Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-06-21
FRlEHDLESS OUTCAST.

A Little, brown haired man. with
cold, uSly gray eyes. sat i'll the PriS"h-
court and watched the proceedings
with Il look OF contempt. says Los
Angeles dispatch in the New YORK
Herald.
The others in the dock gave him
plenty of room. The hohors and
thugs. the men charged with petty
larceny and small crimes, did not
jostle him as they would Ill ordinary
jailbird. They gave him wide berth.
and when he looked their way and
scowlcd they moved about uncasily.
Tom Fletcher called the ball
if. The man left the dock with a
defiant grin and slouched forward
before the Justices bench. There
was no appeal for mercy in his hard.
gray eyes. He was an Putcast. hunt
ed and worried like baited wolf, feel
ing no mercy for his fellow men. hat
ing each one worse than the other
ard only desiring to prey upon them.
He was the finished product OF
the States prison. Time after time
Fletcher has stood before the bar OF
Justice. He cannot enter city
with out being arrested on suspicion,
thrown into Jail on a vagrancy charge
and kept there until his spirit is brok-
en-. Then he is turned out into the
road, to be arrested at the next city.
Hopeless Outcast.
Such has been the history of Tom
Fletcher for years. Six times he has
heard the Judges of the Supreme
Court sentence him to the pcnItont-
larry Six long terms in the cells of
San Quentin have hardened the man
until he snarls at an officer in much
the same manner that a hycna would
snap at the heels OF a prospective ,
victim.
There is no hope ahead for FLEET |
cher. He is one OF the great horde
which moves rest!essly about the
country. outcast hunted and worried.
II they enter a city they are put in !
Jail. II they keep to the country the =,
rural constables hunt them down and !
send them into the county jails to Sc |
cure the small fec given for each ar
rest
Fletcher stated that he could not !,
stay in one place more than one day. |
He wore two complete suits at the |
time of his arrest here These serve !
as clothing. protection against the |
n;,hs nd bod af
night He pulls his hat down over |
his ears and sleeps under a CON '
ycnient tree or i'm some stray box car !
Every officer is his sworn enemy
every human being thing Of hatred.
6u'Iieh and Beaten. !
why SHOULD I have love- for any
one?'' asked Fletcher. They all =.
hate me: they swon't let me- work
or 10 honest: they won't even give
me chance to show that want to he
honest. They bully and beat me and
throw me ont into the life OF tramp.
no matter where ' stop. have got
to he a wandsrcr and tramp.
whether I want 10 or MOI" n
Fletcher has served al. six sentences
on charges of highway robbery. Il
The next time hc Is sent 10 States
prison he will probably 70 for life on
the charge Of being a confirmed
criminal
Tie was given sentence of 1S0 i
days on the chain gang by Justicc
Rose. This was suspended ~ the
mans promise to leave the city. iIe
was sent then to Captain FIammcr
office and given a lecture.
'Gc' oui Of town and stay out" said
FTsmmrr. The place is no rIscc for
you and your kind. and No do MT
want YOU hero. Tel tho others thai
sou meet that We arc ready for them.
and that ihcv viii got harsh treat.
mcn, a. yoon a. they arrive. Now
turn vJur hack on irS Angeles AMI
~ Won ere ever Se~n here again 81
win g1 hard with you.'
Brring Tho argument Flctchrr Sai
with his usly cry COS HSed In b.
tired. he snarlcd AZ the captain and
his fisgcrs tw.icbed as though he
L., g,a 20, the chance IN strcsfix tho |