The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1906-10-20
] 10 Save Her Good Name
[OriRlnal.l

mans house and stolen lady's watch.
The moment laid eyes on him / was
astonished. He was not only well
dressed, but bore the marks Of born
gentleman. The name he gave was
Alfred Stark, but / did not suppose
that was his real name. took him
aside to interview him as to the line
Of defense, and to my further surprise
he told me there was to be no de-
Tense. He intended to plead guilty
that 10, unless saw some technicAlity
by which he might 60 free without en-
tering upon q trial. I saw none; the
man pleaded guilty ana was sent to
the penItontiary for ten years.
r. was about Ave years later, when
had achieved some success In my
profession, that a card was handed
me at my ONCE bearing the name Of
Bfts Clarence T. Bostwick. when the
visitor was shown into my private Of.
Zee saw g young woman dressed In
mourning and wearing a widows cap.
She could not have been more than
twenty-fiye years old, and, though still
possessing beauty, II had been marred
evidently by suffering. When we were
alone she asked me:
aDo you remember a man you were
appointed some years ago to defend on
a charge Of entering a gentleman's
house aud stealing a lady's watchT'
Perfectly"
Would you know him by his pic.
tureT'
She drew from a shopping bag she
carried on her arm photograph and
held II up before me.
That's the man." said.
"supposing that can furnish proof
Of his innocence. Could you secure his
freedom?"
Only by inducing the governor to
pardon him"
She then gave me the facts In the
case which took down In legal form
and that afternoon went by train to
the capital and having obtained an in
tervlew with the governor, said to him:
Seven years ago Howard Read met
and won Jeanette Pitman. They
were both very young and since Read
had his way to make he went west for
the purpose At parting the two plight
ed what they called an everlasting
troth, not to be broken even after one
or the other died. For two years they
correspondent and ut the end OF that
time Miss Pitman wrote her lover that
her father and mother were bringing
to bear upon her pressure to force her
to marry a rich old man. Soon after
that she wrote that she had yielded.
Read at once took train and start
cd for the east. This the parents OF
Miss Pitman knew he would do and
had all the arrangements for the wed.
ding made before they permitted the
letter announcing the fact to go through
the mails. Indeed their daughter was
married the day It was mailed. Read,
crazed by his misfortune, went to the
new home Of the girl he had lost re-
solved to see her, not stopping to think
Of the futlllty or the probable eonse-
Quences OF such a course. The young
wife was weak enough to see him,
While they were together the hus-
bands step was heard without. For a
moment It looked as II the lady would
be trreyocably compromised, but she
was saved by the presence Of mind Of
Howard Read, whom the old man had
never seen. Snatching her watch Read
told the wife to leave the room by one
door a moment before the husband en-,
tered by another, Read, caught with a
watch belonging to the lady Of the
house, made no resistance aud was ar
rested giving the name OF Alfred
Stark.
1.-THE lady (Adrs. Bostwlckl was pros.
trated. She gave as a reason nat.
ural terror at burglar having been
caught In the house. When she was
told that the man would be sent
to prison for term OF years her
nerves seemed to collapse entirely, aud
her husband could only reassurc her
by promising not to prosecute the bur,
glar. He did not prosecute. The
state did 1t In his place, but this he
did not tell his wife, and she supposed
her lover had gone free.
Clarence Bostwick lived ave years
after his marriage At his death his
widow. who had completely lost track
OF Howard Read. began an lnvestlga.
ton as to his whereabouts. To her
surprise she found that a short time
after her meeting with him man had
been sent to prison for robblng her
husband. Securing the name and adj
dress Of the attorney who had had
charge OF the case, she came at once
to me.
ARMED with Mrs, Rostwlek's am.
davit. had no difficulty in securing a
PARTON for Howard Read. alias Alfred
Stark. aud having telegraphed the lady
to meet me at my office the next morn.
ms | started for home. When I told
her OF my success she swOOned from
the scdden uniooslng OF the nerve
springs that had kept her up. In half
an hour we were on a train for the
prison and by noon drove up to the OF.
nee OF the warden.
i would have permitted the young
widow to bear the pardon to the pris.
oner alone. but the warden went with
her, and therefore went also