St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-08-31
STIMSON-
CONOVER
By MARTHA V. MONROE
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

you for 80 long that I thought you'd
reformed"
I'm not Stimson,'' replied the man.
who was dressed in working costume.
land I've never been here before"
Take him in
The next morning the case came up
burglary in Ben Warfield's store. War
field had entered his place Of business
with a light and cornered q man rob
bling his cash drawer The robber
Knocked him down and ran. The store
keeper got up, followed. called police
man, and together they made chase.
Warf1eld in court testified that while in
pursuit of the fugitive he had turned
and walked toward them. Undoubted-
" knowing he would be captured, he
hoped to go by them unrecognized. But
Warfeld had got a good look at him
in his store by the light he carried and
knew him at once. The rest Of the
evidence against the prisoner was fur
nished by a picture in the rogues' gal
lery which, though it was not a fiat
tering likeness, was near enough like
him, taken with Warfeld's evidence, to
convict him.
The prisoner claimed that he was
John COnover, a workman in a foun-
dry. His employers superintendent
was called to the stand and testified
that the man. under the name Of Con-
over, had gone to work for the concern
a week before. claiming that he had
not been employed for some months.
That was all the witness knew about
him.
Being an old offender. Stimson was
sent to the penitentiary for seven
years. Before he started his wife came
to see him. acting Historically and de
claring that she and her children were
starving This only confirmed the YER
dict, though it excited sympathy. No
/ one ever heard Of Stimson having had
a wife and family. But the case was
decided. and there is too much work
before the courts except in the cases of
those who have money to pay lawyers
and costs for a little matter like that
to attract even attention.
One night three years later a man
was brought into the same sergeant as
had received Stimson, whereupon the
sergeant who was a facetious man,
said:
Hello. Stimson! You here again?
haven't seen you for so long that l
thought you'd reformed"
I'm not Stimson. My names Con-
over"
well. I like that. I'd know that
mug Of yours among a thousand
We've got you in the gallery. But
! =;
"Conover?"
"Yes-COnover. It seems to me the
names familiar. Now 1 remember all
about it. The last time you came in
here you tried the racket OF mistaken
identity; said your name was Conover.
But hold on. You were sent up for
seven years. You couldn't get out this
early on good behavior When did you
break jail?''
Sergeant" said the prisoner. chang
ing his tone, II was cling1n' to a
straw. and that remarkable memory of
yours has broke it, Three years ago
you sent up an innocent man who look
ed like me, and this time was think
in l might possibly get off by claimin
to be him. But 1t won't work"
The sergeant looked at the man.
greatly puzzled.
did you do the burglary Conover
was sent up for?' he asked.
Yes, / done 1t. They chased me,
and all of a sudden I heered 'em stop.
The next day sor in the Grim news in
the paper that bloke as looked like
me was took. He's dom my time now.
II you wasn't ON to it I'd "a tried to
prove l was him. No credit to the way
you cops work things that I didn't.
Your memory hoored me-
The real Stimson went up, and in
time the real Conoyer came down. One
night he walked into the station and
stood before the sergeant. He was not
recognized. Maddened by his impris-
onment for an oneDSe he had not com
mitted, deprived of the power to work
for his wife and children. he had at
| tempted to escape. was caught and had
been treated with unusual severity.
No wonder the sergeant didn't know
him. He had aged in appearance TWEEN
| ty years.
"Who are you?'' asked the sergeant.
John Conover!"
! Used as he was to the hard side of
life. the sergeant started.
Are you sure I'm not Stimson?"
II had nothing to do with your case;
the court did it. You were unfortunate
in looking like jailbird."
II came to say that while I've been
in Jail my two little ones have died for
want of proper attention. My wife
still lives. If this were not so you
would go after my children
The E1an walked out. and the ser