The Sunday globe., 1901-06-02

we believe, they were sent up to Co
lumbus for another short term. BY
this time the police were prosecuting
them, after the manner of the force in
all cities where the petty criminal re-
sides and is known, while the greater
or more expert criminal is an unsolv-
able and an undiscoyerable quantity to
the average detective.
Returning to Dayton and endeavor-
ing to lead better lives, the Kline boys
found it impossible to do so, owing to
the regulations they had acquired and
to the surveillance if not persecution
of the police. They resolved to leave
and in some other locality, where they
were unknown, reform their lives and
live honestly and industriously. But
their aunts prevailed upon them to re-
main and guaranteed them money and
social position, to see them out of any
difficulty they might get into with the
police, provided the boys would perse-
we're in their good intentions of living
law-abiding lives.
But neither the aunts nor the boys
correctly guaged the power Of the po-
lice and the easy and expeditions man
ner in which eX-convicts can be recon
Ncted Of any crime laid to their doors.
For the third time they were convicted
Of a crime of which they protested
their innocence, but the fact that a re-
volver was found on the person of one
of them and that they were excon-
victs the jury declared them guilty, on
evidence which even the prosecutor
subsequently admitted was insufficient.
The crime was the usual nocturnal eX
plot of tapping a saloonkeeper's till.
The habitual criminal law was applied
in their cases. under the third conyic
tion and they were sentenced to five
years and life Imprisonment each.
The five years was to be served before
the life sentences began, as it is i'm
possible to confine ghosts, even in the
Ohio penitentiary.
The estimated amount of their steal
ings as criminals, even if they were
guilty summed up altogether less than
$50 each.
And thus, for this amount, pilfered
from time to time, these two unfortu-
nate wretches were immured for life
where one has already paid the full
penalty and the other still languishes
a prisoner.
The surviving Kline is a bright edu-
Gated man over thirty years of age.
He has invented while in prison sever
al useful electrical appliances and nu-
merous patents have been issued 10
him on various articles all of which
he has been more or less cheated out
Of by the officials within and specula-
tors outside the prison. At one period
of his prison career he endeavOred to
escape and hid out for almost a week
within the enclosure of the walls, max
ing raids at night on the kitchen to OBJ
tain food At another time he actually
succeeded in scaling the walls, but was
recaptured.
Under the Habitual Criminal Law
provision for the parole Of its victims
exists, but is rarely applied by the
prison board of managers,
However, such was the pressure
brought to bear by the loyalty and af-
fection of Kline's aunts, after the death
of his brother, that he was given a
parole and set at liberty. He found in
stant and remunerative employment
with the Columbus Telephone Com
pany, several improved devices of his
own being gobbled by the aforesaid
concern. In a few months after his re-
lease he informed the writer that the
police of Dayton had induced the Co
lumbus force to persecute him and
that he expected they would lob
him, that is, trump up some charge
which would cause his return to the
prison. He was in deadly fear of this
outcome and as a paroled prisoner can
be arrested and sent back to prison
without trial or Investigation, on the
allegation of any citizen or policeman
Kline felt keenly the insecurity of his
position and rarely, if ever, spent a day
free from apprehension or a night Of
peaceful repOse.
Unable longer to stand the strain he
slipped out of Columbus one night and
made for Canada, where he would be
free from his prosecutors and could
not be arrested without the commits
sion of some new offense. Paroled
prisoners are not extraditable, al
though untried or unconvicted crimi-
nails are, hence Kline aimed to be free
in fact as well as in theory. But this
undertaking was a violation of his pa
role and If he was captured outside the
State of Ohio the prison would again
become his home Before reaching
Buffalo somebody recognized Kline. or
more probably the vigilant Columbus
Fly cops" missed him and just as he
reached Niagara Falls he was arrested
on a telegram from the Ohio authori-
ties.
Thus. within 2 few feet Of liberty
this man Of misfortune whose great
est crime was in tapping Of some sa-
lOonkeepers till. was brought back in
irons to the Ohio Penitentiary to re-
main until the fate of his brother over
takes him-the medical college and the
dissecting table!
Another unfortunate named Hess,
married man with three little chill
dren, is paying the penalty of life i'm
Eprisonment for stealing chickens to
feed his hungry children. Hess was a
petty thief and an occasional toiler.
Of delicate physique and probably
shiftless habits he found II difficult to
provide food for the family without
resorting to his neighbors hencoops.
Twice convicted for this crime Of
chicken stealing. he was given a life
sentence on his third offense and is at
present undergoing the penalty, hav-
ing already served many years for less
than 500 worth, all told. Of pullets big
and little!
ITO BE CoNTNUED.)
Col. Christy Suggests.