The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-09-11

LOT when ne Is punished. 1t may be that
circumstances were more than he could
overcome. or suspicion. and. perhaps. con.
vlctlon OF crime OF which he was inno-
cent. may nave ruined his reputation and
started him on the downward course. Snch
man is deserving of great deal of SYM
pathy. Let him see that you feel this sym-
pathy for him and that you are anxious to
give him another chance. If you are per-
slstently kind to him he cannot always de-
celVe you. lie may once or twice, but the
time will come when he feels that he must
tell you the truth about himself. Then
give him something to hope for and to look
forward to. When the chance comes to
give him practical help. do so. Show YOUR
confidence in him and help him to regain
his manhood. There may be other ways of
bringing about reformation, but am not
churchman and should not know how to
use them That is the only way | could
work.
After all, we are too quick to make GRIM
inals. L can perhaps. best explain my idea
Dy telling you OF case that came under nv
own observation. A merchant came to me
recently and said that he wanted to get
me to go to his store and help break down a
clerk who had been stealing from him. It
would be no trouble, he said, as he knew
the young man was guilty. l asked him
what he would do in case the young man
did not break down. He said that in that
case he would simply discharge him as he
knew that he was doing the stealing. When
l refused to help break down the Young
man in that manner. the merchant asked if
we did not do detective business. Yes, |
told him. we investigated cases for people
who did not have time to do it for them
selves; but there was the possibility that in
this case he might be mistaken and | could
not assist Ill what might be a grave inius-
tlce. asked him if he had children. Yes.
he had children and his partner also had
children. How would he feel if a boy of
his were in this boys place? l showed him
that the case ought to receive closer in
vestlgation. not necessarily by us, but by
the city police, if he chose.
The case was given to us. and we found
that the young man had charge of the floor
from which the goods we're missed. We
watched him closely for two weeks, but
could find nothing wrong with him. He
had no bad associations or bad habits. and
did not spend money uselessly. 1 believe
that ne did not even smoke. After two
weeks we found that we must look in an
other direction for the thief. We finally
succeeded in locating the guilty parties, one
OF whom made confession telling how the
stealing was done. They went into the
store as customers; one partner held the
young clerks attention in front of the floor,
while the thefts were committed by the
other in the rear.
That merchant nearly made a terrible
mistake The young man was innocent,
and. OF course, would not have broken
down. He would have been DISCHARGED
under cloud. without name or reputation.
ruined and disgraced If, under those cir
cumstances. he had gone wrong in reality,
1t would have been nothing surprising. l
would consider the ruin of that one young
mans life. had it occurred, greater injury
to the city of Boston than all the loss &C.
casioned by the Thanksgiving day fire.
L could give you any number of instances
that would illustrate the same possible mis-
take. Any thinking man can see that it
does not help boy to put him on the same
basis with criminal. even if he has done
something wrong or aggravating. They
ought to be punished in some way, and had
better not be punished at all than be pun
ished as criminals. The greatest care should
be used in dealing with the acts that are the
beginning OF mistaken career, and that is
where carelessness too often appears.
For instance, follow the courts for GER
tain months and you will find numberless
cases OF larceny which are not from vicious
motives. In the holiday season (Christmas)
many of the poorer classes, and some who
are not so poor have an irresistible desire
for things that do not belong to them. Our
system of protection is wrong if it makes
criminals of all these petty offenders or -.
even brands them as such.
1t is, as [ said before. very broad SUBJ
ject, but its consideration by thinking men
will eventually bring about good results
The work will be simplified if the petty Of
lenses are properly dealt with; if the open
ings which lead to a criminal life are prop
erly guarded; if the officers who have to do
with the youth in their first mistake are
humane and wise; if the young whom it is
necessary to detain in custody are kept from
the association and examnla of oIdar ,,ris