The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1912-04-23
Old Man PLEADS
FOR PRISON TERM
Induces tla Court to Send Hin
to Only HOnle He Knows.
ALL HIS FRIEnDS ARE THERE.

Charles Bartlett, Eighty EIGHT, Forged
q Check and Then Hurried Off to Tell
the Police About It-Wants to Read
and Study.
Il don't want to 60 free, and don't
want to go to the poorhouse. | simply
want to go to Clinton prison for five
years, and by then / may be dead said
Charles Bartlett, eighty eight years old,
before Judge Edward Swami in the
New York general sessions. court after
he had pleaded guilty of attempted
forgery in the second degree.
Bartlett entered a store and ordered
two expensive rugs, giving in payment
a check for $2,125, signed by W. B.
Bennett and drawn on a Pittsburgh
bank. He then went directly to police
headquarters and gave himself up.
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 Bartlett's lawyer. HE
says all his friends are there"
Eyes, that is right" interrupted the
aged criminal. Il do want to 60 there.
1t will take me out Of temptation and
protect society,"
"A very remarkable case. comment
ed Judge Swami. ''Tell me about your
SELF
His Story.
swell, about forty-two years ago
was swindled out of all that / had
$28,O00-and have devoted the rest of
my life to swindling swindlers to adj
vertise them. did not try to swindle
this store. | simply wanted to get
back into prison"
DO you wish to say anything more?'
asked Judge Swami, again turning to
the old man.
Eyes, was born in Wayne county,
Pa, and my brothers were all lawyers.
and my own son, who died at the age
of sixty, was a respected man. | in
vested all my money in a New Jersey
land deal and was swindled out of it,
/ had earned this money in the pub
fishing 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 Bart
lett, aged eighty-eight-187O, Brooklyn,
grand larceny, the penitentiary; 1872.
Sing Sing, five years, grand larceny;
1880, Sing Sing, two years. grand lar
ceny; 1896. state prison, seven years,
forgery; 1902, Boston. forgery, eight
years; 1908, New York, forgery, three
years, Clinton prison
Is an ImmortaIist.
Eyes, that is my record. A church
has offered to give me a home, but |
don't want it, for / am not good
enough, and it would reflect on the
church. i don't want to go to the poor
house because there you have to have
well filled pocketbook to get along.
/ won't say that have been no good,
for | was in my day.
II was a canvasser. and one rainy
day in the winter | was in my little
room in the Bowery with but SO cents
to my name. went outside and saw
two men eating frozen apples which
they had picked from a garbage can.
and | thought to myself, I must COM
NIT suicide or come to that
Il am an immortalist and believe in
the soul and have travelled the world
over, but thought of suicide, and that
decided me. / made up my mind to
forge big check SO as to be sure of
arrest. I wanted to 60 to Clinton pris-
on again and still want to 60 there. I
am an old man. / want free use Of the