The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-23
LIKE STORY BOOK
Life Of John Horton, Wanderer
on Face Of Earth.
Man Without Relatives or
Friends Pardoned From Prison.
TELLS HIS EXPERIENCE
Went From Place to Place
Working at Intervals.
Kept Out Of Crime Until He
Stole an OvercOat.

Stole an OvercOat.
A romance such as you read about in
the story books is that of John Horton,
a wanderer on the face of the earth,
who IA months ago was sent to the
state peni-entiary from Reno county for
going into the Santa Fe depot one night
i and stealing an overcoat.
For this offense Horton was sent up
for a term OF from 1 to years, and
/ today was given a parole by Governor
Hoch. chiefly through the friendship
4 and interest of ]. Z. Brown. the county
attorney who sent Horton to prison.
Horton says that Brown is the only
1 friend he has in the world. Brown be-
lieves that Horton showed the right
| disposition when he pleaded guilty to
/ the charge against him, and induced
two negroes to plead guilty in order to
! save the expense Of a prosecution
4 While in the penitentiary, Horton has
1 made a good record as a. prisoner. E
| A. Fredenhagen, of Topeka, is interest,"
/ ed in Hortcr's case.
/ Horton, according to his own story,
i has fought The battle CT life against the
most diScO1raging odds To begin with,
i he is a negro; he has no parents; he
/ has had no home since he was 10 years
4 old; he never went to school. But he
has written a letter to J. u. Brown,
which in chirography. spelling. and
grammar will compare very favorably
ates. This is Horizons letter, which
tells the whole story of the case:
- U. Brown, prosecuting attorney.
Dear Sir: In accordance with your
desire I will write you all know of
MY parents died when I was too
/ young to remember them. I have al
ways thought they died In Cincinnati,
and 1 was born there, for the first
/ thing I can remember distinctly is
4 houseboat on the Ohio river, and a
middle aged couple / called uncle and
aunt. They called me John Horton,
so suppose that is my name. stay
ed with them until was 10 years old,
or about that, when they gave me
terrible beating for some small offense,
and carry one scar on my face to this
day from that whipping.
When I had got over the effects
of it, and was able to get around, 1,
boy like, ran away and hid around for
two days, and then I was quite ready
to go back at any price. But when
got back, to where the boat had been,
it was gone and l have never seen it
since, although I have looked. for it
many times.
Nov came a time do not like to
think much about for it was freezing
in the winter, and Starving all the
time. 1 sold papers and. BACKED boots
from one city to another, doing other
odd jobs as I WAS able toexet never
staying long. in eneG Place., walking
from town to town through the eoun-
try, working here and there among the
farmers on my way, as L grew older.
I believe this was the reason never
got into dishonest ways This went on
until. l was about Is. I say about, be-
cause 1 do not know my exact age.
call January 1 my birthday. 1 began
to notice a difference mother boys and
myself. I had never been to school,
and could not read or write, but from
this time on, I used eOld newspapers
and picked up sentences until I could
read and write fairly we'll. Since then
1 have studied by myself until think
I have a fair education have never
had to ask favors from anybody be-
cause from the time I have been able
to do hard work, 1 have had dollar
TO pay for them. or went without.
Il have been all over the east,working
here and there on public work or for
some farmer, but never able to be con-
tent in one place long. So 1t has been
the same everywhere 1 go. 1t seems as
if something would not let me be con-
tented anywhere. 1 have tried prospect
ing in the Cascades. and Thunder
mountains. in the Black mountains anu
New Mexico So it has been year after
| year until I find am 81 years old, with
/ out a friend on earth to speak q Soou
word for me-
Last summer a year ago, L ran
threshing machine for Mr. A w. Linn
| in Oklahoma the first of the season,
and came from there to Hutchinson,
and went out to St. Johns, working
another machine. When I left there
went to Trinidad, Colo, and worked on
the washout for awhile. From there l
went to the Texas Panhandle, and
| worked on height Bros ranch. out of
| Gland. then to a section on the Frisco
railroad. out of Elgin, Okla. I went
back to work among the farmers as
soon as spring opened, and this summer
ran a threshing machine for John
Swenson in Oklahoma and L. E. Posey
At Sterling Kan When I left NJ
Posev came to Hutchinson, and as
Quick as I landed got intoxicated. and
have no recollection of anything that
went on until 1 came to myself in the
Jail
but If seems to come on me periodically,
and when / take that first drink it IS
all orr with me. 1 learned the habit
long time ago when I would go into Il
saloon to get warm. OF later years
when I came into a strange town, It
was the only place that the likes of my
self could meet strangers on an equal
footing. but when I get out of this
scrape. think I will have learned
me a lesson.
This is the story of a boy who had
no narents or friends to watch over him.
Mr. Brown. 1 know you are a good man,
and l have no other friend to write to
while I am in Lansing, SO I hope you
will not take offense if I write to you
once in a while. and that you will an
swer. I will be guided by your advice
Yours respectfully.
JOHN HORTON"
reports From Roads.