Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-09-20
A Brave Man
Under a Cloud
By WARREN MILLER


hce got busy and tracked some of the
plunder to a pawnshop. The pawn
broker declared that 1t had cen
brought In by a respectable k s.tng
man who represented himself as G3mau
of business who had been well to do
and had met reverses. The pawn
broker was suspicious Of him, but he
told so straight 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 pawnbroker
met man on the street whe resem-
bled the broken down merchant who
had sold him the stolen goods. He
followed the suspect and on coming to
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
a seafarfng man and had been ashore
only few weeks. He gave his name
as Patrick Dugan and was a native of
Ireland.
When the trial came off the prisoner
claimed that on the date Of the theft
or, rather, the sale Of the plunder 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. 15. 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 If 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 a merchant In re-
duced circumstances and gained SYM
pathy 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
tell where l was on that day, for all
that summer l was sartin with him."
where is the party" asked the pris-
oner's counsel.
HE was here for two weeks till
yesterday. / seen him in the street
and tried to speak to him, but lost
him in the crowd. I 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 capn Of the Mark
Hutchins, and l haven't sailed neither
I 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
feller isn't Pat Dugan. He's fraud"
"Cap'n," cried the prisoner, almost in
tears. don't say that. I'm Pat Du-
gan 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 blowin' n gale
out O. the north and focastle covered
with ice and the main jib had to be
lowered?'
''Are you the man that went out on
the bowsprit at the risk of slidin over
board and lowered that jibY'
why, sartin, capn. Don't go back
on me now. stood by you and the
crew that awful night"
II reckon you did stand by me. That
was the bravest deed in my reckonin'.
1t was purity nigh sure death. There
was nothin' but slippery ice to hold
on to-"
Let the witness take the stand"
said the attorney for the defense The
captain having been sworn the lawyer
proceeded to question him.
"Was the prisoner a member of your
crew in the summer Of 19-T"
HE was
"Where was your ship on the 18th
Of August of that year,"
"Well, now, If you'd asked me where
l was ON the 1st of that month or the
last of 1t couldn't have told you with
out loOkin' over the log. But l can
never forget the middle of that month
Of that year. We run aground on the
coast of Africa and couldn't get off. A
party Of cutthroat niggers came OFF In
boats to murder US and take the ship
before the tide rose and let us Off. Pat
Dugan there suggested that we fight
'em with hot steam from the boilers.
He took one hose and the other. We
beat 'em Off. and If it hadn't been for
Pats suggestion we'd have all been
heaved overheard as dead men,"
The prisoner was the center Of the
admiring vision of the court and spec
tators. He bore his honors modestly.
and no one would have taken him for
q hero had 1t not been for the witness
story. The jury acquitted him without