murder, Mr.. McGiIl distributed the
flowers among the prisoners, giving the
alleged murderer the largest bunch.
AS he distributed the flowers he ex.
p lained 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 be good. Each prisoner care
fully pinned his bunch of the sweet little
flowers on the lapel of his coat, and as
the one to be tried for his life was led up
stairs to face the ordeal, he remarked
gratefully: Tell that little girl, mister,
that I'm powerful glad to know that I've
got one friend left me. Gawd knows
dat / isn't guilty, an 1 b'lieve 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 ~arDutus, and as
those who looked %ouriously at him &C
cussd of killing his fellow man nth pre-.
meditated malice saw the modest, frag-
rant flowers pinned upon his breast, they
concluded that they we're hardly consis-
tent with guilt. And they were Tot.
Fo r Gu the ttcold Gay of the tiial the
jury in whose keeping the prisoners life
was declared after a short elaboration
that he had only taken life in defence of
his own, and therefore they acquitted
him.
OF course, Mr.. MeGill wrote to his
little friend, telling her of all this, and a
day or two later another package came
W MN l d hObo llOm hoLs ADo pdCh-
age contained 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, explain
ing hat it had been sent to him by lis
little friend, who wrote that she wished
him to read it that he might know God
and keep His commandments. The man,
who had never before been charged it'll
crime, was very much touched, and after
asking Mr.. McGill to tell the child how
much he appreciated 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 friend would have him be-
Washington Star.