The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-12-13

saltwater, Mnn. Thursday, Dec. 13, 1888.

looking for pardon or some privilege in
the prison. l may be thought something
of an icOnOclast, but recOgn re the fact that
there are people in the world to-day who
are trying TO benefit the prisoner; and to mis-
represent his character on one side or the
other is simply to hurt his cause. No good
can come out of evil and it is evil to pre-
tend that the convict is better than he is.
write in the same spirit as the following.
from the Chicago Inter Ocean: "Philan-
thrOpy is abused by notions that sweet
meats. flowers, and sentiment are apprO
pirate agents for the reform of criminals" :"
We are just as fond of sweetmeats and
flowers in prison as out of it, probably more
so. for 'absence makes the heart grow
fonder;" but as power for reformative
purposes. we fully coincide with the writer
in the Inter Ocean.
There is lady in New York. who for
the past three or four years has devoted the
most of her time to the prisoners in the
'''rOmbs." She investigates a case. and if
satisfied gives bonds for the appearance of
the prisoner and prOcures lawyer for him.
She has often done this against the advice
of lawyers and judges; and her insight into
the character OF her prOteges is so true. that
not once in her experience has she been i'm
posed upon. Is she good witness? Most
undoubtedly! Then hear her. In con-
versatiOn with representative of the New
York World, the reporter asked her what
she thought of the benefits bestowed on the
men by the ladies' who brought flowers and
talked religion to them. She said it was all
very nice and good and she had all the re-
spect in the world for religious teachings,
but her experience was, that there was no
use in asking man to get down on his
knees and pray when. perhaps. his mind
was on his dinner or his chances of getting
out of prison. In fact, the whole matter
amounted to just this: that IN theory it was
very good but in practice she found it did
not work.
1 say. no where on earth is man less
likely to become Christian Tin the accepted
sense of the eXpressiOn) than in prison; for
nowhere on earth does his mind dwell on
the pleasures of this world to such All eX-
tent; nowhere are those pleasures more
magnlfed; nowhere do those pleasures
seem so great as in prison where he is de-
prived of them. 1t is the knowledge of
these facts. that makes me suspect the con-
vict who wants his Christianity on record.
Singuar(?) as it is, of all the writer's who
have pushed their Christianity into the col
umns of THE MIRROR. ] know of but one.
who did not turn out badly. The most re-
lgious of them all, according to his own
story, made it point to attack me in THE
MIRROR for being too self-reliant. This
man was pardOned out, through his ability
to make people believe he should have a
residence among the stars. but he is back
again before the time of his first sentence
has expired. Perhaps if HE had been a
little more self-reliant, l would not have
had the opportunity to write this. This
man has only been back two or three
months but he is on the Christian list again.
For goodness sake. though, don't suspect
his sincerity, or he will cry out, "Judge
not that We be not Judged
These fellows are always ready with
scriptural quotations. but the evil one HIM
self can quote scripture and make it appear
applicable. According to Matt. iv. 6, the
devil took Christ upon a pinnacle of the
temple and said to him: IF thou be the
son of God cast thyself down; for it is writ
ten, He shall give his angels charge concern
ing thee: and in their hands they shall bear
thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy
foot against StOne.'" a.
It is generally from this class that we hear
of the ''hounding detective'' and the sun
sympathetic public" think DIR. SchOuller
has them in his minds eye when he says:
while his surroundings are all favorable,
he often moves along with seeming pleas
ure in his new estate; but let cross cur
fent ripple over his path, and he is
swamped. Yet, with innocence beaming
fton his eyes. he looks up and blames the
ripple. 1t was no fault Of his. The most
spotless innocence on earth may be found
in the mouth of some infamous scOundrel.