Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1921-07-14

A boy OF n sat In the death cell.
awaiting execution for murder. con-
victed on circumstantial evidence.
A former hoodlum and member ce
q gang. when caught In the near VI
cinity OF the crime. he was the log
cal suspect. and failing fands. lacking
friends and money. together with false
evidence. sent him to prison TO await
the electric chair.
One day q section OF . women's
magazine care into his banda. There
was q department devoted 30 the
needs and problems OF the men In the
service and their families. The idea
Of the personal service suggested ell
through IL. appealed strongly % him
and he wrote to the woman editor.
asking. not for help or sympathy. hus
for reading matter with which 60 white
away the six remaining weeks Of life.
He told her nothing Of his trouble.
but only OF his one good friend who
had visited him and was doing every
thing possible In his behalf.
Being q real woman with boys q
her own. she sent q bundle OF books
and magazines and asked 20 have his
story. Furthermore she wrote 90 ths
warden OF the prison and 10 the boys
Salvation Army Friend. From thess
two men came the story OF the hasty
trial. its details and conviction. The
two men who had tried % 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 q special gov.
eminent mission. and was not ON hand
to put forth the effort for q new trial.
Before any progress toward q new
trial could be made the evidence 70
lating TO the case had 10 be printed
The cost OF this was SIS. and nowhere
had this boy and friends % produce
such a sum. A bed-ridden mother. .
widowed sister with two small chill.
dren could hardly keep themselves. Les
alone help him.
When the Editor Woman received
this letter from the saivatioa Army
men. she promptly sent the CTS from
her own slender resources. with ths
instruction TO get evidence quickly.
They began 20 struggle 70 get come
one Of sufficient importance TO move
legal wheels to reopen the case. When
all appeals to oficials, the ministry
and other agencies failed. attended by
the time-worn phrase. Let the Law
take it's course" this determined
woman resolved 70 appeal TO anothsr
woman. A telegram was sent 10 the
wife OF the editor OF one Of the great.
est cosmopolitan newspapers I'm the
Boys Home city with the plea that
the case be reopened. 20 establish the
possible innocence OF . boy charged
with murder.
This brought results-for the nsws.
paper took MP the case. reprinted al
OF the evidence. brought 20 light sew.
eral points in the boys favor over
looked before. The case was reopsned
and in a very few days on the strength
OF 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 20 get interest
aroused in a case which he believed
deserving OF investigation. machinery
was set in motion which gave back %
society a youth OF q whose two years
OF confinement under the death
shadow had made OF him q serious,
Christian citizen. and prevented Q mis-
OF justice.