Douglas Island news., 1918-01-11

Iu these days of moral reform and departures from old established GUS
 toms Territorial wide. iu fact, al.
 most nation wide. prohibition and
 cirht-hour laws those ot us who Ihavc pasts are apt Co look back over them and regret certain acts per. | formed and certain impressions given.
 The Stroller is one of these per
 sons.
 For Che past eighteen years thC Stroller has been under cloud In | |that hc is recorded In a Canadian
 court docket as a sclf-confcsscd gambler 10 was this way.
 While away down south m th, Hand of Dixie thc Stroller would
 ever and anon shoot uiggcr just having naturally contracted th,
 rcieuiug habit and he thought but .utuc of it. It Is difficult Co break .away from firmly established habits and Che result was that after be- ling iu Dawson. Canada. for few
 months and having occasion one day Co test new gun. he tried it on coon named Craps The test was satisfactory and Craps was gathered unto his fathers. Then it was that Che Stroller realized that | Che color line was not drawn m Cam |ada as iu thc south and thc first |hur be knew hc was under arrest with a murder charge lodged against |hIm.
 Shooting a man even niggcr
 was at that time and is yet. pun ! ishablc with death m Canada and |thc Stroller was. Co quote from Che ! 'aforcaid south. iu bad way. But ! as a campaign was coming on In a fcv months and as Che Stroller had shown some aptitude in political work. be was permitted Co escape |thc serious charge through a lituo shrcvd play. n those days gam bling was wide open iu Dawson and 'eyory month from 100 Co 200 gam .blcrs were haled into court and soaked for $50 and costs of 80. When thc Stroller was arraigncd iu |,ourf fhc charge against him read |thfs way.
 "Ou Che 10th day ot January Che : defendant did engage m shooting ! Craps contrary Co Che laws made and provided"
 Forty-mue men iu line ahead oi .bc Stroller had pleaded guilty Co . charges that sounded very much like che above and scvcnty-scveu were |iu che line behind. each with S55 tucked away iu his right vest pocket . and ready Co lay ou Che clerks desk as soon as His Lordship said "5O and .costs"
 Sov. there is well known stIpu- .nu.u lu law chat a man cannot bc .ua,cd u jeopardy twice for Che same orcusc and when che judge .uot having noticed chat Craps was spelled with capital c. and com sIdcriur it merely gambling 'charec. accepted Che strollcr's plea |of guilty and imposed Che usual .fuc ol S5O and costs. Che Stroller 'rlaukcI down che amount and em- 'orecI from that court room with a purrcl escutoacon. Later ou Che judge heard of Che trick that had
 been played ou him by Che StroIlers attorney and political friend but au His Lordship said was.
 And SO it did not mean thc kind .of craps where Che say. Come seven.
 come eleven. che" which showed that iu addition Go being a profound iurist he was some sport himself
 And now after eighteen long years have been added Co Che scroll oi . Time. Che stroucr's conscience has awakened and he Is about Co take
 steps Go undo Che wrong done him and have his reputation rlghtcd . The Stroller never played craps r | hts liic and owes it Go his name and posterity Go have Che error correct
 ed in that Canadian docket
 ! Conscience Is a queer thing. Only
 one night recently the Stroller had a vision or puucturcd coous, som.
 of them with haltors on. and other. riding pale horses or one-eyed and
 spavined mules. circling around hls
 bed In apparent endless procession and he awoke almost ready to be- . uoyc that his conscience. torn. scar !. ed. traycd and frazzlcd through years of vicissitudcs and ungrauHet political ambitions. was actually be- coming SO acute as Co have almost .arr.yed ot Che stage where it wa, | beginning to haunt him on account \ of those niggers who were too slow
 at dodgiug in the past. stll, the,
 were mostly thieves and there Is n,
 doubt but that they escaped mucl
 mental anguish and physical suf
 terIuE by the stroucr's uucrrinr
 aim for he seldom missed a vita
 spot
 ? And stm there Is a satisfaction D it must bc a satisfaction for any m-n Ln rn.I-Ln LLnL LL- LLL. L.-.- ,----.