The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-07-07
Jimmy Singer Mistake
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Young Jimmy Singer, down on Cher
~ street, was only fourteen years old
but had come to have a great admira-
kion for the law. He knew that Ger
tain detectives tool their whack. and
he heard a professional bondsman af-
arm that the police, got a divvy on all
his cases: Az for pool room men; gam
blers and p~ickpockets. Jimmy knew
that they owned the town. Now and
then there was q patrolman or detec-
tive who would not shut his eyes when
there was a case of pocket picking or
a con game. but a complaint to certain
politicians Dol brought about a trans
fer. At the age of fourteen Jimmy
was to be a%pprenticed to a cobbler. He
bolted from home in consequence. He
had made up his mind as to his future
career. He had decided to stand in
with the law.
Jimmy had no sooner bolted than he
began to look around for a job. 1t SO
happened that a couple Of young men
who had just graduated in law had
formed @ partnership and hung out
their sign. They didn't want police
court cases., and they didn't want to be
classed among the shysters, but the
want of better patrons forced them to
appear in the lower courts quite often.
Jimmy made theft acquaintance there.
He didn't catch them at any shystel
tricks, and he heard certain policemen
sneering at their straightforward way.
The boy didn't give the lawyers credit
for this. He simply took 1t that they
had a trick up their sleeves and were
the sort Of men he was looking for.
In a month after he knew them he
was their Office boy. He didn't care
how humble the beginning Is long as
the aroma Of law hung about the place.
He didn't eve expect to be a leading
member Of the bar, but he felt that he
could pick up enough law to enable
him to do as others were doing.
One day the boy picked up a pointer.
The partners had been consulted about
a big case. Ii they could win 1t, they
had their start on the road to success
The bar to the winning was certain
papers IN the hands Of a certain citi-
zen. II they had those papers, their
case was sure. Without them It was
no use to take a single step. Jimmy
felt that the success Of the firm would
be his success, while failure would
send him adrift. It was perfectly nat
ural that he should sit up and take no
tice. He couldn't figure out how the
papers were to be got unless he got
them. The only way he could get
them was by robbing the house. 1t
didn't take him five minutes to come to
a decision. 1t might be going a little
further than the police when they per-
jured themselves or q little further
than the shyster lawyers when they
juggled a case, but he would take the
risk. He spotted OF the house, hung
around for a few days and then one
night effected an entrance and secured
the papers. He hadn't had much pre-
liminary experience in the burglar
business, but he brought OF this trick
like an old hand. He didn't even leave
a half burnt match behind for a de-
tective to pick up and examine through
a microscope and announce that it had
been scratched on the right leg OF q.
red headed boy with a cockeye at ex-
actly the hour of midnight.
Jimmy had to lie to get the papers
into the hands of the firm, but that
didn't trouble him in the least. lie
had heard shyster lawyers lie a thou
sand times over. He claimed to have
found them on the street, and the
young attorneys drew long breaths
and declared that Providence was sure
" with them. They won their case
and jumped into Easy street. Jimmy
Singer was not forgotten. He was
patted on the back and called q lucky
young dog and his salary raised, and
but for his learning law SO fast he
might have held down his job indef-
initely. After he had been at 1t six
months he began to give legal advice
and to express legal opinions around
the courts. In fact, he arranged to
stand in with the police on certain
things, but found too late that he could
not deliver the goods. This brought
about strained relations and an ex-
posture, and the law firm and the
student Of law had to part company.
From thence forward for the next
three years Jimmy Travelled. He trav-
eled as a lawyer, as a p~ickpocket, as
a con man, and now and then bur
glared a bit for a change. No, 1t wasn't
burglary. The law says that entering
an occupied dwelling before sunset is
only robbery, and Jimmy never let
the sun fimfam him. At the end OF
three years he returned to town to
make a great mistake. The u got in
a hurry to 60 down or Jimmy's watch
was ten minutes of or the witnesses
swore falsely. At any rate, he was
caught with the goods on him and felt
rather homesick until %arraigned. Then
he chirked up. The Judge was one of
the old law firm. He had tolen the
papers for that firm and had given 1t
its start. The Judge must remember
it. He couldn't go back on him. 1t
would be black ingratitude. Jimmy
went ahead and made his plans for
the future, and there was a smile on
his face when the evidence was all In.
It bore hard on him, but the judge
would find a way. He had seen lots
Of judges find lots Of ways.
"James Singer. | sentence. you to
ten years at Sing Sing for the crime