Budd Boyd's Triumph; or, The Boy-Firm of Fox Island

by William P. Chipman

"And get myself in a worse scrape," snapped Bagsley.

"Not necessarily; you can put your conditions, and help yourself and the rest of us," was the hasty reply; for the papers were now completed, and the officers were handcuffing the prisoners together previous to leading them from the room.

Enough had been said, however, to excite in Bagsley's heart a hope he would not be slow to follow up.

The next step in the series of circumstances working favorably for the fulfillment of Budd's purpose occurred the next day, way off among the hills of New Hampshire. Bagsley, it will be remembered, was known, and however it may have been with his companions, he was not able to conceal his identity under a false name. The newspapers, therefore, recording the capture of the burglars, gave his name in full; and one of those papers went into the boyhood home of the unfortunate man, carrying dismay to his aged father and mother still abiding there. The name was that of their only son, from whom they had not heard in long months, and of whose career they had for a long time had misgiving.

So the aged father sat down, and with trembling hand wrote to the keeper of the jail asking for further particulars as to the robbery, and a complete identification, if possible, of the prisoner who bore his son's name. This letter in due time reached the jailer, and was at once taken to Bagsley's cell. He bore up bravely under the words the father had penned, but when he read at the bottom of the sheet a single line in the mother's handwriting--that line reading "If you are our Tommy, let us know at once, and we'll come to you and spare no expense to save you"--he broke completely down. The memory of his mother--of her love, that had ever stood ready to shield him--had touched his heart. He was not as hardened as he himself had thought, and a desire to see his mother once more before the prison-walls closed upon him for long years, and to hear from her own lips that she forgave her wayward boy, led him to answer his father's letter.

So the third and last step in this chain of circumstances began when his letter, two days later, reached the little mountain village. Closing up their little home, the aged father and mother drew from the savings bank their small hoard of hard-earned money and set out for the place of their son's incarceration. Everyone they met seemed to understand that some heavy affliction had fallen upon the gray-haired couple, and with kind words and willing hands they were helped on their way, and on the Monday following the arrest of the criminals they reached the door of the Kingston jail and asked to see their boy.

Without delay they were taken to Bagsley's cell, and then ensued an interview too sacred but for the angels of heaven to have witnessed. In humble contrition the penitent man disclosed to his broken-hearted parents the whole story of his criminal life, and acknowledged that there was no possible escape from long years of confinement unless Mr. Johnson and Budd Boyd could be persuaded to withdraw their charges against him. So the next morning the father started off to find the lad and the gentleman who held so much of his son's fate in their hands, and met them on their way up to the county-seat to hold an interview with his son. Under these circumstances it was not hard to effect an agreement, and Bagsley consented to make a full and complete vindication of Henry Boyd if Mr. Johnson's charge and the two charges of Boyd & Floyd against him and his associates were withdrawn. This was what both Mr. Johnson and Budd were willing to do, and the confession of such vital importance to two persons at least--Budd and his father--was duly drawn up and signed.

It stated in substance that Bagsley, on entering Mr. Johnson's employ, had been detected in light pilfering by Mr. Boyd, but upon his making full restitution and promising to never be guilty of such an act again Mr. Boyd had consented to keep the matter from Mr. Johnson. Instead of being grateful to Mr. Boyd for thus shielding him from Mr. Johnson's anger, Bagsley had resolved to have his revenge for what he termed Boyd's unwarranted interference with that which was none of his business. The opportunity came when Mr. Johnson carelessly left the combination-number of the safe upon his private desk. Making a copy of it, Bagsley had taken the thousand dollars for himself, and forged the check and sent it with the accompanying letter to Mr. Boyd's house just as he was about to start for the South with his invalid wife. He had opened and destroyed the letter of thanks that Mr. Boyd had sent Mr. Johnson upon receiving the check, and the result of his plans had been exactly what he had anticipated. Mr. Boyd was arrested, tried and convicted of the two crimes, forgery and theft, while he who had really committed the acts had been unsuspected.

The confession went on to state that Bagsley had overheard all that passed between Budd and Mr. Johnson in the private office, and believing that Budd was working to prove his guilt he had assaulted him on the next day. Not content with this, he had sought for the lad repeatedly to frighten him into silence, but at length learned he had left the city.

His connection with the criminals had come about in a perfectly natural way through the dissipated habits he had formed. When in a gambling-saloon one night he had run in with Brill, who, finding that Bagsley had plenty of money, accused him of having taken the thousand dollars for which Henry Boyd had been arrested. Bagsley at first denied this, but being unable to account for the money in any other way, he finally admitted it.