davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11
NO KICKERS THERE.

hope to 60 to the realms above.
When lie down to die;
l hope that chOirs, all clad in white,
Will greet my wandering eye.
know that I'll be filled with Joy,
In regions free from care.
For angels tell me in my sleep
There are no kickers there.
Though rugged be the jasper pave,
No soul will dare complain;
Though sunlight shines the ages through,
No spirits call for rain.
Though crowns be half size to small,
No seraphs tear their hair,
And all is joy above
For there are no kickers there.
The music may be out of tune.
No one will hold his ears;
The robes may not be tailor made,
There'll be no means nor tears;
The sandals may be often worn,
None ask better pair.
For, glory to the Lord of Hosts.
There are no kickers there.
And when the celestial council
Call for paving on the street.
The man who gets the contract
May walk onward swift and fleet;
No spirits will injunctions bring,
Nor cranks or crOakers swear
The realms above are free from chumps,
There are no kickers there.
Then take me from this vale of tears.
Where cranks come to the front.
Where men who never work or toll
Still lie around and grunt;
1 long to wear celestial robes
And climb the golden stair,
For we'll know that in those lands
There are no kickers there.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11

ing eight chickens, in the aggregate three
years and eight months. Two men were
sent from the same county and think by
the same jury and at the same term of
court one for twenty months for stealing
less than dozen chickens. while the other
was sentenced eighteen months for stealing
a herd of fourteen cattle.
The report of this fiscal year shows that
154 lads and young men twenty one years
OF age and under are confined in this prison.
| suppose many of them sent here was not
so much on account of the evidence in the
case as it was pressure of public sentiment
that tried the jury. and it had nothing to
do but render the verdict against the &C
cused and have the judge to send them to
states prison for reformation. Many of
them are minors without education or eX-
perience. lacking in discretion or Judgment,
who became easy dupeS, and were drawn
into the hauntS of vice and schools of crime.
A few days ago saw q boy of eleven years
OF age, mere child. with innocent, baby
face, in state prison working in gang
of hardened negro criminals, clothed in de-
grading zebla stripes. with the humiliating
brand of Estate prison" burned into his
character. He was too young to realize his
condition or feel the disgrace but the mark
of shame will never be defaced, and the
spite and jealousy of cruel and unrelenting
hate may forget the crime, but will never
forgive the disgrace. and will not take his
young and tender age for an excuse, and in
old age it will be there, and after death
transmitted to pOSterity. In closing this
paragraph of my report l wish to commend
Governor HOvey for his just and prompt
action in committing the sentences of boys
of tender years to the refOrmatory school,
The cOngregate plan. which is the most
common and popular in our government,
has given the best results. The phantom
of the ''Old and hardened criminal with his
communicating tOuch," who like vampire
fits through the prison poisoning the minds
OF the first offenders and novitiates in crime
is a cheap fiction. My experience is that
the young and first offender is liable to be
an habitual criminal or tough of the worst
kind, and requiring as much care and atten-
ton to keep him under proper restraint as
the old timer. Genuine reform in
prison is like angel visits-they happened a
long time ago. 1t is true men become
schoOled by restraint and punishment.
which acts as deterrent and may change
their modes of life. Four fifths of the con-
victs discharged from this prison 90 out and
become exemplary citizens, but what is the
cause of this? Did they owe it to the train
ing and elevating influences of prison life?
Were they so charmed with and infatuated
by the brand Of disgrace of state prison
marked in their fOreheadS that they deemed
it badge of honor of reformation so as to
cherish its sacred memories? No. Such
men realized the mistake of their life long
before the iron doors of the prison were
closed upon them. Of the other one fifth
they belong to the class of human parasites
who drop into prison as matter of course
and are beyond the fear of contamination
or hope of reformation,
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11
A Prison Warden,s Views.

Warden Patten, of the southern prison
of Indiana, in his official report for 1890.
gives expression to some very decided opin-
ions upon the prison question, from which
the following extracts are cleaned:
The life sentence should be abolished and
just and wise good time law enacted and so
regulated that no man should be compelled
to serve more than twenty years in prison
under one sentence. The letter and spirit
of the constitution should be strictly ad-
hered to, which provides that the criminal
code shall be founded on principles of ref
ormation and not of vindictive justice.
The convict should be made to know that
the only hope of having his term shortened
lies in good conduct. and he should be given
every encouragement to reform, the warden
holds. Pardon should be granted only for
the purpose of correcting the errors of courts
and juries. or on the ground of clemency.
The use of the parole is often abused. and
in many cases where it is employed par
don would be only justice mo convict
serving term for three years or less should
be paroled," the report declares.
The penalties for law breakers for minor
offenses are entirely too severe. and instead
of sending men and boys to the penal iiisti.
tutions for trifling Otfenses, where they are
branded with the mark of estate prison."
which burns so deeply into character and
family name that twenty generations can
not etface it, should be sent for expatriation
and repentance to the rock pile. There
should be at least some show of justice in
inficting penalties upon cOnvicts. To il
lustrate my meaning: Three young men
were received here for one year, each
charged with Running handcar without
authority" one for two years for stealing
sixty pounds of old iron: another for one
year for stealing beefsteak, three for tax.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11

A carpenters right shoulder is almost in
variably higher than his left. in consequence
OF having to use his right arm all the time
in planning and hammering. With every
shaving his shoulder rises with jerk, and
it finally becomes natural to him to hold
himself in that way. The right arm of
blacksmith. for the same reason. is almost
hypertrophied, while the left arm, from dis.
use. becomes atrophied. The head of
bricklayer's laborer is held aloft with a
naughty. self-reliant air, from his habit of
carrying hOd on his shoulder and looking
above him as he climbs up the scaffolding.-
Churchman.
The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1891-06-11
Civil Strife in Chili--The War and 1t.


The new interest in South American af-
fairs begins to make us reflect in the United
States how densely ignorant we have long
been of our neighbors and of all their ways
and works. Within the compass of two
decades, the male population of two or
three south American republics has been
we'll nigh eXterminated in fierce warfare;
but the people of the United States have
known little and seemingly cared little
about it all. The war in Chill had scarcely
seized the attention of our public until the
Itata incident occurred. And even now,
after that war has been raging for five
months. very few people seem to possess
clear idea of its causes and significance.
The Chilian president is elected for five
years and is not eligible for second term.
Jose Manuel Balmaceda came into the Office
in 1886. his election being a triumph for the
popular party as against the old aristOcratic
families who had long held most of the
property of Chilli and had managed to keep
political power in their hands as sort of
oligarchy. The successful war against Peru
some years ago had the effect to develop
maceda came forward as the leader of tie
''masses" against the classes" Through
his majority in the new Congress he was
enabled to pass a number of important
measures aimed against the power and pre-
tensions of the Church and the arstocracy.
Among these were the Civil Marriage and
Cemeteries Secularization bills; and other
measures deprived his political opponents of
many civil offices they had long mOnopo-
lized. Balmaceda's somewhat arbitrary
course eventually resulted in the formation.
through coalition of groups, of majority
in Congress against his administration.
The constitution of Chilli gives to the Pres
ident the power to name his own cabinet
ministers and to fill places in the civil serv-
ice. The Congressional majority attempted
to coerce him by refusing to vote apprOpria
tiOns to carry on the government unless he
should appoint ministry to their entire
liking. In short. they held to the English
Parliamentary idea of an executive govern
ment dominated by the majority in the leg
islative body. while Balmaceda adhered
firmly to the Chilian constitution, which,
like that of the United States. provides for
the independence of the executive depart
ment. Doubtless in the political struggle
that ensued, each party went far beyond
the limits of its constitutional authority.
Balmaceda held his ground, however. dis
solved Congress-, and assumed something
like dictatOrial power; and on January his
opponents, comprising majority of the
Senators and Representatives. met and
passed vote declaring him deposed for
violating the constitution. This. of course,
was purely revolutionary proceeding.
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
NEWARK.

A TECHNICALITY BLOCKS THE OoNin'i.N
In the courts yesterday Judge Depue srahoco aa
order for the dismissal Of the charter eecuoh c"'
case ON the ground OF Jurisdiction in conformity wiz"
the Supreme Court decision, and counsel ior ''s
Republicans was allowed to apply for WITH VI
certorari ExJudge stevens, the Democratic cou''ei.
asked 10 have the case dismissed. John Emery Va
counsel for Mr. Lellibach, the Republican MAJORITY
candidate opposed tie notion In granting 'ne oNo,
Judee Depue said he could not review Il decision VI
the supreme Court as the opinion OF the c9s hat T
law Mr. Emery suggested mode OF pfoceour.u ILL .
ihe petitioners be allowed to take WITH OF cer,oln.a s
10 the Supreme Court the original ofoer, yuuso
Iepue said he had doubt the nattet cVue ros ~
viewed in the higher court, and aodeo Una, ~ IN
nroper case to review. The matter OF TIE InI seA~
Ward election contest was laid over 10 heAe "eoA.
Health Inspector Lawrence Ryan, OF ut ule bsH th 70
HEALTH resigned yesterday, and IL Is iousv Main
will he other designations. The Inspectors .h uvP ar,
that their compensation is small whlle u,ey aao
daily exposed to the risk OF contagion In p, s @
their duties The death rate during the ast Wecn o mo
high there being total OF ii2, OF whicn ten "o'0
CAUSED by the grip. The death rate was A"'-"'
Edward stafford, cOlored OF Brooklyn, got ,'oo "a =
quarrel with q party OF young nell at Angton u,, ,
William SIS yesterday afternoon. stone @ s.,uon n
indiscrminate firing. bullet took erect In tl,s
shoulder of young named Joseph kennedy, LhaH an
ING n slight wound. When the negro had empueeu nis
revolyer the crowd which had gathered closeI III VI.
him and chased him down Wlamst. Inc lus',!ko !to
was Intercepted by police officers. and taken 10 Ile
First Precinct Station. He completely exhausNu'
Stafford said he fired In self-delence.
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
PERPLEIED CONJUROR.
From The London News.

From The London News
Another story of Dean Burgons was about a fSend's
experience at a conurors exhibition. On entering with
the crowd the friend felt somebody at his coat pocket
and expected TO lind his handkerchief gone Instead
he found two wooden dolls I'm his pocket. "Oh, no
doubt" thought he, "the copiurOr Is going to make
game Of me by pretending that he has cOnured these
dolls into my pocket but will be more than a match
for him." The two dolls were promptly transferred 10
the pockets of stout gentleman In front and from him
the original Victim Of the c0nturor's confederate took
care to slt at distance By-and-by the cniuror, pre-
tending TO throw dolls about among the audience said
pointing Dean Burgons friend, think If that gen
tleman will do me the favor to look In his pocket no
viii find that he has got the dolls" Dean Burgon,
telling the story at breakfast acted the visitor
hlbg his coat pockets In proof of their being empty
Standing up IFS chair at the breakfast table, and
turning his back he pulled out the Innings Of his pocket
turning around he said no. don't carry about dolls
in nv pocket: but shouldn't wonder II that stout gen
tlenan yonder should fnd doll two In his.o Then
he acted the stout gentleman, who, he explained
also little irritable. What me, srf What do yon
mean, sir carry dolsl' Then he put his hands
into his pockets and made believe TO bring out the
dolls with look OF amazement and horror-a quasi
guilty look. which. as he did IT, was indescrbaby
ludicrous The audience he continued, cOnvulsed.
Dut oh the poor conuror How heavily the wheels
of his entertainment seemed to drag all the night after
ward OutdOne in trick by Of his spectators, who
might for all he knew. he great adept in legerdeman
a Prospero a Merlin As the visitor was
passing out boy said his master would be greatly
obliged by an interview In his private room "By all
means said the visitor. Pale and looking careworn,
me conjuror grasped his hand. MY dear, good sir I'll
give you five pounds down on the spot II you'll show
me how YOU did that trick!' my dear good srn
was the reply, az you would give fifty pounds down
on the spot, wouldn't show you how did that trick
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
DEADLY EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL EXHIBITED.
From The Chicago Mail.


An object lesson Is often the most effective way
to impress truth upon an audience. A local tenn
lecturer who recently started upon little mis-
,iOnary tour through the wilds Of southern Indiana
had n peculiar experience the other night while dem
onstrating the terrible effects OF alcohol upon the
upon screen q drop OF drinking water magnifed so
many times that the aniinaculae In ID were plainly
seen, swimming about, wrlggllng twisting, fighting
and swarming all Illuminated circle several
feet In diameter. After explaining that these mon
sers could be found in any drop OF ordinary drinking
water. the lecturer proceeded:
But now i want to show you, my hearers, the
deadly effects "f alcohol upon animal life | shall
add to this magnifed drop Of water q drop OF com
mon whiskey and you will observe that IL immediately
kills everything living 1t touches Not one of these
little Organisms which you now see swimmn. about
full Of life will live an Instant after add the whskcy
to the water, In which, rs You see. they live and
thrive. Now then See ?"
Here he added trace OF whiskey and every AMI
male alcuae-kcked Its last and became candidate for
burial-as dead Caesar.
just at this luncture an old man I'm the middle of
the audience who evidently had taken n deep Interest
IN the experiment, arose for information.
say lie calculated, do you mean 10 saw that
all our drnkIn' water is chuck full OF them there
wiggn' thngs''
"Ycs, SIR
And little whiskey kills 'em-est nacherly knoc,,s
the everasn' spots right or OF cman
"As you have seen for yourself sir alcohol acts ~
deadly poison, and Is Instantly destructive OF animal
life
Then. by lingo. your never catch me drinltn,
any water without putin little sperrits into IL sst
TO kill on them blamed critters. i've been drinkn,
water straight fof the nst fifty years. but IL n Is SO
any more chances with IT, that's ALI" " ''"'
The lecturer slIpped hIs magic lantern home the
theoretical '''
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
NEWS FROM NEW-JERSEY.
Jersey CITY,

Herman Tischler. Of No. 32s 1-2 Grand-st' was
sent To the State Iunatic asylum at Morris f'a'lS
terday lie was arrested Tuesday upon the conip
., his mother who feared he would injure himsen'
He had been in an asylum at Mnrtinsburg' W. 'a'
and had been discharged from that institution u, ~
curabe. Fischer was engaged to be mArled " us. -.
Davis. The young woman called at the Cour' hou'o
Yesterday and said that Fischer was not insane pu'
that bis errest trick Of Mrs Bertha aTisSler from
mother OF No. 395 Grovest.. to prevent ,Ia asvinm
marrying her scher committed 70 onverse 5s and
upon the certificate of County Physclan rt lit ~
another physiclan duly presented TO tue court .ho
Charles j. Pesha yesterday 6esan ps,a Se one of of tie
~ The Hoffman House. to recover T9o,oo
damages for false Imprisonment Read caser crit of ne
70 be imprisoned in the county jail on Ms w,S " dis
exeat from Tuesday until Thursday resn rnrdsv when
charged from custody by the Chancellor IhursoaS wiz"
he presented the facts in the case 10 nifn' ..u
Judge Knapp yesterday signed an order so@ars o
the time three months longer for the naiion
Condemnation TO make their report OF the % d must
~ lands Through which the new county Douevau nah
The commissioners were appointed three mouths
ago but have done work, because tis ft is he.
NOT completed the searching OF titles yet. aI,an,
lieved that this extension of time VIII be ihSu'ie"
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
IRYINGTON.
KIILED BY THE GRIP AT ONE HUNDRED

KILLED BY THE GRIP AT ONE HUNDRED.
Mrs. Phoebe Durand, who celebrated her ehui,-
dredth birthday ut the home Of her daughter, Irving
ton on November Is, died there yesterday from the
effects of an attack the grip, Up to her death Mrs
Durand had never been confined to her bed by SICK
ness, and her faculties were remarkably wen
preserved month ago her friends believed that she
was good for another twenty years OF life, so vigorous
was She I'm mind and body. Mrs. Durand was born III
Springfield, Union County, n j., her maiden name
being Phoebe wade and she eight years old when
Washington died. Her first husband waf Caleb wool
ruff. The family moved to NewYork and from there
10 Greenvle In 1886 she went to live In lrvington
Her second husband was Cyrus Durand, VINO ln'
vented the present system of banknote engraving and
who was appointed Chief of the Bureau OF Ehgfavlng
and Printing. lie died at the age of eighty Two
Since her second bereavement Mrs Durana nan m nveo
among her children in Irvington. one OF her sons
Elias Wade Durand, has gained celebrity as, land
scape painter. 4 daughter. Mrs: Jane chapman
eight years old, the wife Of the Rev. John b.
Chapman, who died recently at the age Of eighty
Mrs Julia p Baker, another daughter. Is sixty three
and son, the Rev. Cyrus B; D4rand, Is hfy-s3'
Among the grandchildren is the Rev. Chalmers d.
Chapman, rector of the Presbyterian Church, In
Greenville. The Oldest great grandchild is twenty
one wears old
New-York tribune., 1891-12-27
4 MEMORY OF CANON KINGSLEY.
HE USED 10 GO HUNTING FOR BUGS WITH
SMALL BOYS.

HE USED 10 co HUNTING FOR BUGS WITH
SMALL BOYS.
There were four OF them seated around table,
Dinner was over, and each man was smoking cigar,
except one who never deserted his pipe when 1t was
possible to smoke it, The talk had drifted to tropical
scenery, at least books which gave the most truth
full and vivid descriptions of those miles and miles
Of mighty trees fantasticaly festooned with lanes
from every bough with creepers the giant trunks
"I should have liked to be with Kingsley said
one, when he was In Trinidad. think his book AT
Last is the most perfectly true account Of tropical
life which ever written"
al knew him WE'LL" remarked the pipe smoker.
"You dIdiD almost in chorus.
"Yes, Canon Kingsley was one Of the kindest
friends had when l was at what we call public
school in England. Wellington College was only
some four miles from Eversey, the village OF which
the author OF Westward Ho,' AT Last and many
another book, was rector He was tall man, with
rather long nose but well cut, the kndest of mouths
and face beaming with love. Nature had afflicted
him in one way, and that in ordinary converse
ton he sammered dreadfully, but, strange this may
appear 1t is true, he began the church
service all trace of his infrmity vanished, and he
would preach his sermon without a falter
"To us boys he very kind, and many Of us
spent happy ramble with man who was charming
half the Anglo with his books and writings.
He was great naturalist, especially entymoogist,
and took especial interest in small chronological
society. More than once he drove and gave a
lecture in the library he stammered during these
lectures, but my crownng memory Of the good man
is this
"He had ngreed 10 come early half holiday,
and we we're to see what could catch and he would
classify and name them all for us. Just abutting
on to a young fir plantation was sedgy swamp which
marked the spongy sprlg Of a stream which after
ward Joined the Thames. l had caught a beetle
little insignificant bug you would call 1t here.
1t was among lot Of Others, with here and there
butterfly.
"As he looked over my collection he became sud-
denly more than interested Then he raised up an
impaled beetle and, stammering violently, asked me
where | had caught it.
"'In the swamp y0nder,' said.
"This beetle he continued stammering has been
supposed to have been extinct over twenty years. as
he turnei 1t carefully. II got the most honorable
place In his collection, and the hind hearted old canon
always remembered that red-letter day In his MANY
chronological hunts, and rewarded me with the wing
Of the large copper butterfly Of the enns OF England
butterfly which has not been commonly seen FOR
half century, but the had caught some in his
Cambridge days, and they were jealously preserved
" He was the kindest hearted man In the world and
not soul in the parish, from Viscount Eversley tina
lord Of the manor, to Hodge, the poughman but
would have laid down his life for that stanch old
English country parson.'