The Newtown bee., 1898-02-25

ing 10 pence or so fro n his employer,
and the other was vagrant.
''These two boys are chumst' said the
iailer, land both are bad. They have
been in several institutions and are too
lazy to work. They steal and run away
whenever they have chance"
That was the only partof the perform
ance that seemed to me unjust. The
iailer no doubt ia sworn officer Of the
court, but it looks unfair to allow him to
give testimony against a prisoner that is
not evidence.
The court missionary suggested that
the boys be put on one of the training
ships-and the boys, you will please to
notice, had neither pleaded guilty nor
been tried and convicted; the only evi
dence taken against them was the jail
er's.
"Do you want to go on training
ship?" the Judge asked.
Eyes, sir" said boy No. l.
''No, SIR" said boy No. 2,who perhaps
knew something of the little pleasantries
of sea life.
At the missionary's suggestion they
vuapo roDoor6oJ for O v5aoh o~ +;II auif-
able places could be found for them.
Then in came the inevitable hang-dog
fellow who had got drunk and neglected
his family, with the difference this time
that the man had turned upon the
policeman and beaten him go severely
that the officer was Laid off, for four
days in consequence-the familiar old
story of an lifted, overdrunk, weakly
| chap of hundred and thirty pounds ad
ministering severe beating to six-foot
240 pound policeman armed with club
The Judge made light of the charge of
assault, bnt looked more seriously upon
the mans habits of drunkenness.
The prisoner had the best advocate in
the shape of good looking young wife,
with two or three children, much too de-
cent looking woman to be married to
such q man, who took the stand in his
behalf and told what good husband he
was when he was sober, and shed tears
and wrupg her hands, and, in short,
reached Sir Johns heart. He was good
husband, and a good shoemaker, and
he could get work whenever he wanted
1t with his brother-in-law-he was per-
feet model of q husband, in fact that
dirty-looking fellow, with the face Of q
sneak thief. But the jaIler, saying his
say at the wrong moment, said that the
prisoner had quarreled with his brother
in-law aud all his relations, that he was
q worthless fellow and very violent when
In drink. The Judge wished the taller to
the deuce, as could see by his face, for
the wife's plea had gone home.
What can do with your he asked
the prisoner. "If l send you to prison
your wife and children msy starve; but
If L let you 60, you are likely TO get
drunk at any moment and commit some
act that may send you to prison for life,
or even TO the gallows."
That was where the court mis- sionary
began to earn his salary. He was sitting
at the end of my seat, and did no,
know who he was till he got up and
made suggestion. He saw as well as
anybody that the Judge only wanted
some reasonable excuse to let 1.-THE man
/ go, on the little wife's account.
"IfI aight offer suggestion, your
honor he said, 81 should like to say
that this man signed the pledge three
months ago, and kept 1t until he got in.
i to this trouble, He can go for long
periods without drinking. Would Ii not
be we'll to release him on his own recogni.
zance for two months, the police mean.
while TO keep him under observation?''
| The wife's pleading look, when this
suggestion was made, would have settled
the mans fate In any case.
4 1.-TWO months under your own recogni.
zance," the Judge quickly announced
ls'and remember that yonr only safety ID