Willmar tribune., 1909-03-03
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Man Who Weakened
= Observation-Disclosures, ) .

|
good, but are lot often reminded of
how hard it 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 a boy, had been brought
np religiously, and his associates We're
respectable people of the working
class. Mike was a coed workman,
but when the commercial panic Of
| 1907 came on. With thousands Of 9th
ars, he dropred out of employment.
Having z wife and several children.
bis hcartstiings were strained by
| terrific tension. To see his little ones
hungry, paling every day fer 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 it's pred
scessor. was crucifying to the poor
| nan'S seNsihilitieS.
Mixes boy, Little Mike four years
old. was the apple Of his fathers eye.
Little Mike became i'll, and tempta-
ton came to his father at the same
time Little Mikes calling for food
that was not to be had, needing med
lcal 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 a 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
\ few days later the three men, Pat
Dolar. Jim Murphy and Mike. broke
into 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 a
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
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. Doian knocked
the screaming woman sanseless, then,
placing Mike on guard over every one
On tie floor, went downstairs to collect
the valuables there, while Murphy ran
sacked the bedrooms.
], IN,
that he had not counted on. He had
prepared himself to be brave and had
partially satisfied his conscience that
be was doing no wrong i'll taking what
another did not especially need to
keep life i'll 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 stilled had tainted,
and the master of the house was try
ing to revive her. He turned to Mike
and said:
You are not even respectable bur-
glars. None but the most contempta-
BILE will injure a woman"
:. "Werc driven to it, sir" said Mike.
, We can't get work, and our families
are starving"
1t that moment door opened and
, q little boy in q white nightie, tumbled
curls falling over his forehead, under
which his eyes blinlled in the sudden
Light, came out into the hall.
Papa" he said, what has this man
! a false face on for?"
; This was too much for Mike. He
snatcned the boy III his arms, crying
at the same time:
I've got one like him at home"
1t the same moment Murphy came
out of one OF the bedrooms with bag
full Of Jewels Seeing Mike caressing
q child, he called to Dolan below:
"Nille's weakeningv
Without 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 certain time.
The next morning Dolan read an
account of the robbery in the morning
papers and noted statement that
hopes were entertained that the bur-
g.ar Who had weakened if offered i'm
munity 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 revolved
, in his mind methods for doing So
Mike Gid 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
man was outside with information
concerning the robbery. 1t proved tC
be Nike who then and there confessed
his share in the robbery.
Mike Tiernan was not prosecuted
The man whose property he had been
instrumental 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 a twenty year
sentence, but that is long while. In
the meantime he is working hard
the only sore spot in his mind being
his one connection with criminals.
Mike Tiernan was turned to crime