A Strange Confession.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7970, 6 November 1905, Page 2

A Strange Confession.

u—— A -1M ROL-AR" WHO GOT TBKEE i\'KARS i (Lyt.tel.t onyTimos' Anieriicain (.'onVospon.lenl.) The rather remarkable si on has come (o I-ifi'M in New v ( ,rk Ciiv of a student, in allais-e American Pi'iivcrsity who deliberatel.N confessed a burglary which he did not commit, ami accepted a three years' .sentence to [prison in order to protect Hveivanre of a married woman. Thv fads are incflij imbHic hhrouyli ilve sltitL-nietrl, ol" a New ,York attorney, who says : ■-".V handsome wido-w came down' to to Iho library, where no onv Unit mvself could ,s,o Jut. She ihcn told me the following extraordinary story. 1 cannot tell you her name, hut von cei ta nly would know- her if I did. She conies from one of the best old families of New York, ller late husl.ii ml owned sclera I lar S e fad oi-ies in New .lersey. sk,> is ikiwisoue .does not look more rhan 25. il-,on«h she probably is;, and has 'u chiM. She tnbl isv tlisit -n ,yoin. s man, while not prouiinvnt in a ibu.sines.s way. twil who had a b ood social stam'tiivg.hwl al onetime been calliii}.' on her. Iter liusbniml was not awar.- of the (act that friendship existed bet ween them. Neither wauled thu hus-haml to know it. The 'husband 'did not know- the man. Tlwliiislmml came home unexpectedly, aii'd his appearance clealod con.s;iUenrb|io din'l|ii.sro'.|', in Iheinitlat of wiiich five man rose to the occasion, lie assumed a rotieji manner whin asked by the bus-band'what lie was doing there, tie said that he was a, burg-la!', that, he had forced an entrance to live uparlincut and that. he. mis willin.g- to take his medicine, ami gave an assumed inline. A hurried call for the police was sent over the telephone by the husband, anil the man made no attempt to escape. All this 'happened before the wile could do or say anything-. Shu was in such « Hfjiumliaiy' time Mve did not know what to do, so she blindly followed the lead oft ho supposed burglar. There was prompt response by the police, mul Win man was inarched around to the police statin). Ilv was arrainged the next day in the police court, lie plemled guilty Io a charge of attempted-bur-glary. The hustoni'd was coiiiplainnnt and the woman chief witness 'against , him. lie was arrainged in the Court of tJeneeal Sessions, where he. again pl»a'ded giiilly. Thy secrofl of iiig identity was not 'disclosed iif-any of the proceediitgN, and Iris 'name is not known to the prison authorities- today. At his- own nepiest .iudginent was pronounced hy the Court without, the loss ol a minute. I lie was ' sniUucul to three years in Sing Sing Prison. Without a word helurned, went, hack Id his cell in the Tomibs packed up a few belongings, and that night, wore a striped suit in Sing Sing. His friends asked what bad heroine of l-.iiii, and Ihoughl he hue! gone on a vacation trip without telling them abotil il. Later they wondered thai nothing had keen heard of him.

The woman now wished to save the young man from the disgrace ana punishment under which he is siirTcring\ and came to me to ask live to try to gel a pardon from flcvvinui Higgins. The w an was much agi Intnl. She is on the verge of a necessary to he cautions. Asked fiitthvr as |,» ■details. rhe lawyer sand that Ire could nol cive (hem. lie saiil it was a curious\-o incidence thai a si udont disappeam; from one of the colleges just at the time this young .man was tried. "The worst of the matter is." said Hie law\er. "thai the woman has been subjected to heavy blackmail, and she declares she has never hail a night's sleep since. When I tell .von she had in pa.\ no less I'mm St,,nun dollars to so Id scrvams of hers, who knew something about the I'acls. you will ■dersiand how serious the busIt was staled lhal I hi' woman will bring a suit against a band of blackmailers, headed by, a lawyer and « w an, who have.succeedediin extorting money from her.