Ida Belle White

“ Have I offended you?”
“I have no use for a murderer, sir, and especially for one who murders a helpless woman.”
“I say to you, kind fellow-prisoner, that I am innocent.”
“Yes. I have your reputation from the guard. Now, you get to hard work here, and no more of your pleading innocence.”
“I am going to do all that I can, sir, and as well as I can, to please you.”
I continued to prepare the press work. I wrote of the way to live and live right. We all make mistakes. Some repent, others never do. Who has not made mistakes which he would, if he could, undo? ”

“ What does he care for your help? There are many others who would be glad to take your place, and you would be a gentleman then, Pat. Just think of it!”
“Well, I can’t think of a gentleman in me, as I never was one.”
“Of course, you always had to work, but you will never have to if you get me away from here. Come, Pat, wake up! You may never have the chance again to be a gentleman.” ”

“ My mother was a good woman, and if I did fail to get the education I should have received, I have a good, pure heart in me, and am one that has always tried to do right and will do so as long as I live. It is not always the one, Oliver, who had the advantages, who has the best education, that is the purest. I am at fault for not having an education, I know, for I ran away from home when I was a boy, but I have never committed a crime, as you have done. ”

“ That will mean hard work.”
“I am willing to work, but do not give me work that my strength will not allow me to do. I am weak. I do not get the substantial food that you do, therefore I am not able to work hard. You do not know what it means to be punished for a crime committed by another. I am being punished for a murder which I never committed, and I ask you to have mercy on me.”
“You are guilty until proved innocent. I will ring for the guard, and he will place you where you belong.”
As the guard approached the prisoner turned and looked in astonishment. ”

“ I shall never claim a murderer for a brother.”
“You are accusing him wrongfully. He is not a murderer.”
“Pearson, for God’s sake, where did that voice come from?”
“I can not tell.”
“Then I will show myself.”
“Mother, mother, mother! Help! help!”
“Well, I have stayed away long enough. I think it’s about time they was doing something to the poor convict.” It was Pat’s voice, this time. “Perhaps I will be needed. I hear a call for help. I may find the whole bunch dead.”
“Come quick, Pat!” ”

“ I can not be here and there too, but I will stay by the prisoner until I have satisfied myself that he is right or wrong.”
“Come quick! Help! help! The fellow has turned into a woman and it looks as if there were half a dozen people where he is,” called Pat; “and he spakes like a woman. All he would have to do would be to put on a woman’s clothes and you would let him pass out on her voice, be jabers! She might be cultivating the voice to make her get away, but when they get by Pat they will have to go when I am aslape, for I am not here to let anyone get away without their papers of freedom. ”

“ Do you think money and a gentleman could show you a better time?”
“Oh, yes! I would not let a conscientious mind prevent me from having a good time the rest of my life.”
“Me friend, your money is not showing you a good time, and the rest of your life your conscience [204] will hurt you, and the pity and shame you have brought on your family—and those beautiful daughters—their lives are ruined, all by yourself, your greediness for money. No, me friend, I think I would rather be a hard-working Irishman all the rest of me life and have a clear conscience.
“Pat, you are a coward. ”

“ I inquired of Pat what was wrong, and he—the prisoner—answered by saying, ‘I am not guilty.’ [123] The murderer’s name was given, and many more things were said, which I dare not mention now.”
“Here is Pat.”
“Well, give me my time. I am a brave Irishman, I can bate a fellow to death if need be, but I am not brave enough, when the dead come around and talk to me, to stick around any longer. Faith, I did not see anything, but I surely heard, and I know that I will fall dead if I ever see one of the dead ones walking around here.” ”

“ Pat, listening, said: “Another boarder. I know she will object to the kind of service she will get here, and the linen napkin. I think she will change her mind, and I hope she will change it now and not shed anny more tears. I’m a hard-hearted Irishman, and could bate a fellow to death, but when it comes to hearing the dear ladies cry, I am finding meself dropping a tear meself.” ”

“ Pat. I am so sorry for him. His first mistake, and a bad one at that, but I hope Pearson will be enough of a gentleman not to make him suffer for it. His conscience will hurt him enough for his part. I always placed so much confidence in Pat. I am heartily sick of the whole affair. One man can commit a crime and drag others down with him. Here comes Pat. He looks tired and worried.”
“Well, your honor, I am back after a hard time I had getting the officer into his cell.” ”

“ Here we are. Get in gently, ‘pet.’ I’ll be closing the door aisy, to not shock you. Now I must be bating it back to the office to get the other man.”
“Well, Pearson, ‘murder will out.’”
“I have not murdered anyone, and why should you talk to me in that way?”
“I don’t think that your brother has, either.”
“My brother!”
“Yes, your brother. Do you not know that [157] the convict is your brother? If you do not, I do.”
“We have the same name. Is that any reason why we should be brothers?”
“Not because you have the same name, no; but in this case the two men who bear the same name are brothers.” ”

“ Pearson. The superintendent will be after asking me, ‘Why the delay?’”
“Come around often, Pat, and talk to me.”
“That I will. Well, I am a gentleman, or can be if I want to give up me job here.”
“Pat, I have been looking for you for some time. You are not so lively as you used to be. Are you feeling your age? You look worried. Pray tell me what is the trouble,” said the officer as Pat entered the office.
“I have no trouble. I am wondering how a man feels that don’t have to work or have anny trouble.”
“I don’t know, Pat. I never had such a job. I always had to work hard for my honest living.” ”

“ So much excitement the last three or four months has upset you. It will have to be settled—all will be settled after Pearson gets located, and now it is late, and we must retire. Good night.”
“Good night, officer.”
Pat muttered: “As I hear the big iron door slam after me it makes me blood run cold. I am in a fix. What is money for? To make criminals, I belave. I belave every convict under this blooming roof is here for or on account of money. The vile stuff! We get a living, and have to work, or should if we don’t, and it only keeps us out of mischief—and then it don’t. ”

“ I do not see why, as he has violated the law, he should not be locked up as any other prisoner is.”
“A man is not guilty until proved so.”
“And I order this man to be turned loose. You have no authority to claim him as a prisoner. He has never been arrested, no warrant for him has been issued, and I do not believe him guilty.”
“I am in a position to prove his guilt.”
“I do not believe you, sir.”
“I shall ask Pearson to speak for himself.”
“You—Mr. Pearson I am speaking to—please tell the officials here what you told your wife and daughters.” ”

“ And if you want two, here is another.”
“What would I do with two, Pat? One is all you can use at one time.”
“Well, I’m thinking that if he had two clubs in his hands, as he was throwing them, I would never have been able to give him the bating I did.”
“I hope that I shall not have to use one, Pat, much less two. Now, I am going to take charge of the prisoner, and, Pat, as I shall be close to him all of the time, you had better drop around to the office quite often and see how Mr. Pearson is getting along.”
“I will do that, your honor.” ”

“ I have been praying to me Father to help me find another job, or to get this one back for me.”
“Pat, your prayer is answered, once again. You may remain and do as you have done. Outside of this little trouble, you have been a good, faithful man, and I feel that you and Officer Pearson will from this day on be faithful to the trust which is imposed in you, and that you will show brotherly love and kindness toward each other and all your fellow-men. ”

“ I am told that we never die. To explain further I am not able, but I do want to get out of this office. I feel strong enough to do any kind of hard work.”
“Well, sir, I am glad that we have found a way to make you work, and you may go back to hard labor.” ”

“ We can live down disgrace and you can show the world that you are not a bad man, after all, at heart, and I don’t think you are, Pearson.”
“Well, I’m glad I made the train all right,” said Pat, “and I got the letter off. I feel better now—not so ornery. I will take me toime going back. What do I see? The dear little girl that called me name with the handle on it? And I do believe she is crying. Now, I can’t [187] stand to pass her and see her shedding tears. What could I say to comfort her? Well, if I don’t say anny more than ‘howdy,’ it will help some. ”

“ Sit down. Here, steady, now. Give me some water quick. Have some water, Pat. He looks so queer. Oh! you feel all right, Pat?”
“I am not ailing. Why do you ask me if I feel all right? The only thing I see, I was standing up a while ago, and now I am sitting down.”
“Yes, Pat; you were acting very funny, and insisted on taking Officer Pearson to jail, instead of No. 78.”
“Faith, I think he will be there soon enough.”
“I don’t understand you. I am going to make you suffer for that talk. I shall not allow myself to be called a thief by my inferiors. I shall have a settlement with you, sir. ”

“ It is not a great distance to the office.”
“Your honor, I’m thinking of going to my bed. I am top-heavy, and would like to lay me down for a while. I think it would do me good. Too much to carry around, and too good to let it get away.”
“All right, Pat; you may go.”
To himself: “Now I shall learn something for myself. I’d better disguise myself, for fear of meeting Pearson. I’ll put on this slouch hat. He would not recognize me in that; a hat changes one’s looks sometimes so that even close friends could not be recognized.
“Hark! I hear voices! I believe it is Pearson’s voice in cell 78. ”

“ The letter ran as follows:
“I am writing you for help in looking up the case of a convict by the name of Clarence Pearson. I have every reason to believe that he is innocent of the crime for which he is serving sentence. Wire me if you have a name in the directory of your city like this: Devenart. If there is such a man, hold him for murder.” ”

“ Honesty is always the best policy. If you follow that precept, [246] you will never get into trouble,” said the superintendent, addressing Mr. Pearson.
“Well, here is one good Irishman the rest of me life, and I will be after being a Sunday-school teacher; I think that would bate being a gentleman anny time. And now I’ll see if the officer has not forgot to put the poor man that was brought in to work. Forgot? I know he did. I’ll be after going and asking where will I take the poor fellow to work, and I’ll ask mercy for him, for it means a job for life with him, poor fellow. ”

“ The officer, Mr. Pearson, is a dead man—or, at least, he looks it.”
[88]
“Well, Pat, if he is dead, there is no use in my going.”
“You better go and see for yourself. There are some funny doings going on around here. Men look like dead ones, and not dead. I hope I won’t be looking like a dead one and disappointing my friends. You must be coming along. They sent me for a doctor, and, faith, I would bring you at once.”
“Well, Pat, I am ready. So your patient looks like a dead one, hey?”
“You may decide that for yourself when you get there.” ”

“ I must send word to Pearson’s family. They will be alarmed when he does not come home. It will be a great shock to the family—to those beautiful society daughters. It will be a calamity to them. How shall I break the news? I would not dare to send Pat. He has a grievance against Pearson, and would not show any mercy on the family. I shall call the officials together and state the whole circumstances, and then we can see what steps to take to protect his family. I am anxious to see Pat back. I hope he will not have any more trouble. Here he comes now. Well, Pat, is he all right? ”

“ A Clear Conscience Better than Money
“I do not understand, Pat, what made Pearson confess so meekly. He could at least have pleaded innocent until his trial. You know sometimes things look dark, and then a criminal can get out of it.” ”

“ As I understand the poor man, he has never done very hard manual labor, and to place him to work of that kind, I fear, would make it necessary to soon change again. I am sorry that it had to fall to me to confine a convict to hard labor and feel that he is innocent [in an undertone] and my brother!’
“‘Well, shall I bring the poor devil in? My shoes has pointed that way; every toime I start the shoes on my very feet wants to track to 78’s cell.’
“‘I wish we could arrange everything, Pat, so your shoes could get a rest. It matters not about our minds. ”

“ The office is waiting for us, so come along.”
“I say, Pat, are you going to change your mind before we enter the office?”
“Well, Pat, what are you debating about? Come along here. Time is flying,” said the superintendent.
To the prisoner he said: “You are under arrest. You have been here accused of obtaining money under false affidavit, and I shall have to say—Pearson, I regret very much to have to read this to you, but I am sworn to do my duty, and I have done so in this case, as I would do in all others. Your trial is set for one week from to-day. ”