Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-06-01
WAS LONG In JAIL
The Queer Record Of "Oid
Mar Hicks" Of indiana
aE BROKE INTO A PRISON
RE Tea the Story Of HIS Vleiss.tous
ard Ev1ntfui caEseT-He Wants
Only to Eat and Sleep

t4LktEA anu HLO4r t-cl4Ds4u5 A1-S1
znc falIering steps tell the story only
too PLAINLY that ths Journey OF lie -
ne2Eiy AZ an end. ThIs - John HICKS.
. poor. hroken down old sinner. whose
only clam 10 distinction u that ne has
served nifty years IN the penltenLary.
He xas oct = celebrated crook whose
eleseTness baftied The pohce and made
hls name a terror 20 peAceable, law
abiding citizens; the country never
rang with bis daring exploits, DOR was
he dash1nx, handsome OF terrible. de
was Just John Hicks. a man who never
had an ambition, and who Tell 30 IN
love with PRISON life after his first
sentence that ne was never per
fecsly con.ented unless he wore
the stripes. Now he Is bat four
teen years from the century mile
posi-, and the happy annie has never lei,
his face, except when nc WAS worried
lest he should not succeed IN getting
back into prison. He never sighed for
r,ches, nor did he ever express the de-
are for an educatloa-ali he ever
wanted WA q comfortable cell, three
meals day and . guard 20 look after
bis waifzre. de Was only humble
professional prisoner, with neither klth
nor KIN 10 worry over ms singular
choice No wife ever shared his lonely
hours and no prattling children ever
climbed upon his knees; no tailor ever
worried him with bills for clothing, and
he never took the trouble TO form
political opinion, because he never had
IN opportunity 10 vote ''Old Man
Hicks" a. everyone calls him, devoted
every energy 70 being 4 convict ana ne
did II veil for half century.
Tells OF his rirst Crime.
Not long since q Louisville Post re-
porter waited the Indiana almsnouse,
and when ne inquired for "Old Man
Hicks" ne Was told that the venerable
pAnpsr was IN bis accustomed place IN
ths yard. He did not seem surprised
vhsn the visitor called him by name
and made known his mission HIS
EYES frightened as his thoughts went
back To his beloved cell. but II WAS only
for . moment. Then he said calmly
and quietly. without any apparent re-
Hret Tor the Wasted years OF bis LIE:
Il suppose you want 70 near the
story OF my life. Everybody does,
although do not SCI ~hy they should
take such IN inserts 10 IN the AFFAIRS of
~ O10 IA al blSl A-0sS4 R6SW e44A "Ast
never think Of again after they leave
him. Well" ne continued musingly,
fumhlipg NTH the ragged fringe on his
faded coat, al Was born IN Montgomery
county, VirglniA, eighty-six years ago.
Ny parents were poor. and died when
VAS but q child. I had no brothers
nor sssters. and ! went to live
with . neighbor who taught me
the black smith trade when ne found /
would not go to school. My masters
SAme WAS Neal and he was fairly good
90 me, but when grew up decided to
leave him and come 10 Indiana For
awhile drove q stage between Hamil-
ton and Centeryille. but gave 1t up and
secured o place as stage driver for
Beard b Scott, between Salem and Lii
sonis. One day while waiting for my
timer st tho house Of . farmer
saw pocketDook N bureau drawer
tina. had been left open. 1t contained
Sl60 which ct once took possession of.
l rot three years for this, which
served and went To Washington, Davies
county, where stole $500 from . man
whose name l do not remember.
think il was Thomas, but il WAS slch
long while ago I am not sure. They
gave me seven years for the offence,
and after serving six years WAS par
aonsd by Governor Joe Wright.
oivss Ten Tears, Though Innocent.
sswhen got outI went to Bedford
oud worked ~ my trade until they ar
rested me for criminally assaulting q
woman. | was innocent, but l never
Sook the trouble to deny it, and the
fury gave roe ten years. Five years
k~x H,sr - Asa~nv
cred that was not guilty, and Gov
srnor Willard psrdoned me. At In
dlassApolis / committed . burglary and
VA gwen three years. Another
Burglary ut Brcokville brought me four
years, and still another ct Crawfords-
vile rot me four years At the Michigan
City penitensiAry.
About this time I thought I would
try some other prison, and went to
Louisville. III. An alleged criminal
assault upon . woman was the cause
Of my serving ten years At Joliet. My
term expired and next fell at Hamll-
ton ohie, where served two years for
burglary. Afterward I served IN
Pennsylvsnis and Ohio again and then
went back 20 JsffersorvllIe. BY TINS
time wAs old, and | louxed for my
cell IN the Jeffersonville prison. IL
vas more comfortable than any had
ever occupied. and. in fact. the prison
fners 10 The most humane IN the
country. Well, rsiked sil the way
fro,a Columbus 20 Jeffersonviiie. and
calling upon the late Captain Cralg,
who was then dupaty warden. / asked
him 70 give me Q home IN the prison,
saying wss TOO old 10 work aud
wanted to spend my few remaining
DAYS there. He said &c could not 90
90, and \ resolved 10 maze him do it.
Brsse rsse jail Deliberately.
"Gesng up to Psoli, in Orange coun.
". robbed a house and took good care
hal they should catch me at 10. The
cAss came 60 Trial, and after had told
ne nudge my story the Judge kindly
srntencsd me 10 i've years. He would
have maize it more bat be said ne
theuxht | would not live longer tnsH
that. I thanked him aud went "a
prison. But / WAS still alive when the
sentences expired. ans gong to tbs
northern part Of the state | robbed Z
man aud got . year ~ Michigan City
Thsn I came hack to Jefersonvliie. and
the township trustees sent me here be.
fore I had chance 20 steal anything.
eNben I began my prison career
vas an fee. tail and weighed 2ot
pounds. vas probably the strongest
nssn IN NE state. Ny first sentence II
Jsfersonvllle vas served IN little log
prison as the cerner of Ohio avenue
snd Market street.. was superintend.
mt e the iron works on the aew prls
81, which wss butt IN 1877, and II "a
uy y myself, the lob vas vel done
fhes made me keeper Of the big gate
30 lhe south siae, lust vest of tie