On the same afternoon on which I had ascertained these facts, a paper was brought to me, on which was written, with a piece of charcoal, " My dear friend, please call and see me as quick as you can; I wish to see you very much." I thought probably, that he might have some disclosures to make, which might benefit somebody, so I went, and obtained permission from the jailor to talk with the prisoner through the grates. As soon as I saw him, he commenced a regular boo-hoo, sobbing away, at a great rate, held his delicate hand through the bars for me to shake, and begged me to do him one favor, which was, to be his bondsman for two hundred dollars, before he came up for trial.
Not wishing to add irony to misery, nor to multiply words, I declined having any further conversation, excepting only a few words of advice, and left him. I noticed while looking into his cell, that there were two savage looking villains as his companions, who seemed to laugh at the tears of this hypocrite. I learned further, about the history of this unhappy man, that he had been for many years a consummate villain. When he came to our church, he had just been liberated from the Thomastown State Prison, having served two years for stealing a quantity of watches in Portland. On leaving Thomaston, the first thing he did was to procure a suit of sailor's clothes, and by representing himself as a seaman, who had just left the hospital, excited the pity of a benevolent captain, who shipped him for a short trip to the South.
He made out to rob this kind captain, and purchased the genteel suit he then wore, with the stolen money. On searching his trunk, after his arrest, a number of books, becc lono-ino- to Mr. Hague, were found, wliicli lie had stolen when on his pious visits to that gentleman's study. What disposition was made of him I don't know, hut about two years afterwards, he again came to me, but I positively refused to have anything to do with him.