Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-04-13

tiGn in many communities The
vast majority Of the criminals who
take Snip from Europe come into our own
porJ. in 1863, Of the ~ coo people who
were iucarceratcl in the prisons OF the
country, 3!Utp were Of foreign birth.
Many OF them were the very desperaGOes
Ci society. ouling into the sluIns of our
cities, waiting for an opportunity to riot
ana stoa. and dGOauch, Joining the large
gang Of American thugs and cut-throats.
IEgre.arc IN This cluster Of cities-New
York, Jersey City and Brooklyn-40O0
people whose entire business III life is to
COMMIT CRIME.
That IS as much their business as juris-
prudence or medicine or merchandise is
ToUr business. To il they bring all their
energsaN Of body, nina and soul, and they
loos.AfS0n The intervals which they spend in
psi6fsl as so much unfortunate loss of
4sfe. Just as you look upon an attack of in
&fienZa or rheumatism which fastens YOU
in the house for 4 few days 1t is their
lifetime business to pick pockets, and Bow
up safes, and shopift, and ply the panel
game. and they have as much pride Of
skill in their business as you have in yours
when You upset the argument OF an of-
posing counsel, or cure a gunshot frac-
ture which other surgeons have given up,
or foresee . turn in the market as you
buy goods Just before they 60 uD 20 per
cent. II Il lLlClE Du5lIittS 10 CbillllI crime,
and I do not suppose that once IN year
the thought Of the immortality strikes
them. Added TO these professional criIni-
nals, American and foreign, there is
large class Of men who are more or less
industrious in crime In one year the
police in this cluster of cities arrested L.
900 people for theft. 10000 for assault and
battery and 80 600 for intoXication. Drunk
enness is responsible for much of the
theft, since it confuses a mans idea OF
property, and he gets his hands on things
that do not belong TO him. Rum is re
sponSiblc for much OF the assault ana bat
terry Inspiring men TO sudden bravery,
which they must demonstrate, though it
be on the face OF the next gentleman.
TEN MILLION DOLLARS
worth Of property stolen in this cluster of
cities in one year You cannot. IS good
be independent of that fact 1t
will touch your pocket, since l have to give
Won the fact that these three cities pay
about $. 900 900 worth taxes year to ar
raign, Try and support the criminal popula-
ton. You help to pay the board Of every Grim
iual. from the sueak-thief that snatches a
spool of cotton up to some man who swanps
:. bank. More than that, it touches your
heart iAtthe moral depression of the COM
lBla5sx. You might is well think to stand
zsFE closely confined room where there are
fifty people and Vet not breath the Vitiatcd
air as to stand III a community where there
is such 4 great multitude of the dcpraved
wit hout somewhat being contaminated
What IS the fire that burns your store down
compared with the conflagration which con
sJnues your morals! What is the theft of
the gold and silver from Your money safe
compared with the theft Of your children'S
virtue.
We are all ready to aTraiCn criminals. We
shout al the top Of our voice, Stop thiefr'
mud whom fnp 1tpll,sA n tho rr.ofl- wa
come out, hatless and in our slippers. and
assist in the arrest. We come around the
bawling ruifan and hustle him off to JUS
tee, and when he gets in prison, what do
we do for him. With great gusto we put
on the handouts and the hopples; but what
are we making for the day
when the handouts and the hopples come
on Society seems to say to these Grim
iua.s. VILLAIN. go in there and rot, =" when
il ought 10 say, ''NOu are an offender
against the law, but we mean TO give you
an opportunity to repent; We mean TO help
You. Here are Bibles aud tracts and
Christian influences. Christ died for you.
Look, and live"
VAST IMPROVEMENTS
have been made by Introducing industries
into the prison. but we want something
more than hammers and shoe lasts to re-
claim these people. Aye, We want more
than sermons on the Sabbath day. Society
must impress these men with the fact that
il does not enjoy their suffering. and that il
IS attempting to reform and elevate them
The majority of criminals suppose that So
ciety has q grudge against them, and they
in turn have 4 grudge against society.
They are harder in heart and more in
furiate when they come out Of jail than
s8hen they went in. Many Of the people
who go to prison 60 again and again and
again. Some years ago of 1900 prisoners
who during the year had been in Sing
Sing, 400 had been there before. In Z house
of correction in the country, where during
4 certain reach of time there had been 5000
people, more than 1000 had been there be-
fore So. in one case the prison, and in the
other case the house of correction, left them
Just as bad as they were before The sec
rotary OF one of the benevolent societies of |
New York says q lad fifteen years of age
who had spent three years of his life
in prison, and he said to the lad, |
What have they done for you TO make you
better2'' We'll. =" replied the Lad, 1.-The first |
time I was brought up before the judge he
said, You ought TO be ashamed of yourself
And then | committed L crime again. and l |
WAS brought up before the same judge, and |
he said,
"'YoU RASCAL
"And after awhile l committed some
other crime, and l was brought before the
same judge, and he said, you ought to be |
hanged. - That is all they had done for
him in the way of reformation and saliva
ton. ooh, you say, these people are in
l suppose there are hundreds