The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-24
Letter From Rev. j. I. Edmundson.

To the Editor: Please allow me
space in your paper to tell the story
| of my unfortunate son. Others have
written, may l as his father be per-
mitted to say few words.
Some years ago he had a carbuncle
on the basis of his brain. Before then
he was the best and brightest of our
! large family of children. Since then
| he has gone from under the control
| of home influence. We thought first
! that 1T was boys way, but after one
| OF the boys uncles, who had a car
| buncle on the basis of the brain about
| the same time, a few months ago be-
| came insane and committed suicide,
we became more suspicious of the
| boys condition. We are all slow to
admit that our loved ones are losing
their minds. My sister-in-law kept
the awful secret from the family for
9 long time. When we became thor
oughly convinced that his mind was
unbalanced on account of his actions,
we placed him under restraint at home
waiting an opportunity to have him
| treated In my temporary absence he
| escaped from home at night and got
| into trouble in Richmond and New
York as published in the papers.
| Through the kindness of friends, who
| learned that his mind was impaired
and unbalanced, he was released and
/ 4
| Northern people were hard-hearted,
but letters in my possession from par
| ties in authority, ETC., in New YORK
| convinced me that they have warm,
| sympathetic hearts for people who are
| unfortunate, more than l can say or
some people in North Carolina. Some
people who are paid to be kind and
| charitable to the unfortunate. When
| the boy arrived home steps were i'm
mediately taken to have him placed
| in the State hospital Papers were
| properly made out and signed up by
| the proper authority with statement
of Christian gentlemen, as fine physi-
| clan as we have in this State one
have known for many years. His
| truthfulnesS and integrity is never to
| be questioned. l was informed that
| the institution was crowded-had
some habitual drunkards in it and a
! "few old and harmless lunatics" that
! had to be sent home or cared for by
| the county. One especially who was
| debarred from county institution be-
| cause he had property. l was next
| informed that the boy had better be
| sent to a private sanitarium. L was
next informed that as he was native
| of this State and ought to be cared
| for by the State, and that proper
| papers had been sent with other in
formation and that the board would
meet and that his case would be mode
| test case, etc. l waited, and waited
| to hear from that meeting and only
received the information when | ask
ed for it. that they had decided that
he was not a proper subject for their
| institution. l was advised to care for
| him at home or send him to some
| other institution. Not being able to
| put him in a private institution, he
was confined at home with special
l - - l. a
| best physicians l know. He improved
| physically and mentally at times hav-
| ing spells making him almost uncon-
| trolabe. After marked improvement
| he was more reliable and continued
/ to improve and as soon as this i'm
| provement took place he had desire
! to go to work and continually tried 10
persuade his mother that he was able
| to work Finally largely to humcr
him, he was allowed to try to secure
work OF course he failed in this
| the people of Raleigh knowing his
condition While allowed the privilege
of seeking work he came across one
of his so-called friends who had help
| ed to wreck him. This young man,
who holds a good position in Raleigh,
said: Jack, get some money, and
we will GO to the pool room and clean
UP the crowd" Under this temptation
he ordered a pistol from Hart-Ward
| Hardware Company, and the same
| young man pended the pistol for him
for $3.50 and they went to the pool
room and that night when he got back
to his heart broken mother he was in
| a terrible condition, mentally, physl-
| cally and morally. o, how terrible!
| Under advice of two prominent ply
| sicians he was placed in Jail for safe
| keeping out of harms way and temp.
tation. When in his uworst condition
we were afraid that he would harm
himself and he was placed in Jail be-
| cause they could not and would not
take him at the State hospital, and
had no time nor opportunity to ar
| range for him elsewhere. How long
will he stay? Until he can be placed
| in a private sanitarium. L want to say
| that l have no unkind feelings nor
malice in my heart for any one who
tried to wreck him, soul and mind.
have no malice against the pool room
manager, who allow boys under age
| to play pool, etc, in his place of bust
| ness in defiance of a law in North
Carolina that should not be allowed to
do it, In justice to this man, 1 want
to say that the law requires that par
| ents should send him written notices
| not to allow their boys in his place of
business. 1 learned this too late to
save my poor unfortunate boy, The
manager of this place of business says
eff gambling is going on in there,
| don't know It," He was interviewed
by sweet Christian woman, who told
me that she found him to be kind
and courteous gentleman, and with
tears in her eyes, said; II will never
cease to pray for him, that God will
save him and stop his evil influence in
our community"
To the young men in Raleigh who
have tempted and led the boy and aid
ed in almost making him a wreck.
want to say that / forgive them To
those who have influenced him to get
all the money he could and gambled
with him, and at times gambled with
him on credit and threatened the
weak minded boy that "if he didn't
get the money to pay them they would
| report him to me-" / forgive them, and
pray that God will some day. To the
| ard-hearted, cruel one, who furnish
ed the paper with the last sensational
act of this boy, / would say God pity
you, 1 will forgive you and pray that
God will.
To say that this boy has not had
good home training and influence IS