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THE CONVICT’S WARNIfif
Published by request.
It his scene takes place in a crowd
ed courtroom. The prisoner,
charged will) the murder of his
wife, stands before f fie judge. The
jury has just returned, 'I’Sie judge
is the first to speak :
“Gentlemen of the jury have you
made your decision.
"Sir, we find the prisoner guilty
of this charge.
" Yes, there could be but one de¬
cision in case like this ; the prisoner
is condemned. Do you hear, you
heartless pturderer of the innocent ?
You shall pay full penalty for your
deed, 't on are condemned to die!
It; is well that justice can end a like
yours, and seal forever from the
eyes of honorable men a record
of debauchery and sin as black as
the eternity into which you go? It
you look forinerev here, remember,
you look in vain. You are a drunk¬
ard, a reprobate, a murderer. For
such there is no mercy. And were
it not that custom disapproves you
would swing from yonder scafiold
before sunset. As it is, you sitall
go back to your cell, there to brood
over your horrid crime and await
your doom.
“May you speak before you go?
Yes; for so the law allows. But do
not think that any words of yours
shall change our decisions.”
“Your Honor, since so the law
allows, 1 will speak. No 1 shall
not ask for mercy. 1 deserve no
mercy. You call me u drunkard,
and so I am, You <jall me a repro¬
bate, and this 1 do not deny. No
one knows better than myself what
my past life has been. No one can
realize more fully than 1 that my
record is stained with unforgiven
sin, and that I have no place on
earth but a drunkard’s—no place
beyond but a drunkard’s hell. No
one can feel more deeply than 1 the
horror of my crime—my crime, did
Isay? No! in tire name of God,
judge,it is not my crime 1 Kilted mv
wife? No! It is a lie! 1 did not
kill my wife; drink killed her! Do
you hear me, judge? Drink killed
her—killed my wife, killed Mary!
0 God, Thou knowest l am not
guilty of this deed ! 1 loved her
better than mv life. 1 was un¬
conscious when 1 struck the blow.
1 did not killed lu-r—DRINK kill¬
ed her?—Judge you may call me a
drunkard, but a murderer 1 am not.
"No. let me speak. 1 do not
plead for mercy, 1 have said 1
deserve no mercy. But, listen!
Here my story. 1 shall speak but
this once, l would have you and
all these people know that 1 was
not always (he wretch that stands
before you. 1 was not always a
drunkard and vegabond. I once
had a happy home—u beautiful and
‘lururiant home. 1 was as pure and
good as any child; and 1 had a
mother, judge a mother yvh,.> loved
me. Oh, how well 1 remember
her ! 1 seem to see her sweet face
now. as she used to take me up
close to her heart and kiss a wav mv
tears of childish sorrow. At night
I would kneel by her side and pray
—I have almost forgotten that
prayer—and mother! Q God,
broke her heart ! And l
at her death bed I would meet her.
O God, don't tell her! Don t
her know 11 I must die upon
scafiold, in mercy shield
that scaffold from her eyes!
"Why, what is the matter
You look so strange! No, I
no mercy—only 1 kept that
ise, judge, until grew
Then I went away to school. \
are surprised? Why judge.
graduated with first honors of
class. I was not always as you
now.
“Then, one day. I met a
She was beautiful as a flower,
not less pure. I loved her and
THE CLEVELAND COURIER, CLEVELAND, GEORGIA.
* ler as m y bride. Oh, how full of
sunshine whs life, then ! No 1 ' Jri home ,,rirn »
was happier than ours; it was like
heaven, judge—a bit of heaven,
hereon earth; until one day I
yj e )(j e( j ( G temptation and took a
w ine. But I didn’t tell
her. Mare didn’t know. I said.
"1 will never drink again,” and a
month 1 kept mv word.
But then the tempter again ap
peared ; he called himself "friend”
and I drank again. I knew it was
wron ^ ) but somehow the tempter’s
power was stronger than my will,
Again and again I yielded to my
destroyer. The wine cup was put
aside and stronger liquor filled my
glass. 1 then began to stay out
late at night, and gradually the
truth was revealed to Mary. No
flower ever lost its bloom more
quickly titan did Mary s cheek.
She prayed and pleaded with me
to shun the saloon and save our
home, but drink now had me in
its terrible grasp, and while Iknevv
I was breaking her heart 1 hatf not
t he power to quit it and live a man.
"One night—O God must I recall?
— 1 was drinking in the Wayerly
saloon, when suddenly someone
said ; "Jim go home, your child is
dying!”
“What! My child dying—my
little Nell? Oh ; heaven, it cannot
be. it cannot be!’’
Half cazed by rum and dread, 1
rushed to my home and dashed in
at the front door. "Mary” I call¬
ed, where are you and where is
little Nel?
"There was no answer and I
passed quickly through the dark
hall and paused at the drawing¬
room door. Someone was sobbing
within, and 1 pushed it open.
There upon a little cot, lay my
only child, and my wife,was kneel¬
ing by her side,
"O God, how can I bear that
sight again !
“A voice then called me—it was
the doctor’s "Jim,” said he, “do
you want to know.”
“Yes, tell me,” I replied. “Tell
me the truth if it kills me?”
“Well, Jim, little Nell is going
to die?”
“Oil, no,” I said. "It cannot
be ! It cannot be.
“Yes Jim she was struck by a
trolley tonight while crossing the
tracks near the Wayerly saloon. 1
happened to be on the car and
carried Her home in my arms.
When she first came to conscious¬
ness she said, *‘\\ here is papa?
I’m going to meet him tonight.”
“Ah, judge, words cannot tell it
all—how God in that moment of
j agony ' touched mv sinful sou!!
How 1 knelt by my dying child
and poured , out my heart , e full ,, 01 ,
gurit and sin, and asked God to
take what manhood was left ^ ,
make me again worthy of a true
woman's love; how we missed her
that bright summer morning we
laid our dariijig in her little grave
and covered it with the flowers
loved best ; how our home seemed
emptv and silent when we returned
without little Nell; how-we missed
her sweet songs and childish prat
! tie and, as the months passed, went
often to her little grave to weep
pray; how beneath this stroke
of sorrow 1 regained mv lost man¬
hood, and with it honor and
| confidence of my friends; how the
i bloom came back to Mary’s cheek,
j and once more the spirit of true
| love ruled our hearts and home,
j “But here, judge, the sunshine
ends. The rest is black as sin.
You sit unmoved! There is
| pity in your breast, your heart
stone! But vou shall hear it all.
“One night, in our city, a great
banquet was given in honor of my
! college class. We were at
; banquet, Mary and I. Wine
j served. We both declined. But
j I did so the odor of the
j fluid aroused my old craving
the cursed drink. The tempter
held the glass before my eyes, en¬
treating me to be sociable. I reach¬
ed for it. Mary screamed and
sprang to save me from ruin ; but
it was too late I snatched it from
the tempter’s hand and drained its
dregs of death. You were the
tempter? Ah, will you may draw
back, for from that hour until the
hour that sealed the crime for which
1 stand condemned the demon of
your bloody cup has stained my
soul.
I must die for a crime whicli you
yourself have caused; so stands
your verdict.
“Now lead me to my cell, or bet
ter still, of death! I shall meet
you at the bar of God. There, be¬
fore the Judge of all men, we shall
learn who, in tire light of eternal
justice, shall prove guilty of this
crime.”
Albert Albertson,
SHOE R EP AI RING. - Any one
wanting their shoes soled or heeled
with sprigs should call on B. II.
Campbell.
Do you begin to cough at night,
just when you hope to sleep? Do
you have tickling throat that keeps
you awake? Just take Foley’s
Honey and Tar Compound. It
will check the cough and stop the
tickling sensation at once. Does
not upset the stomach, is best for
chrildren and grown persons.
Norton & Asti.
NOTICE
To all who might be interested.
The following real estate and per¬
sonal property for sale :
My entire farm, known as the
Tip McKinney old home place,and
later known as the Allison W.
Smith place, containing 115 acres
more or less, with] about fourty
acres in cultivation, with a 6-room
dwelling and out-buildings, a
store building and shop building,
and 3 tenant houses. This is
best location for a mercantile busi¬
ness, blacksmith shop, corn mill,
crusher and suction gin. At
place there is already a
store doing a ten thousand
business, a custom blacksmith
and a prosperous Oddfellow lodge,
[‘rice $30.00 per acre, terms
ihird cash, balance Dec. 15, 1914.
Also I have a complete
outfit, consisting of fifteen
Peerless engine, a No. 1
mill with three headblocks and
justable knees, cable feed, chain
dust remover and steel railing
lumber trucks, hydraulic ram
<U P^ water 10 the en « ine
and cart, a cross-cut saw ----- every
, >(her necessary tool, in fact a
plete outfit. Price
j one-third cash, one-third June 30th.
one-third Dec. 15. 1914.
Also I have one of the best
jot black mare mules, age - 6 years,
j weighing 2400 pounds, with not a
1 pimple on either of them. Also a
new $60.00 Chattanooga
and a new $65.00. buggy made by
the Blount Buggy Co.
wagon and harness, and
$700.00 Terms one-half
balance Dec. 15, 1914.
If you are contemplating
into business, this is your
tunity. j For futher particulars
Lr " rlte nle once
j A. F. Keximer.
Leaf, Ga., R, 2.
For Sore Feet, Childlains,
Bite, Sore Nibbles, Chafing, Cuts,
Galls, Burns, Sores or
DARBY’S
FLl ID is a marvelcus
It relieves inflamed conditions
the flesh and eases pain. Taken
ternally for Cramps or Dysentery
corrects the disorder at once.
cts. per bottle. Sold by
Ash.
Are You One Of These?
Those of our subscribers who are in arrears
with their subscriptions will oblige by making
settlement as early as possible. There are few
things we dislike more than to send out “duns,”
and we don’t believe you like to get them. Don’t
wait, then, for us to send you a statement-just
figure out for yourself from the figures opposite
your name on the first page what you are due us,
and remit or call and settle. The figures indicate
the date from which you are due us.
We appreciate the many congratulations re¬
ceived on the excellent newspaper we are issuing,
and we earnestly solicit our subscribers to be
prompt in the payment of arrears, for upon our
subscription list depends our ability to maintain the
high standard we have marked out.
FURS Wool ll*t AND HIGHEST FOR mentioning on Commilsion. RAW MARKET this FURS HIDES 2d. AND Writ* PRICE HIDES lor PAID prlct
JOHN WHITE & CO. Established 1837
louamiMr.
S. MALOOF .4 BROS.
January Sale.
We will offer balance of
Cleveland Mercantile Co’s
Stock at and below whole¬
sale cost.
$3.50 Mens’ Shoes............................... $2.98
3.50 Ladies’ Shoes.............................. 2.48
1.50 and $2.00 Ladies’ Tan Shoes................ 1.19
2.00 Mens’ Fine Shoes.......................... i-35
3.50 Rain Coat................................. 3 -95
50 and 75 cent Serge..:....................... 43
50 and 75 cent Ladies’ Cloth................... 43
Three Bolts Light 10-cent Ginghams, per yard......
$1.00 Bed Sheet................................. .50
$7.50 Ladies’ Fur Coats.......................... 4.9S
50-cent Ladies’ Undershirts................... •39
$2.50 Ladies’ Sweater......................... 1.49
1.50 Counterpane............................. .98
75-cent Hammer.............................. •39
25-cent Enamel Dish Pan..................... .19
75-cent Wash Tub........................... •5°
50-cer.t Lantern............................... ■39
75-cent Enamel Pail............................ .48
Stove Pipe..................................... .10
25-cent Hand Saw.............................. .19
Special prices in Mens’s Hats, Mens’ and Boys’ Pants
and Clothing.
\\ e have lots of New Goods arriving daily which we
will put in at Cut Prices.
Don’t Miss this Sale. You will Save Money.
S. MALOOF & BROS.