Evening star., 1920-02-01
~ OUR mans late. Francie."
" remarked Tredways. ,..
He may not turn up l

Chains prisonW
1.-TWO weeks ago. Since then"
At that moment the bell trilled in
the hall.
Spells" chuckled Tredways. He
has come"
And as william Spells had just
climbed out of the neither deeps Of
prison existence you will admit that
his visit had the interest of the un-
conventional SO
Twenty seconds later he was blink,
ing in the electric sheen Of Tredways
sitting-room.
"Sit down. Spells" invited our host
cheerily. What do you say to a drop
of Scotch and a cigar?"
The visitor looked at me as much as
TO say: "Is this q joker" / nodded
encouragingly ana pushed chair for
ward. Tredways produced the COM
forts mentioned, placed them on the
table. and sat on corner Of 1t. swing
ing leg. He began terseiy:
You know why you are asked
here?" 80 :" ''"-'
The other lifted his depressed head
and turned 1t toward me slowly. He
said to me drearily. You told me 1t
might be for my good, sir"
Precisely" cut in our host with
brskness. "This gentleman, who is
my friend, the Rev. Horace Francie,
chaplain of the prison called Chains,
wishes to be Of use to you. See here.
Spells. I'll tell you just how the land
htn s,>A
an interesting chat between MI. .Francie
and myself. Possibly he has told you
that / am keenly conversant with
matters criminal; that the psychology
OF crime is with ME passion; that
experience a'satisfaction not displeas-
Ing in threading q way through those ,
woven and interviewer labyrinths of
the underworld. In brief I am a
criminologist. Hogg Tredways, not
unconsulted by the police. Enough OF
that. The chat to which 1 alluded
hinged on the fact that not every mans
who hears the prison gate clang be-
hind him Is necessarily guilty. A GER
tain proportion-though possibly a
minute one-there must be of men
convicted who were blameless These
poor wretches plead not guilty in the
dock. In Jail they try to keep up. their
heads. They emerge defiant or brok-
en-; vengeful or bled white Of vIrility;
demoralized by contact with felons, or
determined to reassume their niche in
respectable society"
That but poor spark Of interest
glimmered in his visitors gloomy
eyes did not disturb Tredways' equa-
nimity. He got Off the table and
poked the fire slowly. p :
'Fascinating!" said he with grim
relish. There's drama In it. like
to think Of those few souls coming
out OF the flame. Above all, / would
like to help them. 1s 1t possible to
take UP their case after the lapse Of
many years, perhaps, and clear them?
A hard, hard matter. In many in
stances O conundrum never to be
solved. Yet 1t has a pull, an appeal
most powerful I asked our friend,
the chaplain here. IL he had encoun-
tered at Chains prison any cases of
the kind I have described. His an
swsr was in the afarmatiye. said 1
WOulO lkc nlHi 70 pTopuCc one OIL
them to make a start with, at any
rate. He produced--you. Mr.. Spells"
The guest looked from one to the
other Of US with dull. with an ex-
hausted expression. He slipped a lit
the spirits and shook his head.
you were convicted Of murder"
went on Tredways. clearly and firm
ly. "Of the murder of Howard PEN
drill. You insisted upon your inno-
cence in the face of the most damnng
evidence. Now, between US, Spells
man to man. your so-called guilt
purged. tell me frankly: Did you
kill Pendrill?'
mo. didn't" answered the other
sullenly.
Then tell US just what happened
The. man from the beneath shook his
head again, and his brows came to-
sether. NO, ] won't. You wouldn't
believe me. Who would? No one"
He shot out fist and gripped hand
full of the table cover, upsetting his
glass And yet I. didn't murder
Pendrill, and that's az sure as there's
a God in heaven, or as sure as there
isn't"
well. then: tell us about it,"
soothed Tredways. we more than