The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-12
sssssss.ssssss.sss..ssssss
/: The Man Who Weakened /:

Ns~FA.ees 49, W AlltIlCNu &Itnb AnAO
ctasion.l
We all realize how bard n "a 10 h,
good, but are not often reminded o.
how hard IL Is to be bad. The trutl
Is that our lives are like the gyro
scope, that paradoxical toy which, ono,
set revolving In certain place, resistl
being turned into any other plane.
Michael Tlernan had been sent Il
school when a boy, had been brought
up religiousiy, and bis associates were
respectable people OF the working
class. Mike was good workman
but when the commercial panic OF
1907 came on, with thousands Of 9th
ers. he dropped out Of employment.
Having wife and several children,
his heartstrings were strained by a
terrific tension. To see his little ones
hungry, pallng every day for the want
OF necessary sustenance. 10 be driven
with his family from one lodging to
another, each successive rooftree being
more rotten and shabby than its pred.
ecessor, was crucifylng to the poor
mans sensibilitIes.
Mikes boy, Little Mike, four years
old, was the apple Of his fathers eye.
Little Mike became Ill, and tempta.
tion came to his father at the same
time. Little Mikes calling for food
that was not to be had, needing med
zeal attendance that was only for the
prosperous, was too much for Mike.
He was approached by two men who
were entering houses and appropriate
ing the contents. They wanted third
TO assist them and made him a prop
osition. The question "What should
he doT Is one that has puzzled tho
best intellects. In the eye OF society
there is but one answer.
A 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 tho neighbors. One of the
women Of the family, awakened by
bright light being flashed in her face.
began to scream. Dolan ordered her
TO keep quiet, meanwhile feeling Cor
the electric switch, and when he found
1t he lighted up the whole floor The
master Of the house jumped out OF bed
to see what was the matter and ran
into Murphy's arms. Dolan knocked
the screaming woman senseless, then,
placing Mike on guard over every one
on the door. went downstairs to collect
the valuables there, while Murphy ram
sacked the bedrooms.
Mike found himself in a position
that no 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
burglar. The situation to the inmates |
Of the house was appalling. The wo-
man who had been stiiled had tainted.
and the master Of the house was try |
ing to revive her. He turned to Mike /
and said
.sTou are not even respectable bur-
glars. None but the most eontempta-
BILE viii injure woman"
"We're driven to it, sir" said Mike.
I'VE can't get work, and our families
are starving"
at that moment q door opened and /
a little boy In white nightie, tumbled
cnrls falling over his forehead, under
which his eyes bllnked in the sudden
light, came out into the hall.
Papa" he said, what has this man
a false face on for7"
This was too much for Mike. He
snatched the boy in his arms. crying
at the same time:
eve got one like him at home"
AT the same moment Murphy came
out Of one of the bedrooms with a bag
full of Jewels. Seeing Mike caressiag
child, he called to Dolan below:
Mikes weakening
without d word DoIan 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 bis
pillaging. An hour after entering the
premises the burglars left with the
usual threat to kill any one giving an
alarm within q 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 IL offered inn
naunity might be induced to turn
states evidence. Dolan paled. The
three had separated before daylight,
and he could not reach Mike till even
ing. During the day he resolved to
put his assistant where he would tell
no tales-under the sod--and revolyed
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 1t was announced that
. man was outside with information
concerning the robbery. 1t proved to
be Mike, who then and there confessed
his share in the robbery.
Mike Tiernan was not prosecuted.
The man whose property he had been
in restoring gave him
employment, and the Tiernan family
Is now living In comparative comfort.
Mike has no fears till Dolan and Muir
ply shall have served twenty year
sentence. but that is a long while. In
the meantime be is working hard,
the only sore spot In his mind being