Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-09-26

case the line between crime and mis-
fortune was an imaginary one, when
a new motive for regret came to him.
Alice Blair. woman q few years his
junior. old enough to be impressed
with the enormity OF the crime OF
taking under any circumstances the
life Of a friend, became a part OF his
existence The love between the two
was stronger in the man because he
considered it hopeless. He could not
make the woman his wife under a
false pretense-he could not bind her
to him for lifetime without a confess
sion that he had blood on his hands.
And. supposing he confessed to her.
it would be wronging her and chill
dren that might come TO them both
Slowly. but surely. IN this mans life
the principle Of confession and atone
ment was working itself out What
nothing else could effect was to be
brought about by the woman he loved,
she bearing her share of the punish
ment He did not speak his love. 1t
seemed with him rather "A fever from
which he was suffering than love. He
would absent himself from her for
weeks at a time, only to return to
companionship that he could not live
without Patiently she waited for an
explanation that she felt assured must
come in time.
One evening after one of these alb
sences-a longer one than usual-the
lover appeared. 1t was at an hour be-
tween daylight and dusk. She had been
thinking of him and was beginning to
fear that this dreadful something that
was between them might, In this in
stance, separate them forever. Sud
denly he burst in upon her. and so wild
looking. so despairing. that for a mo-
ment she almost fancied that he was
his ghost.
He had returned resolved to confess
to her. He began ut once to unburden
himself of the friGhtful secret, and It
was not long before it was all in her
possession, She spoke no word. She
gave him one look of heartfelt sym
pathy. then, overpowered by his and
her misfortune. covered her face with
her hands and bowed her head. He
waited for her to speak. but she did
not, and he silently withdrew.
The next day she sent for him.
When he appeared a great change had
come over her. She showed traces OF
a terrible mental struggle.
81 have forgiven what In one sense
IS a crime. 1 will be anything to you,
but on one condition. Confess to the
world and take the consequences
can bear with you your public shame;
/ cannot share your secret"
He turned without a word. went 30
q nP fha CrYnnrfnfannanf IF
lice and confessed that he had MUIR
dered his friend Edgar Thorpe. The
governor of the state in which the
crime had been committed made n
requisition FOR him, and he was taken
there for trial
When the members Of the societies
Of Spanish war veterans heard that
one Of their number had given himself
up to be tried for murder they at once
became interested. Gradually the
peculiar features OF the case became
known to them. Between the murder
and the trial the accused had had an
opportunity seldom falling to the lot
OF criminals to show that his act had
been rather a misfortune than a crime
and that he who committed II had be-
come n good citizen as well as 4 brave
soldier. Had he given himself up Inn
mediately after the murder the case
would have been far different. A long
term OF confinement would have
wrecked him.
As 1t was, while the law was salts
fed Turner escaped the punishment OF
the law-at least, all except the deg
radiation Of entering a prison. His
sentence was but few months. and
long before the term had expired he
was pardoned by the governor OF the
state.
On the morning he was liberated a
large cOncOuTse assembled at the
prison door to welcome him upon his
return TO freedom. First and fore
most was the woman who was the
cause OF his confession, next his com
rades, veterans OF the Spanish war,
and lastly n multitude OF sympathiz-
ers. As he stepped beyond the prison
portal It seemed 10 him that he was
leaving the greater part OF his atone
ment behind him. True. the fact Of
having taken the life Of his boy friend
would live so long as he himself but
the secret would not be with him, not
between him and the woman he loved.
not between him and the world. In
It's place would be a heartfelt sym
pathy.
There IS a lesson in the case Of John
Turner to which the world is slowly
awakening. lesson-lt is rather n
problem-respecting the treatment OF
criminals But II will not be easily
solved. Justice has not yet found n
way OF giving one who perpetrate8 a
arst crime an opportunity for rcdemp-
:ion before indicting punishment
that deprives him Of That opportunity
Nor has a line yet been drawn between
the criminally Insane and those offend
ers who attempt 20 elude Justice on
false plea.