The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-08
CRIME A MORAL DISEASE.
JUDGE GILDERsLREvR ON SOME
EVILS OF SOCIETY.


The Lionizing of Criminals by Women.
Criminals Rarely Reform-Their Hy-
pocrisy-Nature Denies Them Prog
eny-Rich Mems Idle Sons and Crime.
What Law Breakers Fear Most OF
All.
(Copvright)
NEW YORK. Dec. There is no doubt in
the mind of any one whose professional
duties bring him into contact with male
factors, that crime is a disease and tn Mt
criminals are-h l may use the phrase
moral invalids. What DIR. Dugdale so we'll
Illustrated In his brilliaus little book, "The
Jukes," has been long known 10 every magis-
trase OF experience and to the warden of
every correctional institution. The great
majority OF wrong-doers apparently start
out at birth with a moral, or rather i'm
moral bias from which they seldom recover.
Not one in hundred ever reforms. or Is
ever converted" SO far as have seen in
my own career upon the bench, few, if
any, ever display any desire to change their
mode of living and become law abiding citi-
Zens.
While so-called conversions are common.
real ones are very rare. OF every ten con-
victs five will pretend a pitiable contrition
in order to gain the sympathy of would be
philanthropists, and what is of far greater
Importance, the tobacco, fruit, books, aud
delicacies In which such sympathy fluids
expression.
Strange to say, there Is an immense nun
Der OF charitably disposed individuals who
expend their energies, not upon the needy
and deserving, the sick aud starving,
who so abound In our great
cities, but upon the most desperate
and notorious Of our felons. In fact, it NAV
be safely said that the amount of attention
and compassion q criminal receives from
persons of this type is in direct ratio to the
enormity OF his otfense. A poor devil who
steals bread to preserve the lives of his
starving wife and children is seldom or
never noticed by these people. A cold
blooded murderer or professional burglar is
overwhelmed with bouquets, luxuries and
sympathy.
This style Of treatment is extremely i'm
moral.
There is the same human nature in Jail
birds as in everybody else. The petty thief
who is left alone and sees the cut-throat
and hlghwayman showered with courtesies
and presents is very apt to regret that he
did not offend upon a larger scale, and so
become lion in the eyes of these mis-
guided enthusiasts When his term expires
he leaves prison with the firm determine
ton that the next time he engages in
criminal work it will be upon broader
basis than that upon which no has just
paid the penalty of the law.
Nor liz this the sole av1 raaIIlt nf rniaa ~
piled charity. Five out of ten convicts
take advantage of the fact and become
hypocrites Of the first water. BY pretend
ing to be remorseful for their misdeeds and
to desire religious instruction looking
toward better life, they may interest a
score Of people in their behalf from whom
they obtain everything they desire that is
allowed under the rules of our prison sys-
tenn.
Billy Leete, famous thief, once boosted
that by doing the religious racket when
ever he was incarcerated, he secured better
fare and treatment than when ho was at
liberty.
On every occasion when he served time
he protested religion within a few days
after the imposition of sentence and man.
aged to interest the missionaries and
charitable people who make it practice to
visit prisons. Not only did he get every
possible thing from his visitors dIrIng his
entire stay, but on the expiration of his
term he succeeded in obtaining handsome
clothes and considerable amount of money
with which to start a new career.
1t isl hardly needful to remark that the
moment he reached New York the cash was
promptly wasted in dissipation, and that in
few days thereafter he had committed
some new crime for which he was wanted
by the police. He is not an exceptional
case On the contrary, he is merely one of
q numerous class who assume the livery of
heaven in order to better serve the devil.
their master.
The evils in this regard are so great that
it might he wise policy on the part Of our
legislators to enact laws prohibiting prison
ers from receiving flowers, fruit and other
delicacies at the hands of anybody, and also
restricting all visits to those of their law
yers, clergymen and immediate relatives.
The lionizng of criminals is deplorable in
every respect, and certainly does harm.
Most Of the trouble, it must be regretfully
admitted, is ascribable to the other sex.
That sympathy which is so beautiful a
characteristic of womanhood at times, be-
comes morbid and, escaping all legitimate
channels, vents itself upon evil-doers al
together unworthy of it's beneficence
II is fortunate for society that the habits
of life which belong to lawbreakers are
irregular and unhealthful. The children
they bring into the world are fewer in num-
Der than those OF honest, Woodworking
people, and they are generally weaker and
sicklier than their parents. OF the more
prominent felons of the past generation
hardly one has left an heir. and not one had
a child who could compare with him in en-
ergy and ability. Quimbo Apo, the MUIR
derer, who gave the police 30 much trouble
twenty years ago, is now represented by
his son, a small, unhealthy young man, VINO
is very inferior specimen of pickpocket
and a "greeu goods" operator, and who
Just manages to keep body and soul to-
gether.
or the famous rufflans who infested Five
Points before Worth street was cut through,
as well as those who in recent days made
up the notorious ''Whyo Gang" hardly one
has left child to continue his name
Nature seems to have no room for
those who persistently follow evil
courses.
The adage that ''Satan finds plenty of
mischief for idle hands to don is not borne
out by the facts as Is popularity believed.
The offspring of well-to-do and idle people
indulge In great deal of mischief, but
very little in crimes of any turpitude
Even when they transgress the law their
sins are usually misdemeanors, and seldom
rise to the level of felony. There is a
large amount Of cant INDUCED in by
social reformers in respect to the idle
sons of rich men They are pict-
ured as wallowing in the sloughs OF in
iquity and effecting ruin in every direc-
tion. Nothing is farther from the truth. SO
far as the courts arc concerned. they are
almost an unknown quantity. At times
- n \ HI.