American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1911-03-18

money as an i~nducement, but he stub
bornly refused. He seemed to have
deluded himself into the idea that
.treachery among a gang of criminals
was much worse than the unlawful
deeds performed by them.
learned from the prisoner that he
had a family. When this was men.
toned he s~huddered a little. Coming
10 the conclusion that I could learn
nothing from him | was ready to lock
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 a
20 minutes drive we stopped in front
of a large tenement house which we
entered. ascending the stairs to the
second floor.
Knocking at a door to our right we
were after some delay admitted by a
woman wearing a calico wrapper, and
we entered the room which was dark
and dismal as a tomb. Two or three
broken chairs. a rickety table and a
mattress spread upon the floor and
covered with ragged quilts. consti
tuted the furnishings. Peeping from
beneath the tattered covering | saw
the bright eyes and curly heads OF
two young children.
rs this your home, Mr.. Hartx?" ]
inquired.
This is where I stay" he replied.
saw at once that l was up against
a species Of af1liction for which I had
no ready-made speech Of coincidence.
and ! vas Just a little embarrassed
There was a depth of seriousness in
the affair that l had rarely met with.
l was confronted with the genuine
oes Of humanity and at a loss for
the moment to know just what to dc
or LAY After celebrating a short
time / came to the conclusion that 1t
was best to explain all to his wife.
She looked like an intelligent woman
and l proceeded to acquaint her with
h facts concerning her husbands ar
rest and the punishment that was sure
to follow. l likewise pointed out the
door through which he might escape.
l demanded a clean breast without
reserve. I was to know all the partic-
ulars 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, II 1t became necessary. to go up
on the witness stand and testify
against his confederates. Counterfeit
ers as a general thing are t~reacherous
towards one another when In a tight
place; it is anything to save them
selves. With John Hartz 1t 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 beer
made to her husband she appealed Il
him in language that seemed irresist
ible.
He hung his head. There was ar
expression on his face that was in
defnable. A fresh link in misery:
chain had now reached his heart
The scene was absolutely painful ant
| soon saw that he was weakening
A mans character varies in accord
ance with the position in which he /:
placed. Criminals are human. like
! our selves, and II we would learn the
dangers lurking in our pathway. w
should know how they chance Il
stumble and fall. Some men arr
weaker and more prone to vice thai
others. There is a never-ending bat
tie between right and wrong. neve
vet found a man so bad that ther'
was not something in his characte
| upon which to base a hope. | neve
yet saw a man that was so good as t
be free from danger. There is
thread of gold running through tn
l character of the worst of men; tn
| difficulty is to reach it.
The prisoners eyes fell and wer'
filed with tears. We have no pity 10
the tears shed by criminals. The,
are deserved. but they are tears jus
the same, and sometimes come from
heart ~unjustly pierced His wife nov
approached him and said, Where /
the money to come from to pay tn
rent for this miserable room We ar
living in? How am | to obtain foo'
and clothing for our children wheI
YOU are IN the penitentiary?
Accustomed as l was to scenes o
this kind my heart was deeply touches
and my hand went almost involuntari
" to my pocket. I pulled out a roll o
bills. 1t was the governments money
Peeling of five twenties, l HANDED
them to the mi Take this, m.
good m l cannot save your hus
band, but | will give you somethln'
with which to supply you immediate
wants. Buy these children som
clothes"
handed her an additional invent.
The c~ounterfeiter and his wife stoo'
locking earnestly into each other
faces. Both seemed we'll nigh broken
hearted. He stepped towards ME a.
ne said: You are the only decer
man | have ever seen in the defective
-Nfp1 70 flH Vni