New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-03
FORCIBLY RECOVERED HIS OWN.


In a prison in a Southern state is a Negro
serving a term Of twenty years on a charge OF
highway robbery. The counsel Of the league be-
lieves that he is in reality paying a costly
price for taking by force his own money from
a messenger who failed to deliver it 70 the per-
son TO whom it was sent and refused TO account
for It.
This Negro was employed as a brakeman. On
Christmas day. q few years ago. he was ordered
70 go out on a run in the opposite direction from
his home. The point where the crews were
changed was forty miles from where he lived.
He asked a white brakeman on a train which
was going 10 his home town to take 81 10 his
wife as his Christmas present. He had not had
time 10 buy anything. and was sending her. all
that he could spare. he explained in a note. A
day or two later he received a complaining let
ter from her. saying that she had not seen him
on Christmas and that he had not even sent her
a present.
He the trainman 10 whom he had given
the money and demanded its return. The mes
senger asserted that he had delivered il. The
Negro said his wife had written him that she
had not received il. The messenger laughed
and turned on his heel. The other. angered at
this, jumped upon him. tore some bills from
his pocket. took 81 from them and returned the
small balance. II is said that the bills We're the
very ones he had intrusted to his fellow train
man. He was afterward arrested on the charge
OF highway robbery. At the trial he was not
represented by counsel. as he had no money
The other man. who would have been liable 20
Imprisonment on a charge OF petty larceny had
the prisoners story been proved correct. swore
that the money was his own The prisoner had
an opportunity TO speak for himself. but il was
Of no avail He was a Negro
Sam Lee lived in the mountains of West
Virginia with his mother and two sisters. He
was industrious youth Of eighteen The fam
fly was poor, and he was its chief support. He
was quiet. even dihdent in the presence OF
strangers. Adjoining their modest little place
was the farm Of we-to-do bachelor
The young fellow was engaged To a girl living
on a farm in the neighborhood one Sunday after
mans mother. The mother. his sisters his
sweetheart and he We're seated on the porch
which was close TO the road. The bachelor rode
up on his horse. He had been drinking He
stopped at the gate and made some unprlntable
remark in n loud voice. Sam went down 10
the gate and tried 10 turn the conversation in
another direction. The wealthy neiehbor
shouted out vile proposal 10 the young woman
visitor He began to dlsmount The young man
picked up stick and struck N him He turned
his head in such way that II hit n vital snot
ana he fell TO the ground unconscious lie died
two or three days later
The relatives Of the wealthy man were vim
dictive- Sam" Lees family had no money for
employment Of counsel. He was difident and
made practically no defence. He was sentenced
70 serve a term of eighteen years After he had
been IN prison for six seven wears during
which time his family were barely able 10 exc
out a living. a pardon was secured for him His
fancee had remained faithful After his re-
lease Lee would not go back 10 his own county
but took his family down 70 port where he
could secure employment I'm a shipyar1 and lose
MS identity: There he gave promise Of being a
faithful and efficient workman
The Literal Justice League has nanv o+bar
cases Of nndeserved hardship on its books for
investigation.