The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-10-22

6kTE WA
This strange story affords an instructive
study in c~riminology, and is doubly in
tcresting from the fact that it is written
and illustrated by an inmate of the Colo
RADIO penitentiary:
sWhat induced mo to become a train
robber?'' said the convict nurse, looking
up from the book he was reading to a
patient who was fast approaching the end
of his criminal career. 1T was all a
joke. Not that train robbing is anything
of a joke, but it was a joke that led, or
rather drove, mo to engage in it.
ssThe story is q long one, hut if you care
to listen l won't mind repeating it,
Being assured that anything he might
say would interest the writer, he began as
follows:
1.-The death Of my father, which occur
red when I was 12 years old, left me an
orphan and but little else. When his
debts were paid, it was found that there
was barely sufficient money left to give
me a three years course in a private school,
after which, I was told, I would have to
shift for myself.
-sMy conduct while at school won me
the good opinion Of my teacher, and it
was owing to his good offices that two
days after leaving school / was installed as
clerk ia the village drug store. There l
devoted my whole time to the study of the
business, with the result thfsat she emu of
four years I was prepared to demand reocg-
milton from the state board of pharmacy;
but, though / passed a creditable exam
nation, ] was refused q diploma because
Of my being under legal age.
"My employer sympathized with and
assured me that it should not initiate
against my promised raise of salary.
ssThe hard study of the last few months
had injured my health some, and my IN
ployer advised me to take an excursion to
recruit my strength before resuming my
duties in tho store.
His son, Tom, a fine fellow a year
younger than myself, was going fer a trip
through the west before beginning o course
at Yale. Why should not I accompany
hims
sTom's mother, good woman, vas at
the bottom of this little scheme. She
thought that my quiet, regular habits
would act as o check on Toms more ardent
temperament.
ssTom's choice Of route, as I soon learned,
was made with q view to seeking m adj
venture that would serve to make a hero
of him when he got to Yale. Indian raids
and hold ups were Of frequent occurrence
in tho west in those days, but although
we We're both heavily armed, we were fast
nearing the end of our journey without
Tom having had the coveted opportunity
- lsolsr-x-{oL t,,.cn1f xr1,1 -, 1,-or+ 90
cured which was destined to change the
whole tenor Of our lives.
About S o'clock one evening, when
some 40 miles from Kansas City, Il train
stopped to take Oh a single passenger-a
man whose long hair, sunburned features
n awkward gait would have proclaimed
him a cowboy even without the hugo sad
dlebags which he carried.
1.-THE stranger found a seat in the smoker
directly across the aisle from the one in
which Tom was ~leisureiy putting a cigar
cite.
EVERY article of furniture in the car
seemed to have a special interest for the
newcomer and by the expression Of his
face as he watched the telegraph poles as
they shot by the car window it WA evident
that he was enjoying his first ride on a
railway train. CHANGING at Tom I saw
that he was contemplating the stranger
with an amused smile. I knew that he
was plotting mischief and was about TO
warn him to desist, but before ] could do
SO the stranger addressed himself to Tom
in these words:
8 Say, young man, is there anything
to drink on this train-liquor, I mean2'
"sPlenty Of it, said Tom, without oves
cracking a smile.
We'll, I'd like mighty we'll to have a
drink
".why don't you ring the bell and or
der oneg'
. Ring the bellg Where is the bell?'
There said Tom, pointing to the
bellccrd. Pull that rope, and tell the
waiter to fetch us both a drink
1.-THE cowboy gave the rope a jerk, and
the engineer responded instantly, bring
ing the train to a lead stop. The next
moment the conductor, purple with rage,
cano running into the smoker.
who pulled that bellcord?' he cried,
as he bounced into the car.
"tI did, said the cowboy. Fetch me
about half . pint Of good whisky and
bring this young fellow a drink too
e Sc you are the cause of all this trou-
BILE, are you, you young scoundrel?' yelled
the conductor, addressing himself to Tom.
"sI'lI teach you not to delay the United
States mail, and before Tom could de-
fend himself he found his throa clutched
as in a wise.
jumping to my feet, I jerked my re-
volyer out of my pocket and brought it
down with a crash on top Of the conduct
or's head. Ny only object was to serve
my friend. and / thought that I was doing
right, but that n blow wrecked both OF
our lives.
ssThe conclusion caused a cartridge to
explode and go crashing through the roof
Of the car after shatteririg a lamp and
scattering tho fragments around the pas
sengers' ears. But that was not the only
effect OF the shot. Tho conductor relaxed
his hold on Toms throat, raised himself
to his full height, cast ono CHASTITY look at
, tile revolver, then, turning as II 50 flee
took two or thrce steps, uttered a wom-
ans name, and throwing up both hands
fell full length on bis face on the door in