Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-09-27
BRAN FORCED To
TAKE HUMBLE
POSITION
Clerks in Coffin Factory at $50 a
Month-His AcCuser in Even
Worse Luck.

Despairin. OF obtaining employment
at anything paying more than the
barest living wage Thomas Bran,
who smiled" his way 10 liberty after
seventeen wears in the Atlanta Fed
eral Prison. has taken a place as ship
ping clark in coffin factory, for $50
month
Coincident with Bram's endeavor to
obtain work is the story Of his ac-
cuser. Lester II. Monks Harvard man.
scion OF one OF Bostons oldest and
wealthiest families. who is struggling
10 earn his daily bread as a common
laborer somewhere in the Northwest.
II is doubtful if any "down-and-
out" man who ever trod the streets
Of Atlanta searched harder for work
than Bran. one man offered him a
place as day laborer to shovel coal
Bran was for taking the place. but
his friend, Harry NJ. PerkersOn, said
no.
Hopes To MAKE Good"
The weeks rolled by and promises
# employment which looked bright,
al the coffin factory and insisted upon
taking the place. The remuneration Is
less than the rate OF the average
boarding house in Atlanta. He gets
TO work at $50 o'clock, has half an
hour for lunch and gets away by 80
or in the evening
Bran has the opportunity OF max
ing good in a position in which many
have failed, as the coffin company has
found difficulty in obtaining COmpe-
tent man for shipping clerk.
81 am going TO make myself so valu-
able that they will have TO pay me
more" Bran said.
He commenced work Monday morn
ing and Thursday night was taken
III. He was too sick to go to work,
but only the remonstTanCe of a ply
stefan kept him in bed. Saturday
found him al work again.
one position has been offered to
Bran which he can not accept under
the conditions Of his parole. This is
an offer from Harry Silverman to pu.
him in charge OF his rathskeller at
pay OF $50 per month and board. Mr.
Perkerson has taken this up with the
United States Department OF Justice
In the effort TO have the parole
changed so that Bran may take the
place.
Strikingly Coincident are the words
Of his aCcuser at the famous trial.
From Prince Rupert, b. c., April 4,
1912. Lester H. Monks wrote to
friend in Boston "A remark many
men have made to me | remember
we'll: Any man who really desires
employment can readily 0btain it
Well, II anybody says such a thing
to you, please reply that l say, IT'S
not so"
Once Made $4,000 a Year.
Monks was making $4,000 a year
In the coal business when reverses
stranded him. lie was a passenger
on the III fated Herbert Fuller his
Samily starting him to Buenos Ayres
on account OF his health. II was he
who charged Bran with staying Cap
tain and Mrs. Charles |. Nash and
Second Mate August Bramberg.
The remarkable thing was that
Bran ordered irons put upon himself
though denying the charge, and gave
the instructions 10 the crew which
turned the ship about and brought
them TO port I'm Halifax, n S.
When reverSes came, Monks bid his
wife and children farewell and Wen
to the West He landed in Seattle
with S350 and only the clothes ne
!
Boston society slept in Turkish bath
establishment by the kindness Of the
man in charge
Went Without Hat.
The only work he could find was
that OF a common laborer and that
was SO scarce he often went for DAYS
without food The last heard Of him
was August IS. 1912, from Camp 26-A,
Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad, in the
tar Northwest
At that time he did not possess a
hat and had not worn one for three
months. He described himself as be-
ing bit reconciled to his lot, though
the drop was from $4,000 a year to
less than S25 month.
Twelve years ago to-day left Bos-
ton for Washington to be married"
he wrote on May :, 1912. My pros
poets at that time seemed to be bright
and secure but as the late lamented
Dan DAILY used to say, Now look at
the damn thing