Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-11-05
WHEN
WO M AN
LOVES
By JOHN r. PEARSON
cOpyrisAs, 1901, By A. $. Richardson

outset that ! am what TIE police de-
nominate q Crook" I am neither a
/ thief, robbcr nor burglar. but fnan-
clal agent for people who have proper
" to dispose OF. property acquired In
an unlawful way. For instance. II a
burglar comes across bonds. shares.
notes. deeds and the Ike while pursn-
Ing his calling be bundles them % and
brings them TO ne. For a liberal com
mission dispose Of the papers on the
open market OF deal with the loser di.
rect Now and then | handle jeweiry.
but the GYMS must be valuable aud the
losers wealthy TO Interest me ia a case.
X may be Of interest TO know that l
was a fairly good civil saginecr before
/ became financial agent. Why ex-
changed professions IN a matter con
corning myself alone.
Ten years since a friend OF mine
named Dee got luto trouble in west
egn state. In trying 10 break away
FROM the officers 0Be OF them was shot
dead That meant the galiows for Dee.
/ at once secured the best legal counsel
for him. but was plainly told that olly
a miracle could save his neck. When
his case came up. be was convicted
without the jury leaving the box, and
he was sentenced TO be hung. We
made an appeal. and be went back to
prison knowing that be would be safe
for eight or ten months 20 come
Dee was a man Of twenty eight. a
gentleman by birth. one OF the hand
soonest men you ever saw. Had II been
a jury Of women they would have &C
quilted him as promptly as be vas
convicted A dozen females broke
down and wept when he was sen.
fenced. Though watching things close
ly had not put myself forward at tie
trial Among the interested ones had
noticed a handsome girl about twenty,
and the trial was not bali concluded
when | knew that she regarded Dee
as an innocent man and hero. When
the verdict Of guilty was pronounced.
she tainted away. and the incident
created some local gossip.
As nothing more could be done for
Dec for some time ! was about TO leave
the city. when received note asking
me to call az a certain house. ! called
and met Miss Fay. Dee's courtroom ad
mirer and an heiress- She told the that
she had fallen m love with Dee snd
that every dollar she had was az his
disposal TO save his neck. When | re-
piled that IL wasn't question Of mon
ey and that he was almost certain to
hang after we had exhausted ali legal
lodges. she asked me 10 remain in
town until heard from her again.
Dee was a far better man In ali
things than ihree-fourths OF those
shouting their morality, but felt II
my duty to tell Miss Fay just where he
stood. | admitted TO her thst he was
criminal instead OF hero and that
even II his life was saved through her
efforts she could hardly hope be would
marry her and settle down. Nothing
could say would dispel her illusions.
and she actually became angry at me
for giving her brotherly advice. She
I did not tell the what steps she meant
TO take. but knew by the light 10 her
( eyes that she would hesitate ut moth
ing. IL Was seven days before met
her again. and was astonisbed at the
work she had done. Dee was confined
In the county jail. which was as strong
| and safe as a state prison. lie had
Z cell 40 the end OF wing, and was so
hedged In by bolts. bars. guards and
steel and stone walls that there was
/ not the remotest chance for an escape.
In q week the girl had located the
/ cell. rented cottage outside the walls
and stocked IL with tools and provi-
sions and laid the plan TO defeat JUS
/ tice. The plan was boldness itself.
was 20 find two truxty men and en-
sconce myself In the cottage and dig q
tunnel to the cell OF the condemned.
The distance was 100 feet. and we
must go under the street. under the
| yard wall and then under the wall Of
the jail The cottage was one OF three
and had a space OF only twenty feet on
| each side OF IT, The other cottages
were owned by the families occupying
/ them, and the people were bound to
watch any strangers moving In. To
| dig that tunnel was the work of
months. and TO run its other mouth
| into a cell was feat the oldest engi-
Ltri lut H0tA VI
might well hesitate over. I ridiculed
| the whole plan at once. but Miss Fay
took II UP point by point. and so well
| did she argue that after three or four
hours I agreed that there was one
chance In a thousand that success
might be achieved.
The first move was 10 find a family
TO occupy the cottage. II was not very
difficult for me 10 get hold Of an oldish
woman who would assist US to carry
the scheme through. She opened
boarding house. but took In only three
men OF Us. We were supposed TO be
railroad men and 10 come and 20 be
fore daylight and after dark. Now and
then we did come and go. but il was
only to deceive the neighbors. AS soon
as we settled 10 the house we began
work on the tunnel. and we never put
In less than fdsssrfaau hnyrS astF ~ fh,a