The Ketchikan miner., 1909-02-06
The Man Who Weakened
VI. QUAD.

cia:ion.l
 We all req ize how hard 1t Is to be good, but are Lot often reminded of how hard 1t is to be bad. The truth is that our lives are like the gyro scope that paradoxical toy which, once set revolving in a certain place. resists being turned into any other plane. Michael Tiernan had been sent to school when boy. had been brought up religiously, and his associates were respectable people of the working class. Mike was good workman, but when the commercial panic of 1907 came on, with thousands of oth- CTS, he dropped out of employment. Having a wife and several children, his heartstrings were strained by l terrific tension. To see his little ones hungry, paling every day for the want of necessary sustenance, to be driven with his family from one lodging to another, each successive rooftree being more rotten and shabby than its pred ecessor, was crncifying to the poor mans sensibilities.
 Mikes boy. Little Mike. four years old, was the apple of his fathers eye. Little Mike became i'll. and tempta- tion came to his father at the same time Little Mikes calling for food that was not to be had, needing med ical attendance that was only for the prosperous. was too much for Mike. He was approached by two men who were entering houses and appropriat- ing the contents. They wanted third to assist them and made him prop osition The question 'What should he do?" is one that has puzzled the best intellects. In the eye of society there is but one answer.
 X few days later the three men, Pat Dolan, Jim Murphy and Mike. broke into a dwelling in the center of large grounds, far enough from other houses to enable them to work without being heard by the neighbors. One of the women of the family. awakened by 1 bright light being flashed in her face. began to scream. Dolan ordered her | to keep quiet, meanwhile feeling for | the electric switch. and when he found
 
 master of the house jumped out of bed to see what was the matter and ran into Murphys arms. Dolan knocked 1 the screaming woman senselesS, then, placing Mike on guard over every one on the floor, went downstairs to collect the valuables there, while Murphy ran sacked the bedrooms.
 l ;,, that he had not counted on. He had prepared himself to be brave and had partially satisfied his conscience that he was doing no wrong in taking what another did not especially need to keep life in his darling boy. But he had not prepared himself to pose as a 1 burglar The situation to the inmates of the house was appalling. The wo- man who had been stilled had tainted, and the master of the house was try 1 ing to revive her. He turned to Mike and said:
 You are not even respectable bur glars. None but the most contempta- ble will injure woman"
 Were driven to 1t, sir,' said Mike. "W'e can't get work, and our families are starving"
 At that moment q door opened and little boy in white nightie, tumbled curls falling over his forehead, under which his eyes blinked in the sudden light, came out into the hall.
 "Papa," he said, what has this man false face on for?"
 This was too much for Mike. He snatched the boy in his arms, crying at the same time:
 "I've got one like him at home."
 At the same moment Murphy came out of one of the bedrooms with bag full of jewels Seeing Mike caressing a child, he called to Dolan below:
 Mikes weakening.
 Without a word Dolan rushed up- stairs. Mike heard him coming and put down the child. Dolan ran up to Mike and hammered him with the butt of his revolver. Then, having quieted, as he supposed. the better nature of his assistant. he resumed his pillaging. An hour after entering the premises the burglars left with the usual threat to kill any one giving an alarm within a certain time.
 The next morning Dolan read an account of the robbery in the morning papers and noted q statement that hopes were entertained that the bur glar who had weakened if offered i'm munity might be induced to turn states evidence. Dolan paled. The three had separated before daylight, ard he could not reach Mike till even- ing. During the day he resolved to put his assistant where he would tell m tales-E.-:-r !::z GaI-anu revoIved in his mind methods for doing so. Mike did not read the account of his weakening, but his mind was made up as to his future course. Scarcely had the plundered family finished breakfast when it was announced that a man was outside with information concerning the robbery. It proved to be Mike, who then and there confessed his share in the robbery.
 Mike Herman was not prosecuted. The man whose property he had been instrumental in restoring gave him employment, and the Herman family is now living in comparative comfort. Mike has no fears till Dolan and Mur- phy shall have served a twenty year i, fc n 1.,ttrv hi In