The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1909-08-05
Ralph | Huggins, Serving 3O-Day
Jail Sentence for Protecting his
Crippled Brother, viii Probably
Be Set at Liberty Tomorrow.

"a n llCtle wan dIlQ WlSCIulE race
pressed close against the cold
iron bars; a pair of great gray
eyes with all the innocence of
childhood shining in their limped
depths, eyes with maybe a few
tears in them looking longingly
at the great blue mountains,
which appear so close, and
which also appear to express
solemn astonishment at such an
instance Of mans brutality,
little Ralph Huggins, no higher
than your knee, is in the county
JAIL, with OTHER criminals, for
the most awful offense of pro
tectlng his crippled fve-year old
brother from injury!
But Ralph wont stay there
long! Just as soon as the gene
rous and Warm-hearted folks of
this town read the story in yes
lterday's Daily Hustler, they be-
gan to get busy and things com
menced to h2ppen right thereI
Men and women looked at
their own little tots running hap
lpily around, enjoying every
minute Of the precious life God
had granted them. and when
they thought of this father
less lad in the county Jail they
didn't like it.
There were a dozen men in the
Daily Hustler office last night,
everyone of them anxious to put
up what cold coin would he
necessary to obtain the boys re-
lease. Everybody on the street
talked about the affair and
Sheriff Blackwell's phone was
ringing constantly and the
patient Sheriff listened to indig-
nant complaints by the score.
Then Station and Rector got
busy. Last night they wrote
the trial justice at Green River
demanding an appeal.
| Hearing nothing from this
ithey have made out the neces-
sary papers for a writ of habeus
corpus, sent them by special
fdelivery to Judge Adams in
Asheville, and tomorrow Sheriff
Blackwell, accompanied by these
attorneys and Ralph, will ap-
pear before that just Judge and,
without doubt the baby prisoner
will be then granted his liberty.
I The boy was tried at II o'clock
( Monday. From what creditable
witnesses say the case was rail
roaded through.
] The boy was accused of attack
ing Frank Bell, a boy of the same
| age, son of ]. o. Bell. of the cot
ton mill there, was tried before
Justice of the Peace Owens, wfn
runs the company's store, had no
lawyer, was sentenced, taken
back to the mill and put to work
until 6 O'Clock, when he was
brought to town and landed in
the county Jail. This. according
to the boy story, for the offense
of protecting his crippled five
year-old brother from injury at
the hands of Frank Bell, Mr.. ].
10. Bells son.
The lad has a pleasing appear
ance, good features, direct and
honest look, and certainly cannot
! be bad boy. It is said he can
furnish excellent character wit
nesses. The chances are the boy
will be at liberty tomorrow. His
widowed mother is nearly dis
tracted and, altho' in extreme
ly Strengthened circumstances
would do anything in her power
to secure her boys release.
There have been offers of as
sistance without number. The
warm-hearted people Of this town
propose to see no injustice done
to the widow or orphan, and
thanks to the publicity given by
the Daily Hustler and the aroused
public feeling, Ralph the boy
prisoner, will soon be at liberty.