Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-04-22
SARAH y. LOWRLE,S
SATURDAY EVENING TALK
y forgiveness Comes Only From Thorough Understand
inQ Of the Offender and His OHense

\ HEARD something about forgive.
Aeps the other night at dinner tina,
Fevelation to me about the mean
- the act. A Judge told Il as q
that had happened to one Of his
~ associates on the bench; in fact
nmself had helped in the affair. SO
20 bring what had threaten to be
srreparable wrong to-a partially
qAted wrong.
Ihis H. what had happened:
~ a prisoner was tried before a certain
Judge and pleaded mot guilty" but
~ testimony was such. or his lawyer =
Ssfense was such. that the jury brought
. the verdict of guilty. The Judge,
ssling that there were circumstances in
II case that made a light rather than
heavy sentence just, sentenced him to
or years instead Of eight. But as he
ouounced the sentence the prisoner
yefned on him and cursed him. Upon
{nich breach Of order the Judge changed
We sentence to the maximum penalty
md committed him for the whole term
vermitted by the law. eight years.
4 About a year later this Judge sought
eut his associate on the bench and con
teesed that he was most unhappy over
what he had done from sheer anger. for.
however out Of order the prisoners re.
eeption Of his leniency had been. his re-
Dftsel for the angry words had been both
cruel and ethieally unjust, lie had 4.
en his mind to 60 to the prisoner and TO
ask his forgiveness and then take steps
~ undo what he had done. If possible.
DOTH the Judges went down to the
- prison together and the one who
bad convicted the man went alone to
bic. cell. When he came out he was
vtdbly very much moved. but he said
nothing until he and his friend were
outside the Jail limits. and then as he
resained his cOmposure he told what
had happened.
He said that the prisoner had sprung
Sofward to meet him and before he
could explain his visit thanked him for
eeming, saying as he wrung his hands :
Judge. 1t has been heavy on my
ooul that I cursed you. You gave me
1eercy in that judgment that you first
pfonounced, and my return for that
mercy was a curse. l came to myself
bater and / saw what you saw in the
evidence. Everything pointed to my
guilt, to you as well as to the jury. and
you couldn't do anything else in com.
Non justice. / couldn't see that AZ
the time. thought you all didn't
Wout TO give ME snow TO prove tbat
] hadn't done IL. But have thought It
ont since and I've often wanted to write
and tell you
Well. after that. OF course, the Judge
could not wait TO confess his worse than
blunder in using his power when he was
angry and in using il to injure a help.
les man. So they had very heart to-
heart talk. and as result the Judge be-
came convinced that, in spite of the evil
dence offered at the trial the man that
he had sentenced was actually innocent
and should not be in prison.
ME ALL know how difficult it is to
Nv reverse the wheels of justice by the
INV courts. SO in this case. after q very
thorough examination Of all the cir.
eumstances. the case was put before the
Governor and his pardon for deed that
k4d never been committed got the man
eut of prison. The Judge saw TO it
that 10 far as was possible his repara.
tion Of his own reversed Judgment and
. new start in life were publicly given
the former prisoner. For himself the
4aet that he had in an hour Of anger