Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-04-14
MOTHER WEPT ALL SHE COULD
Had No Tears Left to Shed When Son
10 Given Two Years Sentence
Last Straw Was Forging Of
Fathers Name to Check.
There's much food for thought
In this unusual story. What do
you think Of the action Of this
Spartan coupler

AAoASdo SAIy.-WuSIS - Iuc uIuAI u
parental sympathy for a wayward
child? When may the law be sum-
m0ned into the sacredness Of the fam
lily hearthside and told:
Here Is our boy, to whom we can
not be father and mother. He is our
youngest and we have failed. Take
him."
That limit was reached recently by
Mr.. and Mrs. Russell w. Branson of
Kansas City, as they saw it. They are
middle-aged. They have worked to-
gether for years, reared two children
to maturity. And their baby, now
nineteen years old, must serve two
years in the States prison.
The decision was made after the
wells of tears Of the gray-haired
mother had dried up, after the father
had spent $4,000 to bring his son
back to straight ways of living and
after the family had suffered disgrace
before their friends. It was the end.
Mother and father had talked the
matter over. There was only one way.
A few nights ago Mr.. and Mrs.
Branson were sitting at their dinner
table. A third plate with a clean
napkin was on one side. The tele-
phone rang:
"Yes," the father answered.
TITS Claire, dad. I'm in jail at
police headquarters and I want you
to come and get me. They say you
II can't do 1t, son. Mother and
have made up our minds. told you
the last time you were in trouble
that it was the last; and you must
get help from the ones you have
chosen as your friends"
The receiver was snapped back on
the hook and Mr.. Branson went back
to the table.
She Had Wept All She Could.
There were tears in Mrs. Bran
sons eyes. She said later she had
wept all she could for her boy.
Almost from infancy Claire had
been headstrong. At first he was
called mischievous. Then neighbors in
Cherokee. Kan, where the family
formerly lived, began to call him by
q harsher name. AS the youth grew
TO manhood, the pranks soon devel-
oped into "serapes." There were for
geries Of the elder Branson's name to
checks. There were times when the
youth would remain away from home
for days at a time. There were times
when the worried parents were the
only friends the boy had. But through
1t all Claire kept up his role of a fool
And he played the string to the end.
That is the background Of the
young mans career, which had its
climax in the Jackson county Criminal
court. The last straw, which broke
the ties Of the fathers care over his
son, was when forged check for $40
came to him from the Commerce Trust
company. Claire had signed his
fathers name as he had done In other
instances. 1t was on that check the
fathers criminal charge was based.
At the Criminal court building the
father and mother, with their son and
q detective entered the Office Of w. q.
Lynch. assistant prosecutor. The son
told Mr.. Lynch that he desired to
plead guilty to his fathers charge.
Lynch turned to the father and
asked If he desired to prosecute.
Eyes, sir, d." was the answer.
"You know that this offense is pun
ishable by a penitentiary termY asked
Lynch.
Eyes, sir, and I think he knows
that, too," answered the father, in
dicating his son.
The Mother Near Her Son.
While the papers were being pre-
pared the father from time to time
readily answered questions as to his
sons acts. The mother, resting her
head against her hand, sat within
reaching distance Of her son. The
father did all the talking.
The parents and an older son.
Ralph, trailed into the court room be-
hind their other boy.
The accused boy stood before Judge
Buckner as the information was read.
His father, mother and brother took
seats inside the railing.
Are you guilty or not guilty7"
asked Lynch.
"I'm guilty" he answered.
Lynch addressed the court.
Before you assess punishment" he
said, II want to direct the courts at
/ tention to this case. You probably
noticed an article in the morning pa
per. This young man has served in
the navy Of the United States. His
parents are very respectable. Prob
ably you would care to look into this
further"
He Admits Other ForoerIes.
Judge Buckner did not seem dis
posed to accept the prosecutors sug-
gestion. He questioned the boy az to