The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1911-04-01

the slightest information. l had OF
fered him his liberty and $1,000 II
money as an inducement, but he stub
bornly refused. He seemed to have
deluded himself into the idea that
treachery among gang Of criminals
was much worse than the unlawful
deeds performed by them.
l learned from the prisoner that be
had family. When this was men
toned he shuddered little. Coming
to the conclusion that l could learn
| nothing from him was ready to loch
him UP. Before doing this / suggested
the idea of taking him to see his wife
and children. Early in the morning
procured a carriage, and after q
20 minutes drive we stopped in front
of large tenement house which we
entered, ascending the stairs to the
second floor.
Knocking at door to our right we
were after some delay admitted by 9
woman wearing a calico wrapper, and
we entered the room which was dark
and dismal as tomb. Two or three
broken chairs, rickety table and a
! mattress spread upon the floor and
covered with ragged quilts, consti-
tuted the furnishings. Peeping from
beneath the tattered covering I saw
the bright eyes and curly heads of
two young children.
"Is this your home, Mr.. Hartz?" I
inquired.
This is where / stay" be replied.
saw at once that was up against
species of affliction for which / had
no ready-made speech of coincidence.
and was Just little embarrassed.
There was a depth of seriousness in
the affair that l had rarely met with.
l was confronted with the genuine
woes Of humanity and at a loss for
the moment to know just what to do
or say. After celebrating a short
time / came to the conclusion. that it
was best to explain all to hls wife.
She looked like an intelligent woman
and l proceeded to acquaint her with
the facts concerning her husbands ar
rest and the punishment that was sure
to follow. / likewise pointed out the
door through which he might escape.
demanded clean breast without
reserve. was to know all the partic-
uiars In regard to the conspiracy, and
he was to act in good faith and to as
sist the detectives in plans to cap
ture the engraver and all others con-
nected with the affair; besides, he
was, If it became necessary, to 60 up
on the witness stand and testify
against his confederates. Counterfeit
ers as general thing are treacherous
towards one another when in a tight
place; 1t is anything to save them
selves. With John Hartz it was diff
ferent; he preferred to sacrifice him
self rather than to give away his con-
federates.
When the wife was made acquaint-
ed with the proposition that had been
made to her husband she ppealed to
him in language that seemed irresist-
ible.
He hung his head. There was an
expression on his face that was in
def1nable. A fresh link in misery's
chain had now reached his heart.
The scene was absolutely painful and
l soon saw that he was weakening.
A mans character varies In accord
ance with the position in which he Is
placed. Criminals are human. like
our selves, and II we would learn the
dangers lurking in our pathway. we
should know how they chance to
stumble and fall. Some men are
weaker and more prone to vice than
others. There is a never-ending bat
tie between right and wrong. l never
yet found a man so bad that there
was not something In his character
upon which to base a hope. never
yet saw a man that was so good as to
be free from danger. There Is a
thread Of gold running through the
character of the worst of men; the
dif1culty is to reach 1t.
The prisoners eyes fell and were
filed with tears. We have no pity for
the tears shed by criminals. They
are deserved, but they are tears just
the same, and sometimes come from
heart unjustly pierced. His wife now
approached him and said. Where Is
the money to come from to pay the
rent for this miserable room we are
living in? How am to obtain food
and clothing for our children when
you are in the lpenitentiary"
Accustomed as was to scenes Of
this kind my heart was deeply touched
and my hand went almost involuntari-
" to my pocket pulled out roll OF
bills. 1t was the governments money.
Peeling on Eve twenties. / handed
them to the woman. Take this, my
good woman, cannot save your hus-
band, but / will give you something
With which to supply your immediate