Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-11-30
DAILY SHORT STORY
}MR. TiNkER's FALL FROM GRACE
[Originall

Il
| was broad and high. his eyes were
large enough and blue enough and soft
enough for an angel / believed in
| him then. and l believe in him now.
| The moment man sets himself up to
lee a spiritual guide for others we i'm
mediately put him on pinnacle of our
| own from which he shall shed the light
| OF perfection. He is no longer a man
! Ike ourselves. but a superior being
| freed from earthly passions. earthly
| weaknesses.
Tinker was an evangelist. was fitted
| to he an evangelist and was fitted for
nothing else than an evangelist. He
| chose for his speciality prison life.
| When lie came TO us there was not
even Il regular prison chaplain. none
! being willing TO take the position for
| the pay and the regular ministers he
| ing otherwise occupied Tinker walk
| eel into il Of his own accord and Oc-
| cupied il without remuneration. How
| he got living we never knew. That
| he lived from hand 10 mouth was GER
| tain. After praying in a saloon and
warning its proprietor that he was do
| ing the DEVILS work the holy man
NobJ'l bt INV lltNi W I'sti VI int
| free lunch on the counter. and in this
way he secured many dinner. For
| short periods ne would occupy a sleep
| ing room. but the landlady did not ex-
pect him To- pay from the first. All she
asked was that he would not stand in
the way OF paying lodger. and she
, would often have been the loser had
Tinker permitted It,
In such ways Tinker managed to ex-
ist. and so long as he could fight sin
and give comfort to prisoners. possibly
turning them toward better life after
serving their terms. he was satisfied.
He prayed with them, he talked with
them, he advised them, being a re-
pository for the confidence of the whole
prison. He had free access to them,
and both guards and prisoners all
knew him.
No one had ever thought of Tinker as
husband or father When one day a
woman with a scowl on her face and
an underjaw denoting resolution came
along TO claim him as her spouse
great was our establishment Her APP
pearance had a paralyZing effect upon
Tinker. Those whom he had extorted
TO stand up under calamity now en-
deavored TO instill like firmness into
him. but without success. The wo-
man went to the court. produced di-
vOrce papers with alimony and proved
that SOD was due her from the de-
linquent Tinker. She had little diff
Guilty in getting an order for his ar
rest, and he was required to give
bond not only for the amount due, but
for the coming year. in all about ST.
GOO. - -
Had any one confidence that Tinker
would be able to make up the amount
we might have gone on his bond. AS
it was, the judge sent him to the work
house TO work out the amount Mean
while Tinker was confined I'm the city
Jail where he had been the self con-
stituted chaplain. Why he had not
applied for that or some other such po-
sition was now made clear. The wo-
man with the square mouth and the
beetling brow stood ready 10 pounce
upon his salary before it was due.
The method Of obtaining a living he
had chosen gave him a freedom that
must have been relatively delightful.
/ took 1t upon myself to go TO Mrs. |
Tinker To see if l could soften her OBJ |
durate heart. The volley Of words she |
poured upon me l can only liken to |
that of Calling gun. l retired in |
glOriously, at the same time resolving |
never again to interfere in domestic |
troubles. 1t was all up with Tinker
and he was doomed to spend n term a |
work for which he was by no means |
fitted and fOrego work at which he |
was doing great good.
We had no workhouse in our city and |
usei that of a neighbOring town Once
a week those persons who We're to go
there were collected. marched to the
BLACK Maria" driven to the station,
put on the train and taken TO their new
place of confinement. One morning
nine prisoners. including Tinker. were
thus driven To the train. On being I'M
loaded they were marched inside the
station and put i'm care OF a keeper,
who was TO take further charge of
them
1t Is here where Tinker fell under
temptation. But who less than an an
gel would not have fallen? On the one
hand prison TO which he had been
consigned by virago, on the other
liberty. AT the moment he alighted
from the black Maria the keepers
back was turned. When the official
saw him on the platform. supposing
him 10 be there in his capacity as
he said:
Good morning Mr. Tinker"
An inspiration came 10 the prisoner.
L aklng on his hat. closing his eyes and
throwing up his head. he began to pray
more Justify than he had ever done be-
Tore for the poor fellows who We're
going 10 the workhouse He had
scarcely begun when car was backed
up and the keeper shouted "All
aboard The train pulled out. and
Tinker disappeared in the crowd