The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1913-09-26

to give him a much larger wage he
wanted to put Skinny to the test.
Day after day he proved his worth
and his wages were increased accord
ingly. so that at the end of a few
years he was in position to marry
Wherever he has worked he has prov
ed faithful and has given every salts
faction to his employers. He is at
present holding a position of respon,
sibility, is married and has two fine
young daughters. He has lived an up.
right life for fifteen years.
Then there was the case of Tom,
who had served two short terms in
Sing Sing prior to 1889. Upon the
evening of the Gay of his second dis
, charge from Sing Sing Tom, wander
ing down the Bowery, met two Of his
friends. who invited him into one of
the saloons to have a drink. After
their third or fourth drink they were
placed under arrest by detectives from
headquarters, who charged them with
robbery committed that very day.
His Innocence of No Avail.
Tom protested his innocence, saying
that he was not the man, that he had
only just come from Sing Sing, and in
fact .didsnot have time to do, job of
that kind. Despite his denials he was
locked up, for, unfortunately, Toms
appearance tailed almost exactly with
the description of the missing third of
the three men who had done the rob-
berry.
On the day OF trial the other two
men pleaded guilty and received if
teen year sentences. at the same time
affirming that Tom had no part in the
robbery. Tom again protested his In
nocence, saying that he had not COM
mitted the crime, that he had done
nothing for which he should have been
arrested. He declined to take a plea
and decided to stand trial. On his
record he was found guilty in short
order, and as he put the county to the
expense Of a trial he was sentenced
to twenty years In prison. He want
back to Sing Sing soured and sullen
and with desire in his heart to get
even with society for the wrong It
had done him and a determination
that he would get even when he came
out
How we'll / remember the many
talks I have had with Tom, and how
at times 1t seemed as though nothing
that might be said would move him,
but at last God working In His own
mysterious way saw fit to change his
heart. Tom put the evil desires and
evil inclinations back of him and came
out Of prison a saved man.
Twelve Years Of Upright Life.
1t, is now twelve years since Tom
left prison. He is holding a good
position in one of the towns of Penn
sylvania. We hear from him fire.
quently and the burden of his letters
to US is that he thanks God that the
Volunteer Prison league came into his
life, and now he has wished that he
had hardened earlier to the godly
counsel and wise preceIts.
John c. was liberated In 1907, hav-
ing come under the operation of the
parole law which permitted life pris.
oners who had served twenty years
and whose conduct had been good to
be paroled. For twenty-seven years
John had been an inmate OF Sing Sing
prison and for many years of that
time hope and John were strangers.
We went into that prison CARRYING
a message Of hope to such poor souls
as he, and 1t was with gladness that
he received the message, and he has
told US now he hoped and prayed that
the time would come when he would
secure his release, and thanks to the
wise measures instituted by our law.
makers he was one of the first who
came under the operation of the
"lifer" parole law. He now holds a
position Of trust and responsibility in
one Of the largest corporation In New
York city.
Forty-seven Years In Prison.
Another example. and this one is
e!ghty-three years old. He was. I
think. the dean Of the prisoners of
this state, for he had spent forty.seven
years Of his life In the prison. In Dan.
| nemora every one knew old Frank.
He TOO was beneficiary Of the life
mems parole law. for he Is now much
! bent and at times somewhat feeble.