Some years ago a young man who had fully learned his lesson in prison
was discharged from Sing Sing, with the earnest desire to retrieve
the past. At first it was difficult to find a position, but at last
he obtained employment with a large firm where he served some months,
giving every satisfaction to his employers. As time wore on, he felt
that the sad shadow of the past was gone forever. One day as he walked
up Broadway carrying under his arm a parcel which he was to deliver to
a customer, he felt a hand suddenly fall on his shoulder. The cheery
tune he had been whistling abruptly ceased. It seemed as if a cloud
passed over the sunshine obscuring it as he turned to recognize in the
man who accosted him, the detective who had once sent him to state
prison. "What are you doing?" asked the detective. "I am working for
such and such a firm," he said. "What have you got under your arm?" was
the next question. "Some clothes I am taking to a customer." "We'll
soon find out the truth of this," said the detective and despite the
entreaties of the man, he marched him back to the store, walked with
him past his fellow-employees and accosted the manager. "Is this man in
your employ?" he asked. The question was answered in the affirmative.
"Did you send him with these clothes to a customer?" Again the
satisfactory answer. "Oh, well," said the detective, "it is all right
but I thought I had better inquire and let you know that this man is
an ex-convict." Then he went on his way, but his work had been well
done. The young man was disgraced before all his fellow-clerks and was
promptly dismissed, not for dishonesty, not for laziness, not because
he had proved unworthy of trust, but simply and solely because he had
once been in prison. Once more he was made to suffer for the crime
which the law said he had fully expiated.
The following instance I give from one of our daily papers, only the
other day.
"How far a policeman may go in an effort to arrest persons charged with
no specific crime, but who have their pictures in the Rogues' Gallery,
may be determined by Commissioner Greene as a result of a shooting in
Twenty-third Street yesterday, when that thoroughfare was crowded.
"A detective sergeant, while in a car, saw seated near the rear door
two men whom he recognized, he says, as pickpockets. The men's pictures
and descriptions being, as alleged, in Inspector McClusky's private
album. The detective therefore determined to take them to headquarters.
"When near Lexington Avenue the two men left the car, being closely
followed by their pursuer. The detective sergeant called upon them
to halt, which they refused to do, and he fired. One of the men says
the detective sergeant fired at him, but the detective insists that he
fired in the air. Women screamed and men took refuge in entrances to
buildings. Two policemen then arrested the men, who gave their names
as John Kelley and Daniel Cherry. Commissioner Greene has ordered an
investigation."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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