Give The Boy Another Chance

In May last, Willie Kern, of Adrian, an employé of the Adrián Furniture company, and aged about 17 years, having had a little "tiff" with his father about something, ran away from home, and this was the last his parents or friends heard of him for some weeks, when one day a tramp, who had just been released from the Ionia work-house, turned up at Adrián and informed the parents of young Kern that he had come to fulfill a request of their son, who, he said, was then in the work-house, serving a long term for highway robbery. The tramp said that from what he had learned, the boy was not very guilty; that af ter leaving Adrián he feil in with two very tough members of the "profesh." When near Dehi Mills, this county, one of the men who was in advance of the others, slugged a man and then holding him down, called to the others to come up and help bind him. They ran to the place and Kern was commanded to do his part in holding the stranger. When he was bound, the tramps went through his pockets. All were arrested and young Kern pleaded guilty and received sentence with the others. Investigation subsequently veritied the story. Willie Kern was found at the lonia reformatory, and a sifting of the facts substantiated the statement of the tramp who tirst gave young Kern's parents information of his whereabouts. As the boy had hitherto been steady and industrious, and held steady employment with the Furniture Co., it was believed by prominent citizens who knew him that the youth had been made a tooi of the toughs he feil in with and was more sinned against than sinning. A movement for his pardon is on foot, backed by the best citizens of Adrián, and on the first of the week Dr. M. B. Morden, a physician of high standing and widely known, visited Circuit Judge Kinne, Prosecutor Kearney, Sheriff Brennerand others, and as we understand, all of these gentlemen are favorably disposed toward young Kern's pardon. It seems to be a case where clemency would be proper. The young man's parents are poor but respectable Germans, who badly need his services, and the Furniture company stands ready to give him work, believing him to have been merely a young "Tray" who had fallen into bad company and been made the victim.