In the early part of January, 1899, Max called me to his cell in the Boys’ Prison and told me confidentially a sad tale of police persecution as the cause of his incarceration. He positively affirmed that he was innocent of the charge placed against him and he had not cut any dresses, oh, not he. I questioned him several times, but could not shake his testimony. He maintained his accusers were mistaken. As the complainant who was a lady, weakened on his identification I thought she might be mistaken, so I aided him all I could and became interested in his case. I went to the German Consulate and pleaded for him and afterwards to the Legal Aid Society. A kind hearted lawyer named Granger was assigned as his counsel, who took hold of his case with a will. He called to see him at the Tombs and tried to find the trouble, as the charge was a most unusual one for a boy of nineteen. He afterwards told me that he thought the boy was guilty but was deranged and his trouble he thought was caused by self-abuse. But deranged he was, for every opportunity he had he used in slashing ladies’ dresses. It was his mania. On January 12th the case went to trial. The main issue turned on the identity of the prisoner. The ladies that took the stand could not positively swear that Krebs was the one that cut their dresses. And as he had such a good face both judge and prosecuting attorney felt kindly towards him, and the jury gave him the benefit of the doubt and he was discharged. But there was really no defence. He was simply saved by the skin of his teeth. A few days after the trial one of the jurors wrote me asking for Krebs’ address, saying he took such a deep interest in him as to believe in his innocence and he was willing to give him a position. I sent it to him but whether he gave Krebs a position or not I cannot tell, as I never heard from him afterwards, but one thing I know, this young man was a notorious liar and as I understand, had been exiled from Germany because of his audacious criminality as a dress slasher. This case shows how easy one may be deceived. All the labor and sympathy expended on him was wasted. As far as crookedness was concerned this young degenerate could (to use a slang phrase) give clubs and spades to men twice his years and in the end beat them. The worst thing that could have been done for Max Krebs that day was to save him from prison. He ought to have been sent to Elmira Reformatory and placed under the care of Superintendent Brockway and watched and then made to toe the mark. After a few weeks New York became too hot for him; then he was compelled to beat a hasty retreat to Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington in succession, where he continued his old insane delusion, viz.: cutting ladies’ dresses for the fun of it! He was finally arrested in Washington, D. C., caught in the very act!