The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-03-14

to see one with the latest improvements 90
to Chicago. But l would not advise you to
make special trip for that purpose as you
may find the detective astonished at your
audacity to presume that sucl. tOrturOuS
methods are used. Among the jalers of
this glorious country there are some I'M
commonly kind men. A few of them in
fact. If you have good suit of clothes or an
Overcoat that will tit them, will actually
bring you i'll some whisky to wash away
your grief, poor fellow. What have stated
is solid fact; but l do not wish to convey
the idea that all detectives and jailers are
of this description. | can also state in all
truth that there are sheritfs in some small
counties who give some ot their '.drunks"
dollar or two at the expiration of their
sentences. Whether this money is given
with the knowledge that recipient will get
glOriOusly drunk and return as a bOarder,
or whether it is given purely out of charity
you may judge for yourself. am not more
lenient with prison officials on account of
my being at present Il convict; must hon
estly state that so far as | can observe they
Go all III their power for the betterment of
their wards. But the very best prison Of
flclalS cannot gain the confidence of those
whom it is OF greatest import to reform
the young criminal j. e. the dime novel rea-
der and the aspiring professional. But
what if they could? Their present sugges-
lions go unheeded, and ever will as long as
there are politicians with an AK to grind
The state of New York at the present
time with its ceiling fraud and the inhu-
man delay in prison legislation, is mOnu-
mental example of Doodle and buncOmbe.
1t has turned the prisons into pest houses
and training schools for the lunatic asyluns
But mark its sOlicitude: it will send out a
committee. at the expense of about fifteen
dollars day per head with carte blanche
as to length of time occupied to see that
the dear wOrkngman'S rights are given him
two years hence. even at the cost of a few
cOnvicts' lives. We hope the ''wOolly vest
has in honesty and fair dealing what it lacks
of etfete eastern polish.
In conclusion l would say that a good
move for the Improvement of humanity in
general would be the immediate prohibition
of blood and thunder literature. which is
at the bottom of more crime than whisky
and all other deleteriOus drugs combined
This may appear doubtful statement, but
please bear in mind that though this kind
of reading distOrts the brain as much as the
vileSt whisky. there are no outward APP
pearances to indicate it, The feet are firm
but the brain is lOOsened Another reason
why so little attention is paid to this mat
ter lies in the fact that so many parents are
happy in the thought that THEIR children
are not allowed to read such trash, while at
the same time the children have 'Redhanded
Tim or something similar hidden in all
sorts of hooks and corners, and gorge them
selves with the unhealthy trash every spare
moment. 1t was only last week that l read
of the salary earned by the authors of
these works. One novel will net from 125
to $50 dollars. The standard of value being
l presume, in the gore despatched title. AS
these writers never occupy more than
week for each work it is obvious that they
coin money. 1t is also stated that writer's
can turn them out with clock-like regularity.
l have no doubt of this, for knowing that
their readers are not over critical they in
trOduce all sorts of impoSsibilities that like
opium. satiate a depraved appetite The
prncelv residences of the publishers is
proof that their works have an enormous
circulation. l say to all right thinking
people: you must muzzle this demon before
you can ever suppress the greatest ally
whisky. RONDA.