New-York tribune., 1918-06-10
Letters to Mother May Save
Boy Slayer F rom Death Chair
Correspondence Shows Paul Chapmans Career of Vaga
bondage" to Have Been Spent at Work and as
Member Of the Y. NJ c. A.

BY the theory of the uncompromising
prosecution which landed him where he
is to-dayi-at sixteen condemned muir
derer in the Sing Sing Death House
ten months of rubbing elbows with the
world suffced to make of young Paul
Chapman dangerous criminal, a
"killer."
For ten months, his jury was told,
Paul had been nothing more nor less
than boy hobo. At fifteen he had in
sisted on striking out for himself. He
had travelled a good many hundreds of
miles, sometimes working, sometimes
not. Inference was clear that he must
have seen considerable of the seamy
side Of life before his sixteenth birth
day when, travels abendoned, he pre-
sented himself at his mothers home in
Brooklyn. He was ragged and dirty
then.
This period of Paul's career has al
ways been something of q mystery
save to those who accepted it that his
ten months away were months of ap-
premiership in crime. With all the re-
sources at his command, District Attor-
ney Lewis of Kings, who personally
prosecutedst the boy, appeared unable to
find record"
But there is record of a substantial
sort which covers, at any rate, the first
six months of Paul's absence-a record
! that comes distinctly into point and
which yet may play big part in the
chair. .
Keeps Promise to Mother
During those six months Paul faith
fully kept his promise to his mother
Twice every week, sometimes thrice
sometimes oftener, he wrote to her, and
If the character of the boy may be
judged by the tone of his letters, then
certainly he could not have been alto
gether vicious. They were good long
letters, for the most part, clean and
manly letters, brimming with the spiri,
Of self-reliance that had moved Pau
to try to make his own way. Always
they began with Dearest Mother" anG
at the end it was always "Your loving
son"-frequently after that an ambi
tious "Mr. P. Chapman"
The letters show that Paul worked
steadily during the time he was writ
ing them; that he lived in decent places
and kept decent company; that he was
determined to be fully self-supporting
Between the lines OF some can be reae
the boys never-forgotten grief over the
death of his brother.
Harold, the brother, died in sana
torium at Liberty, N. Y, few months
before Paul left home. Paul had beer
at the funeral and had not felt it un
manly to cry, for the brothers had beer
very close despite the five years differ
ence in their ages.
1t was In letter written on April %
1917 (when, in line with the State
theory Of his transition, Paul mus
have been materially hardened by hi
experiences), that the boy revealed hi
pet ambition.
Remembers Mothers Birthday
Paul, incidentally, had remembers,
his mothers birthday and had Just sen
her IS bill out of his scanty earning
to be spent for a present of her owl
selection. This is what he wrote:
Dearest Mother:
81 received your letter yesterday
morning and was very glad to hear
from you. I am glad that l could
send You present, Mother, because
earned the money myself. l have
decided that will stay away until I
can earn $500, So that when come
home l viii nave something to put
In the bank for rainv day. Before
l come home, mother, l am going to
Liberty and make brothers grave
look beautiful. Poor brother. he cer-