Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-20
Misseps of Jusce-The Man Who Picked Locks Of Law


THERE was little sleep in the linen
bleachers house that night.
Halloran behaved like a stricken man.
He sat with his hands over his eyes
as If to shut out something that was
already scared on his soul.
His employer tried to brace him up.
mo court of inquiry will blame you!"
Mr.. Sinclair assured him.
Halloran shook his head
ITS not for myself. sir! I'm too
old to matter much what happens to
me! It's the boy
The magistrate who presided over the
court Of inquiry into the death Of
Jimmie O'Brien found in Jirnmies
| father q Spartan witness. The farmer
| of his own accord testified that he
had several times caught his son trying
to steal out of the house at night. The
boy had given different excuses. none
| of them convincing. But the worst the
father had thought was that his son
was stealing of to some inn. Now he
felt called upon to make amends for
his dead sons dishonesty. He had no
| money wherewith to make restitution.
So he helped the state by testifying as
as he did. "a
The Waterman of the bleaching yard
reluctantly admitted on the stand that
he had fallen asleep at his post and
1 JcoLlly OIlly DIS 10 WIldI IdDDeneQ
after the shot awoke him.
Edward Halloran was called. The
dignifed, white-haired figure of the
butler and the deep distress under
which he was obviously laboring aroused
sympathy. He admitted firing the shot
that brought down James O'Brien.
Then Mr.. Sinclair testified.
He told how Halloran had served
him for almost half century; how
he had tried to help run down the
thefts from the cash drawer and the
bleaching yard; how Halloran in his
night clothes awoke him and how they
had watched the thief in the yard be-
low.
IF any one is to be blamed for the
boys death it is l." Mr.. Sinclair said.
1T was I who suggested that Halloran
should try to wing him and mine
should be the punishment"
The judge interrupted him kindly.
THAT will be decided by the court"
The finding of the court was that
James O'Brien had been engaged in
the act of stealing at the time he was
killed: that it was probably not his
first visit to the bleaching yard on the
same quest. Both the law and public
opinion would be satisfied, the judge
went on, with the verdict of "juStifiabIe
homicide" There would be no prose-
cution of the man who killed him.
The announcement of the verdict
created a scene in the courtroom.
Halloran broke down and wept. Mr..
Sinclair tried to shield him from view.
The spectators were deeply moved, and
as Mr.. Sinclair led his shaken servant
and friend out of the courthouse a
cheer went up.
/ MIR. SINCLAIR sent Halloran to the
ASA seasfore for recuperatiOn. Hal
loran came back much rested and
eager to resume his duties. He found
his position in Mr.. Sinclair;S establish
nnent considerably advanced. He was
given general charge of the shop and
the bleaching yards. Another servant
took over his duties as butler.
And 100 pounds reward was his for
the capture - Mr.. Sinclair himself
phrased it so-of the thief who had
wrought so much damage to the linen
bleacher's business.
As the months passed without an
other theft, Mr.. Sinclair dismissed the
Waterman of the yard. Another half
year without single loss by stealing
convinced the insurance companies.
Once more they were glad to issue poll
cies on goods sent to Mr.. Sinclair for
bleaching. And with the resumption
more amply than ever before. ale
The linen bleacher was getting on
in years but the revival of his business
made him feel younger again. He did
not forget who was responsible for 1t.
On the fiftieth anniversary of Hallor-
ans service with him Mr.. Sinclair
made his former butler, now general
manager, a full partner in his bleachI
ing business. "-t's "a
For three years Halloran, a man of
standing in the community, flourished.
X *%x
PSYCHOLOGISTS tell us that
mans character is fully, almost
rigidly formed by his thirtieth year.
Halloran was sixty-seven when Jimmie
O'Brien met his death. Up to then the
butler had been to all appearances
honest and faithful to his employer.
What mystery, therefore, was behind
the change in the mans character?
The answer is that there was no
change. Deep in the mans heart there
had always been dishonesty and cruelty.
But deeper still was his fear-fear Of
| the consequences should his treachery
be discovered and punished.
The thief In him survived, and the
fear in him made him cautious, very
| cautious. All the years he had served
/ Mr.. Sinclair with outward faithfulnesS
he was studying his employer and the
establishment, rehearsing how he would
go about his FIRST theft from the cash
i drawer When minute familiarity with
/ the situation finally emboldened him
/ to steal for the first time Halloran was
more than prepared to avert the Slight
| est suspicion in his direction.
| His first theft was the most trying
| to his courage. Each succeeding one
| gave him more confidence. Then he
went on to the more ambitious thefts
in the bleaching yard. From that he
| proceeded to the climax of successful
| plotting that led to the murder Of
| Jimmie O'Brien.
| For three years. as I have said.
| Halloran fouriShed as full partner IN
| Mr. SinclairS thriving business. Then
| in his SEVENTEEN year his health be-
| gan to fail. His nerves went bad.
| There was no accident in that. The
fear which had always lived in the
depths of the mans character but
mad been lulled during the three years
of his prosperity since Jimmie O'Briens
| death reaSSerted itself now that Halo
| rams age began to sap his resistance.
| He began to picture what would hap
| pen if he were found out. AT first
| he was able to crush the thought. But
as he grew physically feebler. fear
| grew more powerful. The thought OF
| being discovered required more often,
mort vividly, persisted stubbornly.
1t pursued him into his sleep and
broke 1t up. 1t began to. haunt him by
| day. The worse his nerves got the
stronger became his obSession that he
would be found out.
If he could only talk it out with
somebody he could trust! He would
1 not be believed. But the confession
might cause his fear to vanish like a
nightmare on XakingI II be could only