The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-31
A CRIMINALS READING,
Perhaps It Does, Perhaps II Doesn't,
Influence Hin.
Most Interesting Study of What Men
Behind the Bars Seem to Like Best
to Read.

lar as to assert that by the reading alone
OF undesirable literature criminals of a
nrst-elass order have been made. TAX
ing psychological view, there can be
no doubt that literature Of certain
class does sometimes form the nexus
between the undeveloped and devel-
oped states of the man born with Grim
mai instincts. Literature may have an
influence in forming but not in making
| criminals.
To trace the effect, if any at all, of lit
eraCure upon man previous to his incar-
ceratlon is difficult task. Once in pris-
on, however, the reading tastes of crimi-
mas are easily found out. BY observing
thelr preferences and by placing in their
hanus books judiciOusly selected, there
can be no doubt that much good can be
accomplished.
There is, perhaps, no one in the United
States at the present day who is better
| acquainted with the criminal as a reader
| than Miss Linda Gilbert, 1.-The Prisoners
Friend" Miss Gilbert has spent large
fortune and life time in providing pris-
ons with Libraries and in helping the in
mates to better life. In conversation
had with her recently she gave me these
facts:
The number of men with classical ed
ucations In the American prisons at the
| present day. said she, sis about per
cent. 1t used to be only2, but of late the
number has been increasing. About so
per cent. like to read: the rest either
| can't or have no inclination. In all my
libraries make provision for all classes.
There are law books for the lawyers,
medical works for the doctors and politi-
cal works for the politicians. From the
| way things look now the political works
in the prisons will be in great demand
| soon. Then put in the libraries some
liberal works, like Voltaire's. 1 always
instruct the prison librarian to give these
only to the thinking men
"All classes Of prisoners like to read
the newspapers. The books they prefer
are those that make them forget their
present condition, those books that pic
ture to them situations in life of which
they know nothing. And so they delight
in the novelists-Dickens is the favorite
| When l was able to superintend my
libraries personally / saw that the pris-
oners got such books as tended to dimin-
| ish the force of evil passions. AS an in
stance, when l called to see Jesse
Pomeroy, the child murderer, the warden
informed me that he was always reading
Indian stories and tales af war, in fact
he was DESTROYS Of reading anything that
c@ntained accounts of murders, etc. BY
promises and exhortations got him to
read a story full of love and ten
derness, and when called the
! next time ne wanted to know if
the authoress of the book l gave
him was an angel The language and the
ideas mystlfed him. There should, {"
| said Miss Gilbert, "be in each prison ds
librarian man who can study human
nature and who is psychologist. Pris-
oners display the same taste in regard to
pictures as they do in regards to books.
[ was lately informed of a curious occur
renee in Lincoln (Neb.) prison. There
were fifteen Indians confined there for
murder. None of them could read, but
they were continually asking for a book
containing an account of the Indian wars.
There were but few pictures in the book
and the authorities were at loss to &C
count for this demand till one day they
saw the Indians stamping on the book.
1t seems it contained picture of an In
dian who had turned traitor and the whole
book was therefore regarded as &C
cursed.n
A call at the Toombs brought to light
the fact that there is connected with that
institution library of some 900 volumes,
presided over by an old man whom War
den F'allon keeps at his own expense,
there being no provision made by the
city for Toombs librarian. The books
are seldom used, as the prisoners are well
looked after by their friends. II would
appear that the patrons of that of the
city prison are very patriotic, for the books
most thumbed are works on American
history. There are large number of re-
ligious works, but these are almost as
new as they were on the day they were
in, fhar1i hfn wv G arg
are mostly temporary and are not under
strict surveillance, they take liberties
with the books that in the penitentiary
or the state prison would be severely
punished. Pages are torn out, covers sew
cred from the bodies of the books and
leaves pencil marked in manner that
shows no respect for "Cadmus, the Phm-
nicians or whoever it was that invented
books"
A better opportunity for studying the
reading aptitudes of the depraved class is
afforded by the penitentiary on Black
wells island There the prisoners are
allowed no books except those in the
library or if any are sent by friends they
must first undergo a scrutiny from
Warden Pillsbury, and if he thinks them
all right they are turned over TO the
prisoner to whom they were sent. Speak
ing from forty-fve years experience as a
prison OfnCldl bu6 WdIucu Sdlu' Lie
criminals, as rule, prefer that sort of
literature which they call fash Some
times they bring it with them to the prison
and then we take it away. Sometimes
their friends outside send them fash
books and then we destroy them. A great
many of these books are printed secretly,
but they apply the adjective to number
of words of real literary merit, such as
the sDecameron' of Boccaccio, the Hep
cameron of Marguerite de Valois, the
works Of lola, etc.
S'They would regard it as a great boon
If we would allow them to read the news
napers. They look upon the magazines as
4 sort of substitute, and consequently
whenever any are sent here there is
GREAT demand for them. Books of travel
and novels are the class Of works most
read. The favorite novelists are Dickens
and Reade. The latter's Never Too Late
to Mend is a book that is much read"
The penitentiary library consists OF
about 5000 volumes, among which are
some of the best works Of the literature Of
ali languages. The librarian is a conf
dence man sentenced TO prison for two
wears and half He is an Englishman
bv birth and has had a fine education.
His cultured voice, Intellectual face and
graceful carriage would make one think
Immediately Of Claude Duval or Paul
Clifford.
considerable attention is given by the
authorities to the reading OF the minutes
of the New York state reformatory at Ell
mira. No reading whatsoever. is allowed
except the books and magazines in the
In vol