The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-22

 "Its Never Too Late to Mend" was such an attack on the British prison sysetm that years after its first dramatization there was almost a riot in the London theatre where it was produced.
 Foul Play is based on the injustice of British justice, which refused to let an accused man testify In his own be- half. This law stops the mouth of the hero, who is accused of forgery and makes felon of an innocent man.
 In our day, when an accused person cannot only delay his trial month after month to get needed witnesses, but can fight his conviction for months and years afterward on all sorts of trivial technicalities, it is difficult to realize the strength of the situation in Foul Play" But in Charles Reads time trails were summary; and criminal charge carried with it a strong pre- sumption of the accused mans guilt, despite the legal fiction that he was presumed to be innocent. So the ease and dispatch with which Robert Pen fold was hurried to the dock andAthence to the prison was neither unusual nor strange.
 4 RTHUR WARDLAWs son of the "A great London merchant John 4 A Wardlaw, was % years old when he was sent to Oxford to read for degree, his father having decided that the old firm would be all the better If its next head were university man.
 Arthur already had served seven years as clerk in his fathers office. He had forgotten most of his Greek and Latin and had accumulated instead a preponderating amount of greed and cunning. It was lucky for him that his private tutor was the Rev. Robert Penfold, one of the most brilliant uni sersity men of his day
 The young clergyman, intensely con scientious by nature, was the more jealous in the ease of Arthur Wardlaw because his father, old Michael Penfold had been cashier for the house of WardIaw> for many years. When the Rev. Mr. Penfoid learned that Arthur was to be made a member of the firm and to have the reins of government as soon as he should get his degree ne did not content himself with giving the young man merely a course of in struction, but went to his room at all hours and forced him to read
 He went further and did his best to curb young Wardlaw's wild courses. al- though he did not know what extrav- agant expenditures the young fellow was making. Finally for worse freak than --.sual young Wardlaw was threatened with expulsion. This meant ruin to him. His father never would forgive him, es- pecially as it would lead to a discovery of his debts most of which he had count ed on paying quietly out of the funds of the firm soon as he should have them in his hands,
 In this emergency Robert Penfold threw all his influence into the case and after days of desperate effort succeeded in saw ing his pupil. Soon afterward Wardlaw passed his examinations with ease.
 Protesting everlasting gratitude. Arthur Wardlaw said: You have told men that you want to buy that living near Oxford, but cannot do so without e6OO. As you know, I shall be my fathers partner at once. I have arranged that the firm is to lend you e2000 of which you will let ms have G140o to pay some very pressing debts. The other aGOO you may have, and you can pay them back to us in easy ln- stallments."
 
 could hardly express his thanks, Arthur Wardlaw hurried to London and asked his father to make the loan. That gentleman declined instantly, saying that it was not business.
 Young Wardlaw was hard hit by the unexpected refusal. It was not Robert Penfold's affair that bothered him, though to do him justice, he was eager enough to repay his great obligation to the tutor in some way There was a more serious side to the matter. The e140O that ne had expected to get out of the transaction were needed by him desperately. They were to cover debts that must be paid at all hazards before there could be any disclosures.
 He reflected quickly. Within a few weeks at the most he would be head of the firm. If he signed his fathers name to note now he would be in power by the time 1t was presented.
 He said nothing to Robert Penfold. A few days afterward a stranger called on the young clergyman and said that he had been sent by Wardlaw, who was i'll. He produced note signed by John Wardlaw for e2OOO. got Penfold to indorse 1t and gave nlm lne duuTeSS or a Dlll Q1ScOunler who would cash it.
 The young clergyman did so and locked uo the money in a cupboard to wait till Ayardlaw should arrive That evening three detectives appeared with warrant charging him with forgery. Certain that there was mistake, Penfold was willing to go with them at once; but when they tried to force handcuffs on him the dis grace maddened him and he fought his captors with all the strength of a famous university athlete.
 The note broker had observed a trivial irregularity in the note and had gone to Mir Wardlaws house to call his attention to t. Thus an unforeseen accident brought about the discovery of the forgery at once.
 Penfolds desperate resistance put him into bad position. His total inability to explain the mystery made his defense al- most absurd. He could only say that he had been promised the money and there fore had every reason to accept the note even though 1t was brought to him by total stranger. He could not produce any proof, for young Wardlaw, who had hid den himself away in terror when the for gery was discovered, became dangerously