The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-09-08
A Brave Man
Under a Cloud
BY WARREN MILLER


sewelry had been taken by burglar
from rich mans house. The burglar
escaped without being seen. The po
lice got busy and tracked some OF tn,
plumber TO a pawnshop, The pawn
broker declared that IL had beer
brought IN by respectable looking
man who represented himself as mar
OF business who had been well TO d.
and had met reverses. The pawn
broker was suspicious of him, but hs
told so straight a story that the pawn
broker was finally convinced and
bought several hundred dollars worth
of articles from him. The next day the
purchased goods were identified as
having been stolen.
That is as far as the police got In the
matter till one day the pawnbrcker
met a man on the street who resem-
bled the broken down merchant who
had sold him the stolen goods. He
followed the suspect and on coming TO
q policeman turned him over. The
captive showed a great deal of indig-
nation at his arrest and threatened the
pawnbroker with suit for damages as
soon as he had been acquitted. He
said that he was not a merchant and
had never been a merchant. He was
seafaring man and had been ashore
only few weeks. He gave his name
as Patrick Dugan and was n native of
Ireland.
When the trial came Off the prisoner
claimed that ON the date of the theft
or, rather, the sale OF the plumber to
the pawnbroker he was not In America
at all. The prosecuting attorney asked
him where he was at that time. Be
fore replying he asked the date and
was reminded that the pawnbroker's
entry In his cash book of the payment
for the goods he had purchased was
Aug. 10. The prisoner scratched his
head thoughtfully, but could not re-
member where he was on the date
named. He thought he was at sea,
but was not sure. Asked IL he kept no
record that would prove his case, he
said that he didn't even know how to
write.
This statement threw doubt on his
accuser's statement that he had palm
ed himself off as merchant In re-
duced circumstances and gained SYM
patty from the jury. Even the prose
cutting attorney tried to help the poor
man to get evidence to prove his alibi.
IF the captain of the Mark Hutchins
was here" said the prisoner, "he could I
tell where was on that day, for all |
that summer | was sartin with him."
Where is the party?' asked the pris- /
oner's counsel
HE was here for two weeks till I
yesterday. I seen him in the street |
and tried to speak to him, but l lost
him I'm the crowd l seen by the pa
pers that his ship was to sail last night
when the tide served"
whats that yer sayin'?" said one of
the spectators. I'm cap'n OF the Mark
Hutchins, and I haven't sailed neither.
| sail tomorrow. One o. my crew told
me that an old messmate, Pat Dugan,
was to be tried today for sellin' stolen
goods. Dugan was a good man, and
I thought I'd come round and see If
the man bein' tried was him. But that
Teller isn't Pat Dugan. He's fraud" Is
"Cap'n," cried the prisoner, almost in
Tears, don't say that. I'm Pat Du-
ran sure enough. I've cut my beard
since you saw me. Don't you remem- !;
Der that night when we was roundin !
cape Cod with the wind BLOWN a gale I
nut o. the north and fo'castle covered tc
with ice and the main jib had to be a
owered?" Y
Are you the man that went out on l.
he bowsprit at the risk of slidin' over !
BOARD and lowered that jibg'
why, sartin, cap'n. Don't go back I
IN me now. I stood by you and the : :
rev that awful night" =
Il reckon you did stand by me. That
vas the bravest deed In my reckonin'. q
t was purity nigh sure death. There b
vas nothin' but slippery ice to hold b
IA to-" R
LET the witness take the stand" ;"
aid the attorney for the defense. The 81
aptain having been sworn. the lawyer !.
TOceeueu 10 QueStluu HllH u.
WAS the prisoner a member of your =,
rev in the summer of 19-T'
HE was" w
Where was your ship on the 18th ic
I August of that year, al
We'll, now, IL you'd asked IRE where q
was on the list of that month or the sf
lst Of it couldn't have told you with
ut iookin' over the log. But | can ~
ever forget the middle of that month r
that year. We run aground on the =,
,ast of Africa and couldn't get of. A Al
arty of cutthroat niggers came off in CHI
pats to murder us and take the ship W,
,fore the tide rose and let us of. Pat sill
ugan there suggested that we fight
m with hot steam from the boilers. be
e took one hose and the other. We all
at 'em off, and If 1t hadn't been for so
AIS suggestion we'd have all been no
.aved overheard as dead men" a'
The prisoner was the center of the IN,
lmiring vision of the court and spec NC
tors. He bore his honors modestly. ms
ID no one would have taken him for to
hero had It not been for the witness
Dry. The jury acquitted him without
aving their seats. =
A few days later a policeman, who toe
d been on duty In court at the trial
" the captain of the Mark Hutchins