The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-04-22
AWAITING THE
ELECTRIC CHAIR

A boy Of 81 sat In the death cell.
awaiting execution for murder, con-
yicted on circumstantial evidences
A former hoodlum and membef Of
a gang, when caught in the near vi
entity pr the crime. he was the log
ical suspect and falling funds. lacking
friends and nancy, together with false
evidence, sent him to prison 10 await
the electric chair
One day a section Of women's
magazine came into his hands There
was Departments devoted to the
needs andproblems OF the men 10 the
service and their families. The idea
igof the personal service suggested all
through it, appealed strongly to lifm
and. he wrote to the woman editor,
asking. not for help or sympathy. butts
for reading matter with which TO while
away the six remaining weeks OF life.1
4 He told Der nothing OF HIS trouble,
but only Of his one good friend kho
had visited him aud was doing every.
thing possible in his behalf
Being a real woman with boys OF
he'd own. she sent bundle OF books
and magazines and asked to have HIS
story. Furthermore she wrote to the
warden Of the prison and to the boys
Salvation Army Friend From these
two men came the story of the hasty
trial. Its details and conviction. The
two men who had tried TO help the
boy, the lawyer who had volunteered
TO defend him had died before the
trial was completed and his colleague
sent away to Europe on a special gov.
eminent mission. and was not on hand
to put forth the effort for a new trial.
Before any progress toward new
trial could be mado the evidence re
lating TO the case had to be printed.
The cost Of this was $75, and nowhere
had this boy and friends to produce
such a sum. A bed.rIdden mother, a
widowed sister with two small chill
dren could hardly keep themselves. let
alone help him
When the Editor Woman received
this letter from the Salvation Army
men, she promptly sent the SIS from
her own slender resources, with the
instruction to get evidence quickly
They began TO struggle to get some
one OF sufficient Importance to move
legal wheels to reopen the case. when
all appeals to officials. the ministry
aud other agencies failed attended by
the time-worn phrase. Let the law
suTs 40 HNN sgsta "A
woman resolved to appeal TO another
woman. A telegram was sent to the
wife Of the editor Of one OF the great
est cosmopolitan newspapers IN tho
Boys Home city with the plea that
the case be reopened. TO establish the
possible innocence Of a boy charged
with murder
], This brought results-for the news
paper /, took up the case. reprinted all
OF the evidence, brought to light sew
2ieral points in the boys favor over.
looked before The case was reopened
and in a very few days on the strength
Iof the new evidence thus developed.
the boy was released and the identity
of the real murderer was discovered
Thus through the patient, kindly Wis.
itation Of the Salvation Army Prison
Worker. who had exhausted every re.
source within his power to get interest
aroused IN case which he believed
deserving Of investigation. machinery
was set In motion which gave back to
society youth Of 81 whose two years
OF = confinement under the death
shadow had made OF him a seriotg
Christian citizen, and prevented a mis-,
carriage Of justice.