Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-07
CHAT WITH A CONVICT.
A Passion for Baseball Makes n
Thief of a hoy.

A Passion for Baseball Makes n
Thief of a Roy.
A decorus procession of demure-look-
ing and monotonously dressed women
trudged across the long, bleak yard of
the Kings County penitentiary yester-
day afternoon, and made its way to the
point which has been selected for dis
rributing the supplies with which the
County keeps its convicts in good trim;
The movements OF these women seemed
to have an unusual attraction for SOL
id.y-built, sharpfeatured young man,
who sat in the warden's off SO and talked
to reporter about convict life and the
apprenticeship that leads up to 1t. a
variegated suit by which the country
differentiates it criminals from lts honest
residents clung loosely to him, ana ms
clear gray eye having followed the
female poarders until u convenient door
shut them out of sight.
.'It was baseball that first made me
steal" he said to the reporter. Il
would insist on seeing all the games that
were being played in the neighoorhood'
and to boy who was not earning niucn
money this was an important item Oh
expense. / began to steal to support
myself with the necessary funds, and
kept it up until the suspicious OF my
emplover we're aroused. l lett the
place before the suspicion rested on me,
however, and got a letter OF recommend
alton which secured me another position.
aI kept up the old game there and
eworked half dozen places that way.
4 BY this time l had become acquainted
with some of the professional thieves
and liked their ways so much that L
begged for chance to distinguish my
self. The men were second-story
thieves, as they are called-men who
can get into and out of window at
that altitude as easily as you can walk
through doorway. l was wonderfully
successful 10 my first venture, and those
who were with me told me that / had
future before me. l found that future
in a neighboring prison six months after
ward. My term was short, but regular
habits of living had sharpened my wits,
and the companionship of professionals
had given me an insight into the busi-
ness of thieving, and was fully gradu-
ated when came out. That first term
preyed on my mind, and chated under
the restraint somewhat, but | bore it all
like a little man. My picture had. OF
course, been taken for the rogue's gal
lery, and good picture it was; but l
found means to SO alter my personal ap'
pearance after serving my term, that
the detectives whom l had known
passed me every day in the street with
out recognizing me.
The gentlemanly thief then detailed
the particulars of luckless little esca.
pade in which bank safe, himself. and
Mr.. Porter had been mixed up. This
kSenture had miscarried, but the par
.3Asants, except the safe, were lucky
enough to escape without injury. For
Mr.. Porter his pupil seemed to have an
unbounded admiration.
"Billy is away ahead in the business,
xhe said Monday, "and it's poor year
THAT he doesn't make $4,000. He
tspends it freely, though; puts up wine
for the gang and takes careof the poor
buffers who cannot turn an honest penny
themselves. OF course he maks mis-.
Ntake once in while and gets the 'col-
\ Barr but there is no doubt at all that he
Btands at the head of the profession"
II 1t is understood that Mr.. Porter is
bow doing the State some service in one
IF its penal institutions. While the
bupil had been extolling his master a
kecond procession of convict women
passed through the yard and their tel
|kow-prisoner gazed at its members with
8s much interest as he had exhibited on
| fhe former occasion.
II 'It is queer" he said; "when l am
Nm the outside am always looking for
he lay of good house, and have good
appreciation of the front of safe, but l
newer bother very much about women.
wv that am cut off from all commu-
k1fion from them, however, have
xrange feeling of regard for them, and
N believe if | was outside l would find
yheir company more interesting. And
tet rue tell you that some women thieves
Are no slouches either. There are girls
II that row who are as cool and deliber-
lie, as fearless and as persevering as
Rny man who ever cracked safe. And
Hlthough this is a greater departure
Nom feminine tradition than any have
Named, let me tell you that there are
Women there who can keep their own
punsel too"
AJuSt as ne udu COACiuuco tuio OuiCSy
his female fellows the last soup.bowl
Id been filled and the last blue dress
uttered in the heavy doorway. "Do
ku know" the convict continued, "that
1e whole philosophy of prison life is
tmmed up in the old advice to make
e best of it. l have spent thirteen
b of the last fifteen years in Jail, and
th the exception of the first brief term
erved have endeavored TO gain the
bd will of the authorities and to con.
ct myself decently. Consequently |
treated with little more considera-
u than the man who is chronic
tker.'" As the philosophic burglar
4 enlarging on his theme the meas
lAd fall of the lock step reached his
and he saw through the windows
II his fellows were reporting for sta
DIS. He went out and joined the pro.
Hion.