The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1912-03-20
PLEADS FOR PRISON TERM AT
SO YEARS
Old Criminal Induces the Court to
Send Him to Clinton, the Only
Home He Knows-Was
Former Wayne Countean.


Former Wayne Countean.
don't want to go free and 1
don't want to go to the Poor House.
i simply want to go to Clinton Pris-
on for five years, and by then | may
be dead" said Charles Bartlett, So
years old, before Judge Edward
Swami in General Sessions one day
last week after he had pleaded
guilty of attempted forgery in the
second degree.
Bartlett entered the store of w. &
J. Sloane, dealers in carpets, at S04
Broadway, on Jan. 27, and ordered
two expensive rugs, giving in pay
ment a check for S2,125, signed by
w. b. Bennett and drawn on a
Pittsburg bank. He then went di-
rectly to Police Headquarters and
gave himself up. When arraigned in
court the aged prisoner said he was
ready to plead guilty of forgery,
but Judge Swami would not allow
him to do so, and then Franklin
Grier, the prisoners counsel, said he
would plead guilty to attempted for
gerry in the second degree for his
client
Your Honor, this man wants to
go to Clinton Prison for five years,
as he figures that he will die in that
length of time" said the lawyer.
''He says all his friends are there"
Yes, that is right" interrupted
the aged criminal. Il do want to
go there; it will take me out of
temptation and protect society"
A very remarkable case" COM
mented Judge Swami; tell me about
yourself"
Well, about forty-two years ago
I IN 4 II,I -, l. 4
-$2S, S,000-and have devoted the
rest of my life to swindling swindlers
to advertise them. | did not try to
swindle the Sloanes; simply wanted
to get back into prison"
At this point the Grand Jury filed
in and Judge Swami said:
Gentlemen, here is a very re-
markable case. This old man has
pleaded guilty to a crime, and wants
to go back to Clinton Prison, and ]
don't want him to go to prison.
What shall / do?"
The Grand Jurors talked among
themselves and then announced that
they were of the opinion that the
prisoner should be sent where he de-
sired to go.
Do you want to say anything
more?" asked Judge Swami, again
turning 10 the Ola man.
Yes, / was born in Wayne coun-
ty, Pennsylvania, and my brothers
were all lawyers, and my own son,
who died at the age of so, was a re-
spected man, / invested all my
money in New Jersey land deal and
was swindled out of it. / had earn
ed this money in the publishing
business, and then decided to
swindle other people myself"
Judge Swami handed the old man
Slip of paper and told him to read
it aloud, and holding the paper far
from him, and without the aid of
glasses, the prisoner read this:
The criminal record of Charles
Bartlett, aged SS: 1870, Brooklyn,
grand larceny, the penitentiary;
1872, Sing Sing, 5 years, grand lar
ceny; 1880, Sing Sing, years,
grand larceny; 1896, State prison,
z years, forgery; 1902, Boston, for
gerry, years; 1908. New York, for
gerry, 3 years, Clinton Prison"
Yes, that is my record. A
church has offered to give me
home, but / don't want it, for i am
not good enough. and it would re-
fleet on the church. / don't want to
go to the poorhouse, because there
you have to have a well-filled pocket
book to get along. | won't say that
| have been no good, for | was in my
day,
! was canvasser, and one rainy
day in the Winter | was in my little
room in the Bowery with but thirty
six cents to my name. ! went out
side and saw two men eating froz-
en- apples which they had picked
from a garbage can, and | thought
to myself; must commit suicide
or come to that
" am an immortalist and believe
in the soul and have travelled the
world over, but | thought of suicide
and that decided me. ! knew how
the Sloanes did business, and made
up my mind to forge a big check, so
as to be sure of arrest. ! wanted to
go to Clinton Prison again, and still
want to go there. ] am an old man.
! want free use of the prison library,
so that I can read and study and
think. Please send me there"
All right. ! will do So" said
Judge Swami, but if at any time
you desire to come out, write to me
and | win communicate with the
Governor and obtain your release"
Don't worry about that, your
Honor. All the friends / have left
in this world are in Clinton Prison,
and ! will never change my mind"
The old criminal thereupon was
sentenced 10 serve five years, and
gave a sigh of apparent relief as he
shnHled out of sight.-Taken from
the New York Times of March IS.