The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-09-05
Sympathy.

Did you ever think what sympathy
does for you? Do you ever think that you
have the sympathy of all the good people
in the world since your Incarceration, and of
the small amount you had before that event?
The rascal who steals five dollars worth
appears to have gained the enmity of
the whole world. Every one seems to
be holding him down until the judge sends
him to state prison; then the change comes.
Then it is that he gains all this sympathy
that is of such little use to him now, and
small allowance of which, might have done
him SO much good, if dOled out little
earlier in his career. Who ever heard of
the unconvicted thief having the sympathy
of any one: or who ever heard of the con-
victed one that did not have the sympathy
of every one? What is the cause OF the
sudden change? In a great number of cas-
eS it is to hide our own vileneSS, that we
pounce upon the unfortunate and condemn
him before the judge or jury have had any
say in the matter, and then, after he is con-
vcted we change our tactics and are very
sorry for him, and the reason is. that we
know in our hearts that he is not much
worse than ourselves after all. l was in
the wild and wOOlly west some years ago
and while standing with some others. one
afternoon. saw two men about fifty yards
apart and about one hundred yards from us.
engaged in loud dispute. Both men were
armed and one was crazy drunk, the other
perfectly sober. The drunken man whom
we will designate as A raised his gun and
aimed at B, but did not fire, l,Or did any of
the OnlOOkers expect him to fire, such
90. &c ho;~ I'D
to follow A until the latter reaching fence,
rested his gun upon it and fired, killing B
instantly. This end of the affair was
something unlocked for; for to use the ver-
nacular of the region, we all thought the
aiming was only ''bluff" on AS part.
Some of the men captured A. while others
of us ran to the dead man, thinking he was
only wounded. The next morning A want
ed to know what he was locked up for. and
when the truth came to him in all it's hide
BUSINESS he was wild with grief. But now
comes another character, G. When the
crowd cOngregated around the captured
man, G cried. LET us string him up." but
wiser counsel prevailed and in time he (A)
was tried and sentenced to ten years in pris-
on. G was witness at the trial and have
since heard him express his sorrow for A.
Notice that the man who was willing to
ldIlS n UelOIc COuFlCGlOu \dlII Ny tuC way,
do you not think him the greater murderer
at hearty sympathizes with him after his
Imprisonment. Let us suppose the crowd
had taken the advice of G and hung the
man, of what use would C's sympathy have
been? All this sO-called sympathy for the
convict is useless; true sympathy is what he
needs and wants. and that consists of more
than the mere stereotyped expression, You
have my sympathy" You must act if you
want any one to believe you are sorry for
them. Sympathy in the abstract is no SYM
pathy. Tell hungry man you are sorry
tor him, then let some one else give him
bread, and watch the result. ''YOu have
my sympathy" is supposed to be the proper
thing to say. so it is the one that is most
used and their sympathy is exhausted. Do
not misconstrue what have written my
friends. believe in the genuine article as
much as any one, but l have no. patience