The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-19
l.. NI's Reply-tO Old Timer.


An unbiased reader of the last issue of
The MIRROR would credit Old Timer with
no small degree of literary ability. and |
hope we may hear from him again. and that
he may choose more worthy subjects than
myself. Not that such attacks cause me
uneasiness, l am, on the contrary, quite
used to them. and Old Timers article con-
tanned just enough venom to carry my
mind back to the time when the metropOli-
tan journals in the state, in flaming head
lines, suggested vigilance committees,
ropes. lamp posts. and tar and feathers;
when ministers stood in the pulpit and with
all the eloquence at their command. told
their congregations that this was the place
to draw the line on moral s,lasion. Some
will remember that | was the text. and
l will now say. cOntidentally, that | have
striven ever since that time to fit myself to
be spectator at the final trial of these
ministers before just Judge. But why 90
away from home to show that Old Timers
article was mild to me. Turn back in your
MIRROR file until you come to the paper
| issued just one year previous to that which
contained Old Timers article. In it you
will find an article written by prisoner.
setting forth that | ought to be hung. The
article is remarkable as being the only one
ever published in prisoners paper urging
the pOpulace to hang man without trial.
Since we have made the comparison it gives
me much pleasure to state that the man
who wrote the article a year ago is now a
freeman. and doing all he can to bring
about my release. As soon as he knew me
| as | am he became my friend. | hope the
result may be the same with Old Timer |
would not if | could, say one word that
would in any way tend to aggravate or init
a man who has Oeen a long timer in prison.
For all such have great sympathy, indeed
| have for all prisoners. When | have
found occasion to speak of them in print,
it has been with words of encourage
ment, with. perhaps, single eXcep-
ton. that of Observer. He is my
next door neighbor. and because of
orr Familiarity | attacked his position on
the labor question; but when | done 50 |
was careful to first pay due tribute to his
manly qualities, so that | might do him no
| injury.
| That Old Timer may know how unworthy
his subject was, l will say that l make no
pretentiOnS to journalism. | have written
considerable for our paper, but much of it
was certainly faulty, and exceedingly lama
teurish." One object of THE MIRROR is the
education of prisoners as writer's. l am
only pupil and my ideas are imperfect.
1t is with the desire to improve that | write.
Every article | read. every object | see. all
persons converse with, are to me studies.
They are my educators. 1t is but
eleven years since | was a boy of fifteen
years. and could not write, or even read my
own name. If had father and mother.
certainly never knew them, neither had l
ever sister, brother or relative to my
knowledge. yet | somehow grew up, but
no knowledge unfOlded to me until | was
fifteen years of age. Indeed no Opportuni-
! ty was presented to me until that time. 1t
was then | commenced the battle with the
world, and the world has been my school
and teacher. The stripes that now cross
my back are imprintS from my teachers rod.
| am learning the lessons, and bearing the
! stripes. and what they have taught me, a
loving mother kind and virtuOus sister,
might have taught me if | had but known
either OF them. But alas, my teacher has
been rough and have had to bear many
kicks, cuffs and lashes or give up the battle
that have fought. still fight and hope to
VIM Old Timer has given me one cut with
his lash. but l forgive him, and desire his
friendship. Anything that l have said
that caused him to be angry. was not in
tended: so if | have written at times I'M
naturally. it Is because my condition has
been unnatural. and | hope my shOrtcom-
ings may be overlooked. as | shall continue
to write for THE MIRROR. and hope Old
Timer will do the same L. M.