Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-11

1888. On January y, 1884, ne was con-
yicted for the sixth time OF burglary, IN
the same court, sentenced to imprison-
ment for three years, aud released Au-
gust IL, 1850.
1t should be observed that In each case
his term OF imprisonment was shorten
by ''good behavior" which means sir x.
obedience 10 prison regulations. NV
On August 10, 1886, he made . ...,
upon a woman with intent s,shui
rape, under circumstances Nvlnnl
atrocity. At the next teri pecuilei
which had been the Oh sue coarl
previous convictions. s'sne % 20 illanl
Tor this fresh outrar ne was se l.sa.sS..
vasra who e. imprisonment tor five
,ec.ed crimes nh say how many unde.
hyIet inter- ne had committed In the
fences cS ais Between his seven sen.
teen We Jgerfng period Of about seven.
'es1 ~ ars9
9th peSt illustration shall be from an.
q er county in the same state. John
weeney was convicted OF burglary De-
, celnber 10, 1855, sentenced to state,prison
Tor one year, and discharged November
4, 1867. He was convicted Of theft De.
cember q, 1874, sentenced 10 state prison
for three years, and released July 4, 1877.
He was again convicted Of theft May B.,
1879, sentenced TO two months In the
state prison and released July 8, 1879
He was convicted of theft August 23,
1881, sentenced TO state prison for eigh-
teen months, and discharged December
10, 1882. December g, 1888, he was con-
v cited Of DEMONSTRATING, and sentenced
to state prison for four years. THESE
five convictions were all IN the same
county, and covered term Of about six
teen years. In the same prison is a man
serving out his third sentence for at
tempted rape.
have the criminal record Of a man
born In Albany, N Y, in the year 1913,
who has been twice In the Albany penn.
Tertiary, six times on BlackwelPs Island,
under sentences varying from six months
to one year; once In prison for receiving
stolen goods; three times for grand lar
ceny, under sentences varying from two
five years; and six times in prison for
burglary, under sentences varying from
one to i've years.
Another man, born in Philadelphia, has
been convicted OF burglary SIX times, be-
ginning with January, 1872,
His first sentence was for two years
second, three ana half years; third, two |
and half years; fourth, three years;
nth, two years; sixth, five years
have the record Of another man who, |
born in New York In 1886, confesses to |
have committed undetected crimes in |
1906, was first convicted Of grand larceny |
IN 1856 and since that time has been re- |
peatedlY committed 10 prison under SEN
-ence5 aggregatlng twenty-seyen years
and one month. Deducting the "commu-
u linn tipVttf 1.
nc has been within prison walls twenty
one years and eight months since 1856.
There Is now a convict in the state
prison at Auburn, N. Y, who has been
Imprisoned over forty Years, and all his
sentences have been for short terms.
II 1t be asked whether a sufficient So
utlon Of the problem can not be found In
provision Of law compelling Judges, for
'epeated offenses, TO Impose sentences
materially increasing in severity with
zach new criminal act, answer that this
would, at best, only diminish, but would
~ no means remove the danger. The
'dyocates of this plan must stin, perforce.
maintain the monstrous ana wholly inde.
ensible position that professional Grim
mall unrepentant and unreformed, is TO
'e set at liberty for 10 other reason in the
World than because certain day of Ger.
AIN month and yearhas arrived. IL would
'eem that the bald statement of the prop
Isltion should be sufficient 10 expose it's
utter aosurdity. Indeed, II would be
udlcrous II there We're not bound up
WITH IL so many and so serious evils, i
Ihat the practice has been tolerated so
ong In all civilized countries only goes TO
now that the science of penology is in
Is Infancy. When the doctrine is once
practically as well as theoretically accent.
d that the object OF all imprisonment
or crime ls TO protect society by confln-
ng and reforming the prisoner, we NAV
ope that this aagrant abnse of the power
state will be forever abated.
II again 1t be urged that police super ,
lsion alter release would avert the dan {
er, answer that 1t Is far more easy. ,
use and safe TO exercise this supervision /
'lthln prison walls. The authorities of /
hoapital- IIeatAs H. with Just as much show {
reason, release smallpox patient In |
ne most contagious period of that l
readed disease, and then provide that /
mile the dangerous symptoms con- {
nued he should remain under super
ision. A remedy which, partial at best. q
light be OF some service In the earlier I
tages OF criminal career, is entire " in. |
uequate 10 protect the community from
&c iavages OF an accomplished villain G
1 oelleFe that there is but one cure for :
his great and growing evil, and that this .
10 DC found in the Imprisonment for /
10 OF the criminal once pronounced /
incorrlgible." This is simply saving !
lat such man has forfeited his right to a
at large; that he cannot any longer be I
'rmitted to prey upon the property or 10 G
loanger the peace and personal security I
the public. am we'll aware that this A
eatment is heroic; but, on the other 8
ma, The melady is one which threatens n
undermine the very constitution of r
'cietY--to lead by process by no means |
ogical 70 lynch law and mob violence. a
IL again, 1t be asked, how shall II be
csrtalned when criminal has reached a
2 lneorrlgible period, 1t may be an 4,
Seteu That, as some arbitrary and. AZ IN
g same umei not unreasonable or in
Iuisaole standard must be selected, we a,
all do no practical injustice 10 the !,
lminal II we provide that a third con- g,
elton for felony should establish his Il
Aius IS "ineoTrigible,n so far as his re- n
lions to human society are concerned n
felony In this connection is meant, as h
nned by the statutes OF some OF our h,
ates, crime punishable by conflne-
Ia ~