The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-10-11
MARKED FOR LIFE.
Difficulties Encountered by an Ex-
Convict Trying to Live Honestly.


Convict Trying to Live Honestly.
St. Louis Republic.
A sallow-faced ex-convict was observed
standing on the levee near the Eads
bridge and looking In wistfui manner far
down the river That he was an ex-coi1yict
and fresh from the Missouri penitentiary
was evident The telltale prison pallor
his face and the cheap clothes and shoes
gave him a sharp look and walked on with
out speaking. The policeman, well as
the reporter, knew that the ex-convict was
just out of the penitentary as well as II
he had seen the gates open at the prison
and heard Captain Jesse Tobin tell the con-
Wet that he must not tarry i'll either Cole
or Galloway counties. but get out of town
at once. Presently a tough-looking
approached the ex-convict, and, after a
few minutes conversation they walked off
together and were soon lost sight of.
The ex-conyict in question will no doubt
| go the road of thousands of others and
return to crime. Criminals alone extend
welcome TO such men. The very minute a
man leaves the Missouri penitentiary he is
a marked man. Disguise themselves as
they may every school child in Jefferson
city can tell an ex-convict d block away.
dozen blocks in Jefferson City d policeman
will stop him and tell him that he must
leave the. city on the first train, and the
officer will make his business to see that
he does leave. This is his first reception,
and every place he goes he will be made
painfully aware of the fact that his iden-
tity is known.
Most of the ex-convicts head for either
st. Louis or Kansas City. under belief
that in a. big city their identity will soon
be lost. Few of them have any more money
when they are released than will pay their
fare to St Louis and pay for two or three
nights cheap lodging. No one wants to
employ an ex-convict and even if one of
them should get employment in st. Louis
until some other ex-convict would discover
him and compel him to divide his wage
on threat of exposure. 1t is wonderful
how these ex-convicts know one another,
even after years of separation.
In nine cases out of ten the homeless
ex-convict returns to crime. The peni-
tertiary is not reformatory institution
and makes no pretensions to being so,
but an ignorant young convict find
self in crime through his association with
hardened criminals He is told that he is
world is against him, and that when re-
leased crime will present the only avenue
open for him to make livelihood He
may not believe these stories repeated to
him daily while he is in the prison. but
before he is on the outside twenty-four
hours ne VIII nave evidence enough
opinion of almost any convict.
There is no place in this country for
ex-conVict who is without good friends
able and willing to extend helping hand
to him. It would not be necessary to
future of the young ex-convict referred to
in the first part of this article. He was
reared in the country, and had probably
not been in. the penitentiary more than
two years, and was released one day last
week. He was given a cheap suit of cloth
ing and probably less than $40 in money,
and told to get move on himself about
getting out of town. He landed in st.
Louis and drifted to the levee where
doubtless he met a number of men whose
acquaintance he had formed in the peniten-
tiary or whose names he had heard fire.
quently mentioned. A few drinks of viii
famous whisky and d night in some dive
left him yesterday morning either penniless
or with but few cents. He is told that
it is useless to apply for work but
that his purse may be replenished in va
rious ways al the expense of law-breaking,
and the chances are that by this time he
has accepted that desperate alternative,
City.
The late Captain William NJ. Bradley,
who had served for more than thirty years
as deputy warden of the Missouri pAniten-
tiary, was in the habit of saying Of dis
charged convices: "Once q criminal, al
ways criminal" In a very large per
cent. of cases this is true, according to the
prison records of Missouri. 1t is next to
impossible for a discharged convict to OBJ
it seldom happens that he can conceal his
identity for even a short time. No matter
how earnestly he may wish to reform,
there is no person who feels like employ
ing him. unless. as exceptionally happens
he has some friends relatives who will
come to his assistance. Liberty under such
possesses but little advan-
ia ges over prison life.
The Denitentiary officials will readily tell
anyone who makes inquiry that the induce
ment for q discharged convict to return to
crime is very strong while the opportuni-
ties for him to earn honest living are
exceptionally small.