The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-06-22


THE SAD STORY
OF A YOUNG MAN WHO DIED a
& CoNvIOr.
And The Moral to BE Drawn From
tho Story Of His Sad
IS Fate.
Seldom In every day life does one
run across 3 moro tragic life story
than that of tho gentle Kentucky lad
who died the other day at High Point,
AZ. O., 4 road convict with a hole
through his body to mark the path OF
p vengeful bullot from the guards
Yemorselass Winchester. He Is spoken
of as gentle, because, though clearly
lacking in high moral purpose, he
seems to have been brought up polite
ly; and, besides, his dying breath was
la plea for better treatment for his
fellow convicts on the road. He was
oonsidorate of his companions In SUI.
fering, and all the recorded utterances
or h dying boy stamp him as pcs.
seBsing more OF the finer Instincts of
his race than some Of his fellow.men
who have been lucky enough to stay
off OF the chain. gang.
He was convicted of forgery in q
North Carolina court under an as
sumed name, and sent to the chain
gang. He refused to divulge his real
name, saying his parents were we'll to
40 people In kentucky and that he
did not want them to know Of his
way wardness and disgrace. He was
an Intelligent, bright young man and
was no doubt, as no claimed, reared in
o we'll TODD homo. After serving
sometime on tho chsin-gang he made
IN attempt to escape, and was shot
by one Of the guards and mortally
wounded. He was told that he was
going to die and urged to tell what
his real name was and whore his folks
lived In Kentucky, but he declined.
lie said he was reared in o gentle
Kentucky home by indulgent parents,
but would not reveal the name Of his
parents or where they lived. He died
and carried his secret with him to the
grave.
Taking 1t as true, says the Caste.
MIA G8zstte, that he was bred In a
gentle Kentucky homo, one wonders
what is the secret Of his downfall.
Was it %heredity? Was it lack OF a
mothers nursing and q mothers pray.
orbr Did this man sin or his parents.
that he was born to temptation like
the rest Of us and at last died q con
vict? Perhaps these things will neve
be known until everything else IL
opened to the ken Of man and the an
gels, but there is one sentence Of his
last words that may serve to base q
guess upon. II was reared to every
thing l waited, ~ he said, and therein
may have been the ope door to all
the Ill that he could not conquer In
his LIES little way.
There are few Of US who do not need
the saving virtues which come to cur
characters from discipline-hard, aus
tere discipline. Endure hardness as a
good soldier, was the Apostles iDj inc
Glon. Hardness Is good when endured
for the good 1t brings, and soma hard
ness must be endured by every moth
er's son Of u3 who would be more than
a piece OF drift. wood on q sea Of sin.
There Is training Ia it. And training
always looks to the future, is always
directed to an hour Of trial, Of peril,
OF triumph or defeat. The fair-faced
little boy with merry eyes and loving
ways and ever cheering laughter over
flowing with good fellowship, tempts
fond parents and admiripg neighbors
TO crafty his every want.
Better not do that. Be good to him
and deny him some things. The lad
the guards rife killed had everything
he wanted when he was growing up.
And whom tbs choice was presented
to him OF denying his pride or forging
a check, he was weak on self denial
and strong In the opposite direction.
He had not been trained for The test
and the whlrp rings Of evil won the
conflict. Temptations, trials, many
pefilous houts will come; woe to him
who goes to meet them in his crude
unframed strength; more woe to him
who goes with his powers already
dominated by evil ihfluenoeSl Tho
Hebrew lad In the courts Of BAbylon
was disciplined before the hour-he
had thought Of 1T, he had "purposad
In his heart that he would not" and
he didn'ti
Our people are accommodating at q
rate they have never before known
the material things Of life. Parents
are better able than eve before to
crafty evsry want Of their children.
But 1t Is a good idea not to do it.
Teach them to work. Occupied with
their work, they forget many foolish
wants, and that brain which, when
idle, 10 the devils workshop, becomes
at once o TRUSTING place for all Of life's
good angels. Teach the boy thrift,
that is all right; thrift is q good WORD
n the word represents a thing that
Is filled with self. discipline, self.deni
oil. Teach him thrift, with honor to
balance it, and n of these days some
body ia going to be proud of the boy.
Mothers, don't fear to see your darling
Boys gst their CARDS musAod up al
WORK.
Don't be afrttd TO have tnen come
home at night hungry and may
tired, too. An honaSt days work has
ne v yet hut6 3 boy, and If 1t takes
enough OF the snap out OF him to keep
him Of the street at night and send
him to bed early, you ought not to
say, Poor little feiiowl" The rather
you ought to say, 'Hurrah for the
days workP' The snap will all be