Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-09-04
a MISTAKE
A Story For Labor Day
By DoRETHA HALE
By DoRETHA HALE

NlFcArH mENENNf
Little Mamie Swift was taken very
Ill In the night, and her father was
called up to so for the doctor. Swift
feared the child woulJe die and began
to trot From trotting be increased
his pace to q run.
He heard footsteps behind him, and
they were gaining on him. But he
thought nothing ABOUT 1t, for his mind
was on his sick child. Suddenly the
pursuer clapped & hand on his Shout
der and handouts on his wrist
What's this 2" he asked, astonished.
You're wanted replied a police
man.
Let me go. MY child is sick. and I
must get a doctor
.Oh, the doctor racket has been
worked too often. Its no good"
Swift was in agony, but could do
nothing. He was taken to u police
station. where a complaint OF burglary
was entered against him. "A woman
came to the station. looked ut the pris-
oner and said, That's the man. and
went away.
Meanwhile the mother waited for
the return of her husband with the
doctor. Morning came. but neither
Swift nor the doctor came. AS the
sun rose the child died. Then to COM
plete the mothers agony word came
from her husband that while running
for the doctor he had been mistaken
for q burglar and arrested.
During the day the tolls frightened
around Swift The rogues' gallery was
ransacked for his picture. and the
photograph OF q criminal named Jack
Dowlen, who was the image Of Swift,
was found. The who had
identified the prisoner the night be-
fore looked at him again and was
sure it was the man she had caught
opening her bureau drawers and. on
being discovered. had run.
There was never q clearer case
against a man. Had he been a gentle.
man he could have proved that bur-
glary was not In his line. but he was
a plain workingman and could only
prove that his name was on the rolls
of the Carpenters union in good and
regular standing. But this did not
save him. He was convicted of bur-
state prison.
The day he was sent up his wife
came to see him. She knew he was
innocent and had sworn that he had
been with her five minutes before the
alleged burglary had been committed
and that he had left her to 80 for a
doctor to attend their sick child. Tae
story would have elected sympathy
if II had been believed, but it was
not. What was the testimony of d
burglars wife worth7 Nothing.
We'll, Tom she said to him. .'thii
Is hard, isn't it,"
yes. Mary, 1t is"
why don't they find a way to avoid
such mistakesY'
u don't know. ! suppose they
can't"
Maybe some day the union viii
have persons whose business It viii
be to ferret out such cases as appear
among their members
Il hope 1t will.r
well, Tom. keep up a good heart
FL work for the children"
The convict was too ~disheartened K
make any response to his wifess hope
fIlness. All he said was II he'd beeI
let go on for the doctor the child nigh
be alive now
Swift had served a year in prison
when one night a burglar was caugh
red handed in a burglary. He hap
pcned to be taken to the same statiol
Swift had been, taken when a~rrestet
on his way for the doctor. The ma
at the desk looked at him In sur
prise.
Great Scott. man. he exclaimed
Il hadn't heard OF your breaking jail!
1 ~ haven't broken Jail" said th
man suiienly.
You were sent up a year ago-tha
Ill swear to. What's your names"
.oh. I'm Patsy Wolff. ! might q
well own mp. I've been before til
eaprt SO many Hmes 4 couldn't fot