Evening journal., 1905-03-04
The Man Who
Was WrOnsed

ndu come down 70 MIN from OLner8r
and he but lived H.
When Cassidy got bis first term in
prison It was for burglary. He had en-
tered dwelling house at nighttime
and stolen money and goods. The own
er Of the place was a well or man. He
could spare what had been taken and
never miss IT, The burglar could not
understand why fso much fuss was
made over it. He felt injured when the
lawyer spoke Of him as a criminal and
when the papers had something to say
about his hangdog look. 1t seemed to
him to be combination against him,
conspiracy to prevent him from llv-
ing his natural life
BY and by, when II so happened that
the detectives were giving Cassidy a
rest for few weeks, be got married.
In his way he loved the young woman.
In another way she would be Of help
to him. He knew and respected other
men who lived ON what their wives
earned at the washtub, and be had no
doubt Of being respected in his turn.
He had been married n week when he
blackened his wife's eyes and broke a
couple Of ribs for her He felt that It
was his privilege. When the police ana
the judge differed with him he looked
upon II as a put up job TO discourage
him from seeking natural enjoyment
While he was serving his sixty days
fellow prisoner told him that the
great constitution Of the United States
guaranteed every man certain rights.
/ There were eight or ten OF these riehta,
according 10 the mans list, and Cas-
sidy came forth with a determination
TO have them ALL The law had hereto
fore depended on his ignorance and
| taken advantage OF him. He would
now show the law that he knew his
privileges and was bound to maintain
them. Within a week he had broken a
policeman's head with a rock, assault
ed a man who differed with him about
the social status OF states prison. stol-
en- wagon and robbed a drunken
man. With the constitution on his side
be felt that he was getting along.
Mrs. Cassidy would have come Ia for
another beating IN time, but she has
tened the event by becoming a mother.
Being busy at the time, the husband
adjourned the beating for a week.
Then he blockened her eyes. broke her
jaw and dlslocated shoulder, and he
took II very III Of an ofiicious nelghbor
who hastened away and informed the
police and secured his arrest.
The wife died. and Mr.. Cassidy was
put on trial for manslaughter. He con-
sldered Il altogether unfair. He vas
privileged under the constitution to
beat his wife, while she was not privl-
legged TO die under 1t. She had died to
spite him, and he looked upon It az
more spite when be was somehow sent
70 prison for fifteen years.
OF all the things that hurt him most
were the words OF the prosecutor. He
had called direct attention to his evil
b face and his previous record and had
vowed that he was more OF wild
beast than a man. Nothing else hurt like
this. and he determined on revenge.
From the day he entered prison Cas-
sidy lived only to escape and secure
revenge on the man who had hlssed at
q him In court He didn't blame the
1 judge OF the jury. AS for the neighbors
I who had volunteered their testimony,
he would knock them about and let It
e go at that. but the prosecutor should
! die by his hand. His words were re-
membered morning noon and night,
and day by day the convict thought Of
escape.
Seven long years passed by. and then
a day came that a guard relaxed his
vigilance for a moment, and Jim Cas-
sidy made his escape. Another convict
D would have tried 90 get away as far
, and as fast as possible. Not so with
= Cassidy. He had only twenty miles
= 70 go to reach the prosecutors house.
p He had kept track OF his enemy
p through visitors. He knew that he oc-
cupled house IN the midst Of grounds
just outside the city, and over and
over again he had planned how he
would approach, how enter the house.
how surprise the man In his sleep and
take his life. He made his journey
! across the country IN a dogged sort OF
way, and he would have killed any
living thing obstructing his path FOR a
r moment. He was a wronged man on
G his way to right himself
a The escape was Made in the early
\ morning. When evening fell the con-
vict was at the end OF his journey.
The grounds contained two acres and
. were full OF trees and shrubbery. He
easily found a hiding place and then
waited. There was no thought OF
! turning back. Years had gone by. and
the prosecutor was now an old man
n and no longer had to do with the law.
q but that made no difference to Cassidy.
II Let him but secure his revenge and
C the prison officials might pick him up
+; the next hour. II was midnight before
y he moved. He had heard the growing
i OF thunder for the last half hour. but
n had given It no heed. Now, as he fnai-
= ly rose up to approach the house, the
storm broke over his head.
II did not delay him a moment He
I. went forward with less caution for the
swish Of the storm. and he had drop
v ped under a tall pear tree within ten
o feet Of the corner OF the house when
= bolt OF FIRE suddenly shot across the
:. black heavens. He saw II. and the heat
It scared his eyeballs. He heard the
crash. and he wondered II the heavens
and the earth had come together Then
he neither saw nor heard anything
more 1t was as II he had never lived.
r "BIess me but he was an escanpd