The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-01

ceent character during his imprisonment, would
be discharged In the morning. A description Of
therefore kept 4 vigilant lookout for him. About
noon the next day he came along to the hotel
English pugilist Jenl Mace, was waiting for hini.
The description was very useful to me, for should
not have taken the decent quiet respectable LOOK
vict. introduced myself to him, and, after few
commonplace observations, we got into general
4 have nothing si to complain off, he said hey
have all treated me Well did9t run run az S Gloss ss
a amy q sst
to myself as possible. was assigned to the store
room. I picked up butchering while was there
treated tree we'll now; there isn't much grumbllng.
They're not overworked, and they get good deal
more to eat, and good food too, than many ofthem
"Do you think that any reform in the convicts is
brought about Y asked.
good and bad. think this prison is only thieves
Prison preparing When they 20 out to Be thieves
again. Why, It's not very long since one or tne men
a hia s s h%
he said -"1hat box Of yours feels kind OF heavy;
let's have look Inside it." The trunk was opened,
set set Of i burglars tools inside. The man had made
them by stealth at odd times, in the prison. Scores
Of men are ere doins that to-day; they've plenty OF
"Weli then, punishment at Sing Sing has no
reformatory effect, as general rule has IL not"
Why certainly not Now Pm not going to "a, 40
York. I'm a gambler; that's my business But
tell man I'm going to cheat him, and II he can
cheat NE, why it's all right. II his eyes are quicker
than my hands he viii beat me; but he won't If
"Youre going back to New York. you say. Now
I'm told that that's where all the trouble ls. Dis.
charged convcts go back their old associates and
their old haunts, instead Of making new start by
going somewhere up the country and getting EN-
ployment where they're not known"
We'll now, they talk about going up the country:
You'll excuse me- put 1t Is only oois 1nat TAX IKE
in England, and talk pretty straight Such day
as this man might walk into the country, and at
do but what is he to do II he is discharged In the
middle OF the winter You can't walk up the track
then. What he gets given him when Ae leaves the
York, and he will have about as much left as would
buy him meal no j. more a M, must 60 70 his
"But don't the Prison Association do something
for convicts when they are discharged"
amount to much. l think the State ought to
aS ey '0nv0' and
"If they want it-why don't they all want its"
"Well, that's just what wanted to come at, and
that's just what these takers about prison reform
don't understand. Now I'll tell you. Now I'm 60
Ing back, as told you, to gambling. There's
lar life. eightday clock kind Of business don't suit
us. we must have some kind of excitement,
and to get 1t we take big chances. Somehow
I'd rather have dollar got In that way than ten
got by regular work. tell in and tell out. You may
call 1t vagabond life, what you like but, darn
It, it Is free ie 1t is like that bird there you can
hop and ny away whenever you Ike We can do as
we darned please about getting drunk, and there s
sight OF comfort in that. These prison rcformers
| they think If they could only get these men on a
steady job, regular wages, regular meals, to bed at
sunset and up ut sunrise, that that's little heaven
| below for them. Not by darned sight Why men
like u.s. used to the life we Lead whether thieves or
gamblers can't live on less than $40 or $l2 day.
should like to know where such as us s going to
get it by honest labor, as they call 1t. Well we've
got to get 1t; some weeks we strike oil, and some
weeks we don't. Then it's life OF excitement you
talk about hOrse-racng and yachting; well, robbng
| folks Is horse-racing and yachting to us ana we
| must have the sport; we can't do without II"
ais that the reason many Of the convicts get
back again to prisonS' asked.
.'Why, OF course. There was man in that
prison when was; he was clerk at the desk.
He'd tell You thing or two-get hold Of him.
Well, he's been IN Sing Sing prison twenty nine
years, on and on, and all that time he never saw
One time when he was discharged his father came
to meet him. Well he took him of to New Orleans,
i've weeks he was back again at the PRISON. They
said, We'll, Jack, why didn't you stop outP Jack
says, never was 80 miserable In my life as I've
been these last five weeks; thought should
never live to get back again here. SO was bound to
do something to get sent up Perhaps you think,
| says Jack, Pm marvellous instance OF the de-
to have such uncharitable ideas. How do you
my fellow men, and this IS way i've got to get to
swell, they took Jack to his old quarters, and he
looked quite cOntented Now there are hundreds
OF convicts like that and II you'll only think 1t over
bit youn see it is quite natural that 1t should be
sO."
babe the English gambler good day." lit an
| other cigar, and took quiet, steady walk In the
woods to think out this new phase OF human ma
| ture as presented to me by discharged convict.