Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-15
DOWNFALL NOT
ALLHIS FAULT
Touching Incident Shows the
PerilS of Loneliness in
Big City

The warden of L street Jail
| in New York City sat at his desk
busily working on some records
when there walked into the office
David Bascom from little rural
community tucked away in the far
! hills of Vermont. He was pathet-
| ic, wizened figure as he stood there
! in agony and embarrassment twirl-
| ing his hat and waiting for the war
den to look up. There was heart
hunger in his eyes that smote the
man at the desk with pity.
rs Joseph Bascom "a prisoner
| here?" he finally stammered. He
could hardly bring his tongue to
say the word.
Yes" said the warden prompt
! ly. I'VE had a young man by that
name brought in night before last
for burglary. Struck me as the
wrong kind of fellow to be in that
business; too innocent-looking and
too ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. Are
you his father?"
Yes" said the old man as he
! dropped wearily into the proffered
chair. 81 don't see how he ever
came to do that sort of thing. 1t
isn't accordin' to his bringin' up.
Me and his mother never had no
education to speak of, but we was
always honest. and brought the
children up strict like. He's been
in New York less'n six months"
wait a minute and I'll call him
in and see what he has to say for
himself" said the warden as he
| touched a button on the desk.
In a few moments a clean, open
fopa1 fallnyU hrnnoht in
by g. guard, and one of those agon-
izing scenes that only jails behold
ensued. When the first shock of
the meeting was over the. warden
said to the young man:
Now tell your father and me how
you got into this scrape. Nothing
! you say will be used against you al
| your trial
when / first came to New York.
the young man began, everything
went all right. l got job and
| found a good boarding house. /
| didn't feel homesick at first, be-
cause ] was so interested in my work
! through the day, and at night it was
| interesting to go out and see the
sights. But after / got used to my
| job and had seen most of the sights
| [ had more time to think and to
get homesick and lonesome. The
folks at home didn't write, and
didn't know anyone here. I used
! to sit in my room evenings and pic
ture the tomatoes ripening on the
window sills at home, and I could
'see my mother moving about the
yard in the sunshine and dad plow
| ing in the back forty / could al
most smell the apples in the orchard
and hear the dry corn leaves rust
| ling, and it all made me so hofe-
sick and lonesome l just had to go
/ out and walk the streets. That was
the way l ran into the gang L was
caught with. l guess they used me
as tool. Anyhow, 1 got caught at
the first attempt"
THAT sounds straight, and If I'm
any judge of faces l guess it is
straight" said the warden. II want
you to get your story before the
judge through your attorney. Your
record has been clean till now, and
1 think 1t will make a difference in
the sentence"
The trial was held and the facts
presented to the judge. Sentence
suspended" he announced at the
hide his emotion. Then he added,
looking at the father, IF / had my
way I'd impose a Jail sentence on
parents who let their boys and girls
come to-,this city and don't write
them at least twice a week to let
them know that some one in the
world cares Tor them and is think
ing of them. More young people go
wrong in this}city from lonesomeness
than we shah ever know. You should
have had backbone to stand alone, |
young man. But as your parents are
particeps criminis, and I can't sem
tenCe them. I'll suSpend VOur sap-
tence. Next case!"-Youth's Com |
nnnion