Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-07-26
Jefferson City Tribune.

| Wrue-lhe Pupn Learned Readily to Write
| but Stuck When it Came to Verbal Compo
sition of Sentences.
Jefferson City Tribune.
| Along in the seventies the late
Judge Arnold Krekel was holding
court at Jefferson City, relates an old
timer, when there appeared before him
two men charged and indicted for a
violation OF the United States laws,
one of whom will be called Brown
He was charged with cutting timber
on the public domain. Brown was
about 40 years old and had been
reared on the border in Arkansas and
never had had any opportunities for
schooling, hence was unable to read or
write. In his endeavors to get liv-
ing he had cut timber suitable for
making ak handles on United States
lands, which led to his arrest and i'm
prisonment. The other man will be
called Jones, for the real name OF both
men are not known in the memory OF
any one who witnessed the incident.
Jones was charged with and indicted
for having sold liquor to the Indians.
Mr.. Jones was native of New York
graduate Of Union college and was
educated for lawyer. He possessed a
highly cultured mind, was good Latin
ist and thoroughly scholarly in all
sorts OF books. Not succeeding in his
profession in his native State, more
from lack of application than other.
wise, he left that country and plunged
into the great West and located no.
body knew where, but he drifted into
the lower stratum of society, and TO OBJ
tain the necessaries of life he resorted
to "bootlegging" among the red men
of the Indian Territory border. His
arrest and imprisonment followed.
The two men were arraigned before
Judge Krekel and the indictments
read. They both pleaded guilty and
threw themselves upon the mercy of
the court. The court questioned both
prisoners at length and drew from
each his history. He recounted the
wrongs they had been guilty of
against society. He did this in 4
kindly tone and manner, suggesting
in a mild form that both might have
been useful members of some commu-
nifty had they sought honorable means
and methods to secure livelihood.
The court seemed puzzled how to
assess punishment that would meet
the ends OF justice and protect the
government, its lands, its wards and
society. Finally, sitting upright in
his chair, looking over his glasses as
both men stood before him, in a voice
little louder and more positive than
usual he said:
"Mr. Brown, it is the sentence of
the court that you be confined in the
Cole county Jail until you are educated
to read and write" The Judge then
turned his eyes upon the other pris.
oner at the bar and possibly in loud.
er voice, said, "Mr. Jones, it is the
sentence OF the court that you be con-
fined in the Cole county Jail until you
have taught Mr.. Brown to read and
write, and enjoin upon the keeper of
the Jail to afford you every facility
possible with the safe keeping of his
prisoners"
The lawyers and spectators in court
looked with astonishment at each
other as the sentence was concluded,
and the marshal led the prisoners out
of the courtroom.
1t was the second term of the court
after this incident when the marshal
conducted Brown and Jones into
court, and it was announced by the
court that Brown had completed his
education-ready to graduate-able to
read and write. Judge Krekel looked
over his glasses and asked that the
prisoner give him an evidence of his
being able to read. Brown stood up
and read few paragraphs from a
newspaper to the satisfaction of the
court, when he said, "Mr. Clerk, will
you let him sit at table and write
me a letter."
Paper, pen, ink and seat were fur
nished Brown, who went to work to
write letter to the court. For some
time the poor fellow struggled with
the task, and in the meantime Jones
was very nervous. fearing he would be
compelled to go back to Jail and stake
up school" again. Finally the clerk
said, "May it please your honor, the
prisoner can write. but cannot form
sentences to make it Ineligible.
"Mr. Clerk" said the court, not
taking his eyes from the court docket
he was looking at, "you will dictate
letter for him and see what headway
he makes with that" The clerk die
tated letter that the prisoner wrote
quite readily, which subsequently, was
passed up to the court, who read the
same, and after giving the prisoners a
short lecture both were discharged
and walked from the courtroom free
men.