The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-03-05

light the minute such succeeds ever so ittleg
There are many, many of these cases on record.
We doubt ii there ever was ex-convict who
escaped this aftermath to his prison term, e., if
he tried to live straight life thereafter The
latest two-or rather probably, more notable ones
occurred the past week. One of them happened
right here in Minnesota.
'Foulke E. Brandt Swedish youth, impris-
oned in New York state for years, befriended by
United States Senator Knute Nelson, former Gov
ernor Sulzer of New York and other public men.
came to Minnesota to live down the past. But
even here he failed to find personal freedom. He
has been forced to leave this country, never to re-
turn
He says: L was released from prison in
New York state only to be bounded by detectives
wherever l went. In the lumber camps of north
ern Minnesota in Minneapolis, in ST. Paul, wher-
ever turned, private detectives shadowing
me. I felt their presence. l got used to their
faces. 1t was as if l were still in prison. Some
one was always watching me. And it hard,
very hard to stand it all
Not only that but false reports regarding his
conduct, we're sent to New York state officials
"A case probably more to the point is that of
Harry S. Hayward newspaper man. This man
had served his term and had supposedly left his
past behind. For seven years he had worked in
dustriously to live down that past and he seemed
to be succeeding Very few people knew about
his prison term. But when as an editorial writer
he began to lay bare corruption, threats were
made to lay his past before the public. 1t was too
much for him and he left. In letter to his for
mer newspaper chief, he says: DO you think 1
am taking this action hastily! For months, since l
have been found out, [ have been victim of thou
sand pin thrusts, decatey diabolically, deliber-
ately and subtly given from unknown sources.
Where l shall 60 and what l shall do, [ do not
know tonight. am not going away with much
money, enough to buy mileage on and on and on
What strange creed this is that we are
practicing. A man may break the law ever so
fagrantly, and if he escapes prison term, there
are but few of us who are unwilling to forget
or who will think otherwise but we'll of him. But
just let him spend even six months in prison-re-
pay his debt for wronging society he is a be-
ing to be stunned ever after. He is unclean."
Then here is still another instance in which the
bounding of men who are trying to live down
regretted past is shown. We clip it from the edi-
torial columns of the last issue of the Faribault
Democrat:
Someone in Cumberland, Maryland, discovered
that the associate editor of the Cumberland News
for the past five years, had served a term in prs-
on in his earlier life, and in an anonymous letter
threatened to expose him if he did not cease op-
posing certain law infringements. He wrote and
published letter telling his full story and then
resigned and left the city. A petition of several
thousand names was published asking him to re-
known. This young mans life for years has been
correct and his ability as writer widely known.
He said in his confession: I got on tear, COM
mitted a crime for which I served time in a Mary
land penitentiary. Since then l have given seven
wears of STRAIGHT work without break , y