The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1917-09-21
A Brave Man
Under a Cloud
By WARREN MILLER


escaped without being seen. The POI
lice got busy and tracked some of the
plumber 10 pawnshop. The pawn
broker declared that It had been
brought In by respectable looking |
man who represented himself as a man
OF business who had been well to do
and had met reverses. The pawn
broker was suspicious OF him, but he
told 80 straight story that the pawn
broker was finally convinced and
bought several hundred dollars worth
OF articles from hira. The next day the
purchased goods were Identified az
having been stolen.
That IL as far as the police got In the
matter TIL one day the pawnbroker
met 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
u policeman turned him over. The
captive showed q great deal Of indig-
nation at his arrest and threatened the
pnwnbroker with suit for damages ms
soon as he had been acquitted. He
said that he was not merchant and
had never been a merchant. He was
a seafarlng man and had been ashore
only few weeks, lie gave his name
as Patrick Dugan and wns 4ative OF
ireland.
When the trial came on the prisoner
claimed that ON the date OF the theft
or. rather, tho sale OF the plumber to
tho pawnbroker lac 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 II he kept no
record that would prove his case, he
said that be didn't even know how TO
write
This statement threw doubt on his
accusers statement that he had palm
cd himself on as merchant In re.
duced circumstances and gained sym
patty from the jury Even the prose
cutting attorney tried 10 help the poor
man 10 ret evidence TO prove his abb
III the captain OF the Mark Hutchins
was here" said the prisoner, he could
tell where was on that day. for al
that summer was sartin with him"
awhere Is the party asked the pris
oner's counsel.
sHe was here for two weeks I'll
yesterday. seen him In the street
and tried TO speak 10 him, but lost
him IA the crowd. ] seen by the pa
Iperr that his ship WINS TO sail last nigh
when the tide served
whats that yer sayin'f" said one o.
1.-The spectators I'm cap'n OF the MARI
lIutchliis. ana | haven't sailed neither
/ san tomorrow Ono o my crew told
me tllat an old mcssmate, Pat pugan
was to be fried today for sellln' stolcT
goods. Dnenn was good man, an'
/ thoughF ia come round aud see 4
the man i,clu' tried was Hm. But TIM
Teller isn't Pa, rngan. He's a fraud
"Cap'n.s cried the prisoner. almost Il
tears don't say that. I'm Pat pu
gan sure enough. I've cut my beaf'
since YOU saw me. Don't you rcmem
Der that night when We was roundm
Cane Cod with the Wind BLOWN a gal
out O the north and focastle covefe'
with Ice and the main jlb had TO b
loweredf''
care you the man that went out OF
the bowsprit nj the risk OF slidin' over
board aud lowered that jlhYA
'.Why. sartln, cap'n. Don't so bac
on me now. stood by you and ID
crew that awful night
II reckon you did stand by me. Tha
was the bravest deed In my reckonin
II was purity nigh sure death, Their
D was nothin' but slippery Ice to hol
on TO-"
.I.et the witness take the stand,
said the attorney for the defense, IN
captain having been sworn the lawye
proceeded TO question him.
.Was the prisoner member OF you
crew IN the summer Of l9-T
Gle was"
"Whero was your ship on the lot
OF August or that yearf'
'well, now. If you'd asked me whei
/ was on the LIST OF that month or u
last Of 1t couldn't have told you VIII
out lookin' over the log. But Gu
never forget the middle OF that mont
Of that year. We run aground on y
coast of Africa and couldn't get OIL.
party of cutthroat niggers came on
boats to murder us and take the shl
before the tide rose and let us or. n
Dugan there suggested that we iigl
'em with hot steam from the boiler
He took one hose and the other v
beat 'em or. and II 1t hadn't been Z
Pats suggestion we'd have all bee
heaved overheard as dead men.
The prisoner was the center OF y
admiring vision OF the court and spe
tators He bore his honors modest
and no one would have taken MIN =
a hero had It not been for tho witnes
story. The jury acquitted him witho
leaving their seats
A few dnys later policeman WI
had bepn ON duty In court at the TIL