The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1896-02-06

and it was my first, although
I'm willing to admit that | often
thought about committing crimes be-
fore it, while fired with the cheap
stories had read.
Il went to State prison for my first
otfense, which was for nothing more
than stealing some jewelry from my
sweetheart and pawning it. have no
excuse to offer for doing it except that [
was full of liquor and dead broke. had
no friends to intercede for me and the
Judge sent me down for two years, be-
cause was just over eighteen. That
saved me from going to the reform
school for three years. | guess | was
good prisoner. obeyed the rules and
worked hard to please everybody and
probably had just as good treatment as
the richest prisoner at Trenton. | have
no complaint to make about the prison
keepers. got my deserts and no more,
but the horror of the life there made a
deep impression on me. No boy can
understand it until he has seen it: An
hour in prison will take all the romance
out of criminal life, and really think
that it would be a good thing to take
all of the pupils of the public schools
through the State prison, or some
similar prison, at least once every year
and let them all see the worst side of it.
1t would nip lot of crime in the bud.
| don't know whether this is a new idea
or not, but do know that it is good
one. There is 10 sentiment about it,
either. 1t is just hard common sense
from a young ex-cOnvict. l know that
if had had the slightest idea of what
prison life was like | would never have
risked going there.
"A walk through State prison would
have taken all therOmance out Of crime
for me. | have seen the two-termers,
and they are all animals. Real men
don't go back. Once is enough for them.
It's enough for any one with the slight
est degree of human feeling. would
rather die than go through it again.
1t is death in life for a fellow with any
feeling. | got out fourteen months
ago and went to my one friend-a man
of the world, who had a little influence.
[ had suit of prison clothes and 81.
| wanted him to get me job III New
ark. and he said, No" He told me
that no matter where | went in New
Jersey would be thrown down in a
short time by somebody who knew OF
my crime or had been in State prison
with me. He said that my fellow pris-
oners would be my worst enemies and
that if sought his aid in getting en-
| ployment it must be with the under
standing that told my boss just what
| had been through He helped me tC
get street stand for the holidays 8
year ago and | cleared $50. He wanted
me to get into business for myself jus,
as quickly as possible, but my boar(
bills took all the money [ could get ant
| hustled for job in store. IgOt ONT
in hotel, but had not been there fou
weeks before | was called up by th'
proprietor and asked if it was true tina
had been in State prison. answered
Yes and was fired, My friend got
sharp letter about allowing me to US
his name as reference. Yet while
was in that hotel l saved the boss owe
$40 on meats, because I showed then
how they were being done by the butche
and the steward. This didn't count fo
me, however, and | made up my min
that the next job l got would be on it
> merits.
| 81 caught chance at extra work
, the market, but didn't have the nerv
: to confess that / was a jail-bird and
worked nearly two months before sa'
t trouble. Then an ex-keeper gave m
:, away to the boss. l didn't deny bein
/ in State prison, but said that 1 was tr,
i. ing to be honest and wanted chant
h to prove it. Bounced! The next thin
q I struck was walters jacket and apro
b and out I went, because detectiN
n went up against me with the propri
tor. said to him: We'll, what diffe
IS ence does that make to you? l can
@ steal anything here, but he gave n