The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-11-09

ihn Li'e Story OF Young Man who's.
Career Ended In the Peniientinry
owing to Vicious Habits Formed
Through Hnbl,ual Indulgence.
Drink brought me here. Nothing makes
Ut So easy for fellow to get into trouble
rs drink. | face life in the penitentiary
because OF drink and bad companions
Tell every Young man TO steer clear of
both of these and he'll steer clear OF such
nosition as ! now find myself in"
Harry Map,eson. twenty.three years old.
waits in cell at the county Jail to be
taken to Columbus to begin u lie term in
ne penitentiarv for completely in the muir
der OF an unknown. man on Bessemer
street, on the night of September 81 1903.
He was sentenced Thursday The words
quoted he spoke to a Press man in his cell
Friday morning. There was despair in his
voice. hopelessness in his eyes:
Drink did it," he kept on repeating.
Drink and bad companions God! how |
wish ] had never touched the one and
avoided the other. And the sad part Of it
IS, they wrecked not only my life. but
brought sorrow and woe to my poor old
parents
There were tears in his eyes, and his
voice shook. He turned his face away and
looked toward the wall of his cell, his
frame shaking with emotion. 1t was sew.
cral minutes before he spoke again, and
II think he said, "the first drink
ever took was bought for me by rela-
tive. When | was twelve years old and
made my first communion | took pledge
not to touch liquor till | was twenty-one.
During all that time followed the pledge
faithfully and while other BOYS met and
rushed the growler.' I stayed away and
when / wanted company sought those /
met at church. When / became twenty
one ! made up my mind to keep on alb.
staining from intoXicants. But Just a
mcnth afterward / came down one day
with this relative and he took me into a
saloon. We met some friends and they all
wanted to buy drinks. / drank several
bottles OF pop and then, because this rea-
tive said pop wasn't good for me | took a
glass of beer. The next thing took was a
glass. of whisky. In few minutes l was
drunk.
1T was months afterward before / tasted
it again, but when did the rest was easy
II began meeting with boys and men
and took part in their 'growler rushing l
drank as much rs any of them. The night
we are supposed to have killed the man l
was drunk and so was Neuman.
Il had been in the saloon next door to
where | lived on Atlantic street and had
a few drinks. When l went ont Neuman
followed me, keeping about $50 feet behind
me and calling for me to wait.
"We met the fellow that was killed near
the railroad track. He was an inoffensive
looking fellow and passed me without say.
ing a word. though he looked as if he
wanted to ask something.
when he got back to Neuman he asked
him where some one lived.
'Neuman was in a quarrelsome mood
and struck him and the fellow struck back
] ran to helm Neuman, and that's all there
was to it. We put the body alongside the
track to make it appear he had fallen from
train. If I hadn't been drinking
would never have mixed in. And if Neu.
man hadn't been drunk, the quarrel
wouldn't have started.
I'VE didn't want to rob the man, be-
cause we didn't need to. ] had money and
a good job Why, ever since | was sixteen
| have never earned less than $3.50 day.
Once | was earning $50 month
Il was just twenty-threo the day before
| was arrested, so you see it was only dur
.ng two years that / drank at all. How ]
wish those two years were blotted out. ]
see now the only way for anybody to avoid
.he possibility OF my present position is
not to touch it at all. But / have found
t out too late, as many another man has
East Liverpool (Ohio) Tribune.