The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-07-30
4 Professional Prisoner.


charged four of us at lick, and now l
feel Just like fish out of water. Pm
lost when out o. Jail. After stay out
long enough to get fresh air and change
of victuals, pli tramp it to some other
county and stay thirty or sixty days
with 'em."
The middle aged man that spoke the
above words was discharged from Jail a
few days ago, along with four others. IL
had been committed for thirty days on
the charge OF vagrancy. Said that his
proper name was Peter Lanscot, al
though he was SO accustomed to giving
out fictitious names that he hardly
knew sometimes what his real name
was. He was a tall man, pale and not
healthy looking. He was thirty-eight
years OF age, nearly twenty OF winch ne
said were passed in Jail.
He was born in Alabama, and his first
offense was theft, for which he was SEN
fenced for one year to the Montgomery
Jail. He served his Time, and tor good
conduct was allowed communication. His
next venture was stealing a horse in
Charlotte, N. c., and was sentenced for
two years. Between the first two i'm
prisonments he was out of Jail not quite
two months. When his time was out he
went to Tennessee, thence to Missouri,
thence SO tar up as the copper mines OF
Lake Superior, thence to Michigan, and
back through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and
New York. In all these States, Lanscet
went under the name OF Rollins, and
was imprisoned i'll seven different jails
for various otienses.
"One thing can say and kind o. feel
proud of, never did anything to hurt any
body;I never stole much that the own
ers did not get back again, and what
people lost by me, only went to keep me
when l was not in mock I've been in
the Boston jail and the Portsmouth jail,
but so far I've kept away from the N. Y.
Tombs or BlackWelPs Island or Sing
Sing. There's bad company there, and
as long as there are other jails to 60 to,
why, pll keep away from there. l was
in the Norristown jail last year for va
grancy. think thai is the best charge
to get sent up for. Most sentence you
get is sixty days, and that is long
enough TO stay during The summer in any.
Jail. In summer like to travel around.
/ tramp from one city to another. like
the Berk's county Jail; it reminds me OF
the Joliet prison. People are here kind
enough, and the grub is solid and SOS
The work. Tvs the quietest Jail was
ever in, and Pye boarded in twenty
seven different ones in my time. l don't
think there's a man in the country that
has a better record than that. LII there
is never heard it. But that's not all.
| amt done living yet. pll bounce
around pretty lively before pass in my
checks. L used to get sent up for three
wears, but that's played out now. I've
learned five trades in my time. Am a
weaver, shoemaker, brush and broom
maker, learned cigar making In the
Hartford Connecticut, Jail. one year ago,
and can lay bricks with the best OF them.
That is, could when worked with my
father, who was a bricklayer. That was
my first trade. Pve got used to livin' in
Jail, that l get tired OF livin' outside.
get Disguised. 1 don't like to talk to
people, and Pm surprised at myself that
Fye talked to YOU so olong as l have. 1
can do no good by reforlnin,' and that's
why keep goin' to Jail. earn enough
to pay my board. People needn't be
afraid, PHI never harm 'em. Stealin's
played out with me now. No more for
me, Pm goin' over to the next country
town, and as soon as get tired of being
out, why up I'll go. Ips very easy to get
sent up Ii you know how, when know
pve only short time to serve"
Theabove Is the substance OF an inter-
view a reporter had with sincere
looking traveller, as he sat on neigh
boring doorstep eating supper OF cold
yictuals. Chief Cullen came along and
recognized the man who WIS committed
thirty days ago for yagrancy. Mis story
is undoubtedly true.
M Quad relates that as one of the doZ-