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A Touching Scene In A Kentucky Court-room

A Touching Scene In A Kentucky Court-room image
Parent Issue
Day
19
Month
May
Year
1876
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

On Friday last tfe liad quito a tonchng söene in önr ciourVhotlëe; . Oíd Johfl Jarner, an old, gray-headed marl, irda trraigned for the crime oí graad larceny - horso-stealing. He pleaded guilty, md preöeüted hiniself to the jury in a jriof and touching address. He said i " Gentlemen of the Jury : I am au jld man, and my race is nearly run. Chis is the first tune in my Ufe I have jver beon bofore a jury. I hiwe never jven been a witnoai in a magistrate's sourt. I was born in 1816, and have been a hard-working and honest man all my hfe wutil now. I am a stfangor to svery man in this hottso, except hia honor who sits on that bench. He has known me for nine years, and he will teil you I have been an üonest man and a good citizon. ïhia jury looks like a aet of honest and intelligent men, and I wish you to deal with me the best you can. I read in the paper that the priflon at Frankfort is an awful place - that it ia so crowded that one can .scarcely live there. From the accounts of that place I suppose I could not live thero long. You seo I am oíd and íceme, and I ask yon to ilo tne best you can for me. Gentlemen, if I could have got work I could have supported my family and uot been hero. Bnt I want to tell you- I ani a very poor man and have to work to live. Well, last year tho times were very hard indeed, and I coüd not get work much of my time. I am a rnechanic, and I went to Olarksvillo, Fairview and many other places, but I cowld not get any work. Tho times were very hard, as you all know, and but few men had money to to pay for labor. I traveled around till I spent all that I had but a bed and a chai. I was tired and out of heart, and my family suffering for food and clothing. I heard then that I could get wak ui Ñorth Logan, and I sold my kit of tools to get my family itp there. I paid $75 for my tools inLouisvilleand had to sell them low. Af ter paying for moving I had 815 loft. I got a place for my family for a little while, and started again for work. I tried hard to find it but coiild not. I went back to my family broken down in spirit, thinking I would have to starve or beg. Gentlemen, my little boy, about six years old, got in my lap, and put his little arms around my neck aad asked mo if the góod Lord would let ub starve. I love my family as well as any man, and could not think of their starving." The prisoner became overwhelmed with emotion, and, pausiug for a íew moments, lio pleaded for as light a verdict as the juty could give him. The occasion was exceedingly solemn. The prisoner told his story without reservation. Age and caro had whitened his locks and furrowed his brow. He had seen better days, but he was now n broken reed. The jury, the nttorneys, the judge, and the spectators wore touehed by the homely recital of tho suppliant prisoner. The jury gwe him two years in tho penitentiary, and the judge, jury and lawyers then signed a petition to the Governor for his pardon. - Elkton (Ky.) Witness.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus