A poor fatherless boy in a deprived section of Philadelphia in the 1890s had little chance for social advancement, education or financial success. An orphan fared even worse. When a personal tragedy struck Alfred, he had nowhere to look for help. A strange man in the police station seemed to come to his aid belatedly, confusing Alfred with both anger and just a spark of hope. The events following his brief incarceration left him more bewildered.