The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1903-08-07

Undeterred by his Christian name, he
(ran away from home in boyhood and
, began his notorious marine career rs
"a stowaway in al Australian clipper.
can understand that the family life
must have Jared upon him, for my
grandfather was a Methodist preacher
Of the narrowest type, and Uncle
Jonah's boyhood was soured by sur
felt of chapel going and long family
prayers.
For 20 years or so Uncle Jonah held
no communication with his bereayed
family, who alluded to him as "a lost
vessel" and regarded his probable de-
cease with equanimity. Then he re-
appeared with rings in his ears and a
a roll of banknotes in his pocket, and
his early follies were condoned I'm
like most sailors, Uncle Jonah had de-
veloped thrifty habits. For the first
week or two his reputation as a man
of substance enabled him to sponge
upon the frequenters of LIE village inn;
but after that people began to resent
IA his stinginess, and the hospitaDle
stream of free drinks ceased to flow;
thereupon Uncle Jonah went no more
to the Goat and Compasses, and began
to tire of pastoral life. Soon he went
afoat again, securing the command OF
a tramp steamer bound for the Gold
coast with a cargo Of square gin and
condemned rifles.
l. In r.
ampton docks one bleak evening in
February. His parting words aston
ished me-
z flames, my lad" he said boastful-
''1y, I'm going to make my fortune this
voyage, and if l ever come back I'll
make a gentleman of you"
The doubtful prospect of becoming
a gentleman without individual exer-
ton did not lure me into idle habits.
There was the chance, too, that Uncle
nah might be droTned. l pursued
W. vocation las we pressmen phrase
it, until | rose to the position of re-
porter on the Daily Scum.
Years passed, but no tidings Of I'm
Gle Jonah ever reached me, until one
day, in the ordinary course OF bust
ness, was sent to Bow street police
court to write up case of piracy on
Athe high seas that promised to afford
n good copy. The intelligent reader will
sQhave guessed that the accused person
proved to be my Uncle Jonah; but /
need hardly say that | was wholly I'M
prepared to find relative in the dock.
My professional zeal enabled me to
stifle any emotion that might have in
terfered with the business in hand.
Ina man possesses the true journalistic
i9ktinct he is capable of writing a de-
Scriptive article on the viyisection of
his own father, and will take pride in
the task
I recognized Uncle Jonah directly
he stepped into the dock. He had aged
a little, for his black beard was
streaked with gray and his keen, fer
rety face had grown haggard but he
did not appear to be greatly cast down
sSy his misfortunes. To say that he
pre- himself with dignity Il took the
erty Of saying this in my report)
ould be inaccurate Uncle Jonah
y neve4 had any dignity, being one of
those familiar, vulgar persons in
whose company even the dignity of
others withers like a leaf in autumn.
HIS shifty eyes explored the dingy
court and rested for a moment on the
reporters table. He recognized me and
winked.
The evidence taken that morning
was purely formal, and, pending the
abundance of some important wit
nesa 5, the prisoner was remanded in
* bdy. I foresaw that the coming
1rial would be made to excite eycep-
tional interest, cases of piracy being
comparatively rare. l was eager to
secure the first interview" with I'm
Gle Jonah, and to this end played the
useful card of our relationship for all
r 1t was worth. The inspector Of po-
Ne, after pocketing sovereign, con
5sed himself unwilling to resist the
Rappeals of the prisoners beloved
nephew. was permitted to spend halt
an hour in the cell, on condition that
/ made no professional use of the in
terview. The exigencies Of journal
ism obliged me to pledge my word
to the inspector, though foresaw the
impossibillty of keeping my promise
And this is the story of bafled pir4