| FROM A NEW YORK STREET I
S CORNER TO SING SING. f
m
O
yf
<zj> Melodrama of Hoal Life in a Great City. <j£
IT is but a short stop from the
street corner to the police court,
and many frequenters take it. Ar
rests are practical sermons for
itliose who do not attend the churches.
Junctions of streets form natural
points of reunion—social cluhs for men
■who cannot afford to pay dues. The
gregarious instinct brings together
.those who harmonize in feelings, in oc
cupation. in general interests, and It
gradually comes to pass that a young
fellow feels a sense of proprietorship
In the pavement of the place where Ida
friends welcome him.
While each corner group has its spe
cial tone, its marked individuality, the
etory of one lounger will apply, with
slight modifications, to many others.
The first of the ensy steps downward
may begin from any direction, but
the instance to be cited is typical In
the great metropolis.
He was very young, not yet out of
bis 'teens. I-Ie had plenty of natural
quickness and brightness, which had
been sharpened Into distrust by the
struggle for existence, Involving con
tact with only the seamy side of hu
manity. Short in stature and slight
In physique himself, he had an over
whelming respect for strength. He
bad drifted from pillar to post since
lie was left 011 his own resources as a
lad. He had blacked boots, sold news
papers, served as messenger, acted as
an apprentice in a machine shop and
finally drifted Into the employ of a big
department store, assisting a driver
and delivering bundles. He had picked
up reading, writing and arithmetic,
but the only advantage he had taken
of this educational foundation was to
meet the requirements of his work.
He recognized the saloon keepers as
powers in the land—persons who wield
great Influence in politics, and whose
bauds consequently help to guide the
affairs of the nation. He grew to envy
those who had money, and he longed
for an opportunity to wuste dollars
as he saw others doing.
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1
FIRST EXPERIENCE BEHIND PRISON BARS.
He found at his corner one evening
a man who had returned from the race
track with a pocketful of winnings,
who was anxious to celebrate ills luck
by a debauch, and who sought merry
company. The result was disastrous
for the youth, whose brain became in
flamed with liquor, aud who wished to
pose before Ills new friend.
The evening was not very far ad
vanced when a street fight varied the
monotony for passers. One blow felled
the elder mail, who lay stunned 011 the
sidewalk. A policeman who had been
standing across the street could not
avoid seeing the occurrence, and hur
ried over to stop the now frightened
youth, who resisted arrest until sub
dued by a few violent strokes of the
night stick. He then became very
penitent, and with tears In ills tones
begged for release. He had, however,
gone too far, and, with his late an
tagonist by his side, he started for the
police station.
The youth hung ills head when he
heard the change preferred against
him. lie answered the questions put
to him, giving his name, age. resi
dence, occupation, his parents' name
and the fact that he could read.
He was led through a room in which
sat several policemen, whose faces
were familiar to him; he passed
through an Iron gate down a few
steps, and then lie was shoved into a
cell and the grated door clanged be
hind him. When daylight finally ap
peared, lie felt disheveled, dirty and
disreputable.
The doorman came around and
opened the cells, the ponderous key
grating in the locks and the hinges
grinding in a manner that would dis
tract a nervous person. Again the
youth walked through the sergeant's
quarters. He went right on* and
IN JEFFERSON MARKET OOUBT. BOARDING TRAIN FOR SING SING.
stepped into the patrol wagon with
other unfortunates.
The horses started on a clattering
trot and he peered out at the street. <
Midway between the station house and 1
the police court a delivery wagon from
the store passed and the driver recog
nized him with a stare of astonish
ment.
He had another anxious period In
the Jefferson Market building. He
was soon led into court. The police
man who had arrested him stood by
his side, silent, stern and vengeful.
"Come on," said the policeman, ad
vancing a few steps. The youth
found himself in front of a railing
separating the little platform, or
bridge, from the main floor. He did
not realize that his case was being
heard when the policeman stepped on
the bridge and muttered something to
the magistrate in so low a tone that
not one syllable reached him. He
Rtood, waiting and wondering, when
the magistrate looked at him and
" LOAFING raTO CORNER^
asked. "What have you to say to this
charge?"
He had intended to say many things,
but ids tongue was silent and his brain
was in a whirl. The magistrate, with
kindly face, but an abrupt, severe
manner, resumed:
"Come, now, what have you to say
for yourself? The officer says you
were druuk and fighting and that you
attacked him when he approached you.
He says you are one of a gang of loaf
ers who give a great deal of trouble
to the police."
Anger made the youth's face flush.
Tills was more than lie had expected.
"He's a liar," he cried, "and I'll get
even with him." lie could not keep
Back the profanity to which lie was
accustomed. The magistrate held up
his hand in warning and, as the pris
oner stopped, said in an undertone:
"Ten dollars."
This was a crushing blow for the
young man, who had assumed that
the night in Jail would complete Ills
punishment. He had been thinking of
running up to the store to Inls work,
and he had made up his mind to Im
plore the driver who had seen liini in
tlie patrol wagon not to mention the
fact to any one. As he did not have
$lO to pay tlie line the alternative was
imprisonment.
He was one of ten crowded into the
Marin, a cell-like wagon with peep
holes and small shutters to a limit air.
There was a long jolt over the cobble
stones to the east side, and then the
door was opened aud he stepped out
upon a pier.
Tlie Brennan carried him by the vast
eastlelike structure of gray stone 011
tlie southern extremity of Blackwell's
Island to the landing pier further
north. He had not realized before
that tlie island was so large. He looked
about him witli curiosity, wondering
which of tlie buildings was the peni
tentiary. He was led there, and when
lie reached tlie office his pedigree was
again taken.
Prison life was dismal, but by no
means as bad as he had Imagined lie
was assigned to n comparatively easy
task—assisting tlie bakers. He pulled
a little wagon loaded with flour from
tlie storehouse to the ovens, and when
the long, crisp loaves were ready he
took them away. The work was no
worse than any other in the Hue of
routine; tlie only objection was the
ever present sense of restraint and
supervision by day, the locking of the
cell door by night.
The ten days dragged slowly by and
he was restored to freedom. He was
left at tlie water front shortly after
, four o'clock in the afternoon, and he
immediately stnrted for the store to
! see if he could recover his etnploy
! meat. His place had been tilled as
soon ns his Imprisonment bceams
known, and he was gruffly informed
that he was not Wanted.
The ensuing fortnight brought a se
ries of crushing disappointments. It
seemed impossible for him to obtain
steady work of any kind. He loitered
In saloons trying to pick up odd jobs
that would keep his body and soul
together, and he slept on docks and
open lots, wherever he found a chance
to escape observation.
lie grew desperate as time passed,
and he would have been willing to
tsfke any chance to get money. Visions
of loot and plunder filled his mind, the
only question was, what he should
(10. He did not know where to begin,
ns he lacked experience in crime. He
helped a drunken man to his home one
night, and on the way paid himself
for his trouble by taking what money
he could Hnd—n handful of change
amounting to about $2.
There had been so little difficulty
about this theft that he wondered that
he had not made a similar attempt be
fore, and he spent the following even
ing looking for persons under the in
fluence of liquor. His eyes glittered
when he saw the fat roll of green
backs pulled out by n man paying for
a drink; this fellow was taking fre-
quent potations, but was by no moans
helpless. In fact, be could take care
of himself, even though his legs wab
bled and he lurched toward the curb
when he came into the open air. He
walked up a side street and stopped
by a stoop, as though In doubt whether
he should enter the house.
There was no other person in sight,
though the hour was quite early, and
the young man who followed conclud
ed to make a supreme effort to get the
roll of bills. He brought a heavy
stick he had been carrying down with
crushing force upon the head of Ills
intended victim, felling him. Then he
jumped on him and grabbed the bills
from the waistcoat pocket. There was
a fierce fight on the ground and the
older and heavier man finally got on
top and, pinning the other down,
shrieked for the police.
When the youth was taken to the
police station he was recognized by
the sergeant. The charge against him
this time was highway robbery, and
conviction did not mean a few days In
A BIDE IN THE BLACK MADIA.
the penitentiary, but several years lu
State prison. He was held by the
police magistrate and sent to the
Tombs to await the nctlon of the
Grand Jury. His photograph was
added to the collection known as the
ltogue's Gallery, which includes like
nesses of thousands of criminals.
He learned that he had been In
dicted, anil then one morning he was
led across the Bridge of Sighs to the
Criminal Court Building and taken
before a Judge of the Court of Gener
al Sessions to plead. It was almost
useless for him to say "Not guilty,"
but, as a matter of form, he did so.
The case was so clear that It re
quired but an hour to try and the re
sult was conviction. The sentence Im
posed two days later was imprison
ment at hard labor in Sing Sing for
eight years and six months.
It so happened that the young high
wayman was the only convict booked
for State prison that day. He was
taken from the Tombs with Ills right
wrist handcuffed to the left wrist rf
a deputy sheriff. They boarded a
north-bound Fourth avenue car In
Centre street and went to the Grnnd
Central station, entering through the
Forty-second street gateway, ordin
arily reserved for arrivals. They
walked to the smoking ear and took
their places, looking through the win
dow as a score of laughing girls bound
tor the Ardsley golf links rushed to
ward the train. The bell rang and th
prisoner was 011 his way to Sing Slug.
—New York Herald.
Overrated Actors.
"Some of the 'celebrated' actors now
on the stage of England and America
ought to be at school, learning the n-b
--c of their profession," says Bronson
Howard in the Century. "Men and
women like them in the next genera l
tlon, if our schools and great teaphers
make their full influence felt, will
have no place 011 the stage at all. The
public will say to them: 'Go and learn
your business first, as other people do.
and then come back to us.'"
THE MERRY SIDE OF LIFE
' STORIES THAT ARE TOLD BY THE
FUNNY MEN OF THE PRESS.
Science and the MIIDHCH— Thnt Settled "It"
That Matrimonial Lottery—Tommy's
Query—A Bay of Hope—But She Cot
There—An Inquiry, Etc., Etc.
Oh, man of science, heed this rhyme,
Likewise the moral, which
Is this—the man who squanders time
Will surely not get rich.
Your methods do not suit us well;
We greet you with a shrug;
You take ten syllables to tell
The name of one small bug.
—Washington Star.
That Settled " It."
Mattle—"Woll, I have promised to
marry him and that settles it."
George—"How can you refer to him
'as It?" Judge.
The Matrimonial Lottery.
Miss Askins—"Do you believe iu
church lotteries?"
De Wltte—"Well—cr—l rather like
ehurch weddings."—Puck.
Tommy's Query.
Mamma —"You must have you hair
shingled, Tommy."
Tommy—"And then will my bend
look like the roof of a house?"— Judge.
A Bay of Hope.
Mack—"Doesn't Mr. Baker object to
his wife becoming a npw woman?"
Wyld—"No; ho says anything Is bet
ter thau the original."—Brooklyn Life.
But She Cot There.
"So he has at last led her to the al
tar?"
"I don't know whether he led her,
or she pushed him."—lndianapolis
Press.
An Inquiry.
Maiden Aunt—"There are just as
good fish iu the sea as ever were
caught."
Miss Pert—"Can't you catch auy of
them, Auntie?"— Puck.
Temporarily Suppressed.
"What are the names of that newly
married couple in the next flat?"
"Oh, we can't find out for a few
weeks; each now calls the other 'Bir
die.' "—lndianapolis Journal.
A Reciprocated Sentiment.
Farmer Giles (a parting admonition
after a prolonged and painful castiga
tlon)—"Now I 'ope I wont ketch you
'ere again, yer young warmiut!"
"I 'ope yer wont, guv'nor!"
Accommodating Him.
Youth—"Oh, I don't want to take
| that character. I'll make a fool of
myself sure."
Maiden—"Well, you said you wanted
an easy part."—Detroit Free Press.
111-Fated.
"There is nothing left me," said the
anthor, "save to kill my hero in the
middle of the story."
"Go ahead and kill him," said the
critic friend; "nobody will blauie you."
—Atlanta Constitution.
Holding Him Cheap.
"She accepted me, but wouldn't let
me sit by her on the sofa."
"Why not?"
"Said she'd just paid fifty cents to
have her white dress done up."—De
troit Free Press.
The Bavngcn of Time.
Mrs. Waile—"l'm sure the constant
anxiety must have been terribly wear
ing."
Mrs. Luers "Wearing? Why, in
the last three years I've grown to look
at least six mouths ohlerl"—Life.
Art'* Happy Discovery.
"Dauber has hit it at last; he's mak
ing fame and money."
"How?"
"People have begun to notice that he
paints smaller hands and feet thau
any other portrait artist iu town."—
Chicago Record.
Forgiven.
ne— "lsn't his singing something aw
ful ?"
She—"Don't be too hard on the poor
fellow; he's probably doing his best."
He—"Oh, in that case it's all right.
I was afraid he was dying his worst."
—Chicago News.
A Book's Attractiveness.
Ferguson—"Don't you think it
wretched taste to spend so much mon
ey on a book's binding instead of upon
its contents?"
Chumley—"You must ask somebody
else. I have au eye for beauty in
bindings, hut life is too short to read
hooks."—Boston Transcript.
Price MakeH tlie Demand.
"But if you could sell these suits for
58 last month, how does it happen you
want so much more for them now?"
"That's the trouble, my friend. We
couldn't sell those suits for 88. No
body wanted them at that price". At
80.99 they are going off like hot
cakes."—Chicago Tribune.
Exclualveneaa.
"I believe," said the new clerk, "that
our claim is that only the select few
buy our goods."
"That's right," said the fashionable
haberdasher. "Because our prices are
so high."
"Because why are our prices so
high?"
"Because only the select few buy
here."—Philadelphia Press.
J list Wanted to Know.
Zitkins—"l'm going up in a balloon
this afternoon. It's a rare chance,
and 1 wouldn't miss it for money. But
don't say a word. I don't want my
wife to know it. It will worry her so."
Boscohel—"Of course. But, I say,
will she 1)0 afraid you will be killed,
or afraid you wont? Of course, 1 don't
know anything about wives. I only
ask for information."—Bostou Trail
script.
HALL CAINE TRAPPED.
rtio Author Tells How He Was Outwitted
by American Jouriiuls.
Hall Caine has every reason to hate
the American journalist, says Peter
Kenrey in the London Express, for
once he told mo a story I could hardly
credit, yet I heard it confirmed by the
man who instigated it.
Just as Hall Caine was leaving the
States on his last visit, a certain mur
derer was about to he executed. The
novelist received a letter from him say
ing that during imprisonment he hnd
been allowed to read the Christian,
and would like to meet the author. The
book bad done him much good; the
writer could perhaps give him some
words of comfort during the lust few
hours he hnd to live.
Hall Caine went; he talked to the
man, he even prayed with him, and
kissed him on the forehead before he
left.
Two illustrated pages of this ap
peared in a £lew York daily paper next
.day. It seemed the editor had prom
ised the prisoner 51000 for his family
If he would carry out a certain plan,
and he did It. Mr. Hall Caine fell in
to the trap.
I heard this story from Hall Caine
some time ago; I heard It last month
by the man who projected 1L Another
story I heard may also be relied upon
as true.
Hjill Caine agreed with one New
York dally paper to contribute certain
articles to it. A rival paper had to get
the literary lion of the moment some
how. It was not going to be scooped
in the race for sensational Items If It
knew 1L
A damsel of tender years waited
upon him at his hotel with the request
for an interview. He refused It point
blank. She importuned; another re
fusal. She sent up n tearful message
that so much depended upon this; it
was lier first attempt, her whole future.
Could Hall Caine, who preached Chris
tianity, ruin her life?
Well, Hall Caine could not, and he
fell into the trap again. He gave the
interview, to find later that the young
woman was the most expert journal
ist In New York.
Bottles Start Prairie Fires.
It has been discovered that many of
the prairie fires that have destroyed
the grass on the ranges in Montana
and in the western part of Dakota have
been started by the concentration of
the rays of the sun upon broken beer
bottles that are scattered freely along
the cattle trails and wagon roads,
which offer a new argument for the
use of temperance folk, says an ex
change. Numerous fires have started
far away from human haunts and hab
itations, miles beyond the reach of
sparks of a locomotive, and farmers
and ranchmen have been so mystified
as to their origin that several Investi
gations have been made. When a fire
has been traced to its source in almost
every Instance a broken bottle has
been found with evidences around it
to convince the investigators that it
was the cause of the mischief. The
curved glass was found in such a po
sition as to focus the rays of the sun
upon a tuft of dry bunch grass and
start a flame.—New York Telegram.
What's In a Name*
Although the present fashion of
christening children with family sur
names Is much to bo commended for
many reasons, it carries with it some
awful possibilities unknown in the
days of Mary Anns and John Henrys.
A glance at the following list, each
name of which is genuine, will illus
trate sufficiently well the possibilities
of nomenclature resting with parents
in their choice of names for the men
and women of to-morrow: Edna Broker
Mothershead, Marian English Earle,
Sawyer Turner Somerset, Will W.
Upp, Nealon Pray Daily, Benton liil
tin Savage, Owen Taylor Money, Ima
Little Lamb, Broker Husbands Hart,
It. U. Phclau-Goode, Maria A. Bachel
or, May Tyus Upp, I. Betty Sawyer,
Mabel Eve Story, Will Waltz Wither,
Waring Green Cotes, Iva Winchester
Rifle, Etta Lotta Hammond-Degges,
Barber Cutting Mann, Makin Loud
Noyes, Hurd Copp Gumming, ltodenor
Pullman Karr, Doody Spies Sourwlno
and Knott Worth Reading.—Life.
A Watch Without Honda.
An old friend, who has done Europe
and England in the last four mouths,
fetches back a novel timepiece. It is
a watch of ordinary size, hut devoid
of the usual hands and dial. In the
centre nre two small spaces for figures,
the upper for hours and the lower for
minutes. These change at the proper
intervals, presenting the correct time
ns the railroad man gives 1t—10.42 or
U.fiO, not "18 minutes of 11" or "lialf
past 0," in the slovenly civilian style.
A second hand makes fractions of the
minutes for the exact man. This
watch is guaranteed for seven years
and costs only 811 in Paris.—New
Press.
By-Product. From Pout.
After many years of experimental
lnbor and at a heavy cost a company
of Oldenburg, in Germany, has suc
ceeded in producing from peat a coke,
the expense of getting which is en
tirely covered by the value of the by
products, such as peat, tar, methylic
alcohol and other residues. It Is now
proposed by the English company
which has acquired the patent to do
the same in this country.
A llrook Form Pleasantry.
Mr. Ripley once announced that a
contribution would ho taken to de
fray expenses at Brook Farm; "hut,
as the speaking was to he continued
during the time the box was passing
round," the audience was requested
to put in as many bills as possible, so
as not to disturb the speaker by the
rattling of small change.—Christian
Register.
ENCLISH WINDOW CARDENS.
* rises OflVrml In U Kentlili VIIIUBO for
Small Flower Uiepluys.
Not long ago I spent several weeks
In summer in the little village of Ket
ton, anil while there came to
know of a pretty custom which it
seems to me might be introduced into
this country—that of giving prizes for
the most pleasing windows filled with
house plants.
The houses in Kettou are built of
stone. Almost without exception they
stand close to the street, for English
gardens are behind the houses or be
hind high walls, and so the quaint,
lead-sashed windows are so near the
sidewalks that the flowers which fill
them show to the best advantage. I
had often admired the beautiful dis
plays in Ketton anil wondered at them
until I happened to learn that they
had a definite object besides that of
ornament.
A small sum had been set aside some
years before by a wealthy lady, the in
come to be devoted to giving prizes
each year to the possessor of the finest
window garden. The sum available
for premiums was not large—as I re
member it now £2 a year (about $10).
I believe the three prizes were respec
tively £l, 12s, and Bs. That would be
$5, $3, and $2. The only restrictions
were that no one should compete who
had a greenhouse—small glass houses
for forcing are much more common in
England than they are here; that the
competition should include only one
window in a house, thus putting the oc
cupant of the smallest house on a fair
footing with her more prosperous neigh
bors, and that the general scheme of
arrangement should be decided on at
least one month before the day set for
awarding the prizes, and not altered
during the month. Tills last condition
was to prevent any one from procur
ing greenhouse or other plants at the
last moment and making a temporary
display. There were three judges. The
year I was there the judges were the
vicar's wife, another lady and the vil
lage postmaster.
There was a great deal of variety in
the different windows, more than one
would at first think possible, Tor the
English are natural gardeners. The
Interest taken was Intense, not only by
the contestants in each other's win
dows, as the designs developed, but by
all the residents of the town. The win
dow which took the first prize the year
1 was there was a study In green and
yellow. A number of shelves were
fastened across the window Inside and
alternate shelves were tilled with pots
of musk, with its delicate light green
leaves and yellow flowers, and pots of
lobelias, with dark green foliage and
dark blue blossoms. There were
enough shelves so that the window
was tilled solidly full by the day the
judges made their tour of Inspection,
and the effect of the mass of foliage
and flowers in the soft gray setting of
timeworn stone, of which the cottage
was built, was very beautiful.—Vick's
Magazine.
HOW JIM CAPTURED HIS CURL.
Hud to Do II by Taking in Two Burly
Thieves.
"There is only one girl in this world
for me," is the motto a police sergeant
at the Harrison street police station
kept in his mind over two years. Had
it not been for the sergeant's handsome
features and his bravery in capturing
two desperate thugs In Michigan ave
nue near 12tli street who had held up
and robbed a saloon and were making
their escape in a carriage in the avenue
it is feared he would not now enjoy
calling his "only girl" his wife. But
such is the case. It was a very hot
day that the sergeant and his "only
girl," as he termed her, were walking
along Michigan avenue. He had just
proposed to her and had been rejected.
He was downhearted, as he had staked
his life that he would not be jilted, as
he termed it. But his heart gave a
bound when a shot rang out and a
carriage attached to two maddened
horses being lashed by their driver
came tearing north in the avenue and
pursued by a policeman.
"Oh, Jim," said the frightened girl,
"protect me!" Giving the girl a
squeeze and telling her to be brave,
the handsome sergeant drew his re
volver and leaped into the street in
front of the fast approaching car
riage. Grabbing the bridle of one
horse, the sergeant hung on for dear
life, while his sweetheart, who had al
most shunned him before, began to cry,
"Jim, don't get hurt, for 1 love you."
Just as the girl uttered tile words the
robbers in the carriage leaped out of
the vehicle. As they were about to
make their escape they were confront
ed by the brave Jim, who held his re
volver at their heads and made them
surrender. This they did in a hurry
when they caught sight of the revolver.
That evening Jim called again at the
home of his sweetheart and was ac
cepted by the girl. Six months later
they were married, mid now very often
the sergeant's "only one girl in I his
world" will tell her handsome husband
of the bravery lie showed in capturing
the robbers, and she makes him lmppy
by telling him that when he captured
the bold criminals he also captured her
heart.—Chicago Chronicle.
All for the Best*
"They say that women have a very
deficient sense of humor," remarked
Willie Wishlngton.
"Yes," answered Miss Cayenne.
"And perhaps it is just as well. If wo
had too much discrimination in such
matters we couldn't smile at idj many
well-meant masculine efforts to be fun
ny."—Washington fftur.