The Bourbon news., 1913-04-11
LIKE JEAN vALJEAA
Boy Escapes Reformatory and
Turns Over New Leaf.
Youth, Now Married, Writes Mother
superintendent Of School He Es-
capped From Causes His Arrest
and Governor Is Asked to
Pardon.

Denver, Colo.-Victor Hugo's story
of Jean Vatican in LES Miserables"
is duplicated in many of the circum-
stances surrounding an eighteen-year-
old Colorado boy who three years ago
ran away from the industrial school
at Golden, worked himself into good
position and then, year after he had
been married to Des Moines, Iowa,
girl, found his past rising behind him.
relentless as Hugo's Inspector Javert.
Six years ago Rosie e. Sheldon's fa
ther died at Glenwood Springs. A
year later the boy was sent to the in
dustrial school for boys at Golden as
incorrigible. The intervening year the
mother had lost all control over him
and it was at her request that he was
taken in charge by the state.
The state made poor job of reform
ing Sheldon. It's method of curing
high spirits did not succeed, and Shell
don ran away. The first few times he
ran away he was caught and brought
back. Early in 1910 he managed to
slip away and stay lost. The officers
looked for him few weeks and then
gave up the search, although they did
not forget.
Sheldon went to Des Moines, Iowa.
and there started out to do what the
big state of Colorado had not been
able to do. He started out to reform
himself
He got a job in the big Cownie glove
factory at $40 week, commenced to
save his money and to go to night
school. Before long his salary was
raised, and then pretty soon it was
raised again, and he was given re-
sponsible position.
A little more than a year ago he
met and fell in love with the daugh-
ter Of Des Moines business man.
The two we're married and started
housekeeping. Sheldon was so happy
that he wrote to his mother In Den
yer to tell her about his wife and the
baby had just come. He told her the
new name he had taken when he ran
away from the reform school
The mother told some of her friends,
Sheldon's younger brother, now in the
school, heard where his brother was,
and through some of these sources
superintendent Fred L. Paddleford Of
the industrial school board heard
where his runaway had gone.
1t was not long thereafter that Chief
Of Detectives Johnson of Des Moines
arrested Sheldon and took him to Jail
Sheldon told the story to the detective
and begged to be released Dispatch
es that carried the story did not state
whether the detective had ever heard
of Jean Vatican and the good bishop.
but it Is in the role Of the bishop that
|sDetective Johnson figures from now
on.
He promised the boy that although
he couldn't let him go he would take
an appeal direct to the governor of
Colorado and ask him to grant par
don to the runaway boy who had made
good.
Governor Shaforth said that he
would act in the case as soon as it
was officially called to Ris attention
and would take whatever action the
facts might warrant.
Superintendent Fred l.. Paddleford
of the school dsclared that the boy
must be returned to the school for
the sake of discipline"
"The fact that Sheldon Is married
and apparently doing all right now
can't be taken as any excuse" the su-
perintendent said. The only way we
have to preserve order here and to
prevent the boys running away when
ever they get tired OF staying is to
make severe example Of them when
they are caught
IF Sheldon were made an exception
the chances arg that all the boys
would plan to run away and get mar
risd.