The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-14
BETTER DEATH THAN
"A LIFE BEHIND BARS
Letter from Tucker to Father and
Mother Given Them by His
Counsel.

Boston. June l4.Charles 4. fuckers
last letter to his father and mother,
written In the death cell and given to
James II. Nahey, his senior counsel,
with the request that il he not opened
until after his death, was delivered by
the attorney to the stricken parents yes
terday morning.
In il Tucker protests his innocence,
expresses his strong love for his parents,
and asks his mother to take good care
III His father. He declares that it il bet-
ter to die than To be prisoner for life.
The text Of the letter follows;
Dear Folks. / have just written a
long letter to James, and am going to
inelose this letter iii the same envelope.
James win give II to YOU
know this is an awful thing for you
all, but want you all TO liye and try
% keep mp all yon can. 1t is hard for
You to see me die this way. know that
Won will all know that | die innocent,
and, dear folks, there Is some comfort
III that. Ii is an easy death. and YOU
know, dear folks, we will all see each
other again in another world.
We have all got to be taken away
from each other some time, you know,
dear parents, but it il hard for you all
that should be the first one. love
YOU all SO dearly, too. Ii is really hard.
But try to hear up all you can. ] will
always think Of you all in the next
world, and it is q comfort TO ME, my
dear parents, that | die innocent, and /
know it will be comfort TO you all,
too. Mr.. Valley has done all he could
to help me, and ! thank him Tor IT,
James has always been good and kind to
me, yes, always. ! will not speak Of
my things. You can do with them as
YOU see fit. | want to be buried near,
so I can always be near you. want
papa to have my watch and the ring
that Louis gave me, and | want him to
always keep them. You can keep my
rings, brother, aud can do what YOU like
with the other things
brother, and can do what you like with
the other things.
Give Walter my dressing case and my
clothes and the things that he wants,
and give his dear little wife, lnez, some
thing, too, and aaintie, and Az some
thing. too. can hardly write this let
Ter. Ny eyes are 50 full of water that
| can hardly see TO write. God bless
YOU all.
AS have stated, we all have to leave
each other some time, and, dear par
ents, as this is an easy death, try to
bear UP all You can. Give my love to
Florence and all of my dear friends.
God knows it is hard to leave them all
IN this way, but, mother and father,
they will have some comfort in knowing
that die brave and an innocent boy.
could keep ON all day, but, dear par
ents, cannot write any more. feel
so bad. So will have to stop. My love
to you all. Your loving son,
CHARLIE.
P. s.. Mother, papa looks so well
now, try to cheer him up as nuh as You
can, because you are stronger and you
are 40 brave and good. have been
through an awful lot, dear folks. Try
to keep on. For my part, il is better
TO 90 this way than to be imprisoned
for life assure you, prison Is d
very hard life.
III ] could get evidence that would
free me, il would be different-that is,
ii had my sentence changed to life i'm.
prisonment am innocent and / cam
not get evidence to prove, so ] suppose,
dear parents. have rot to be taken
away from you all. God bless you ALL
Your dear son, CHARLIE.
The letter is dated CharIestown, Mass,
and is addressed to James II. Valley.
fremont street, Boston, Mass, Kimball
building.
On the back of the enveope is writ
ten little note in pencil by Tucker,
reading: ''fo be delivered to my dear
brother, father, mother, girl"