The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-06
MORALS OF CRIMINALS.
Examples of Lack of Moral Percep-
tiOn-A Burglars Defense.
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
Referring to the lack of moral percep.
ton on the part of many men who have
spent years in criminal pursuits, Dr. F.
H. Wines cited a case right to the point:
/ was invited by Gov. Cullom, now Sena.
tor Cullom, and one of half dozen as3ir-
ants for the presidency, to accompany
him on a visit to the Illinois penitentiary
al Joliet. There was at that time in the
prison a noted burglar named Bill For
roster, in whom the Pinkertons were for
some reason greatly interested. They
were unable to secure a pardon for him.
but had extorted a promise from the gov
ernor to listen, when at Joliet, to For
rester's tale of an alibi in which they
professed to have confidence. l was pres
ent at the conversation between the pris-
oner and the governor. After the real
or pretended alibi had been thoroughly
exploited, Mr.. Cullom said:
Forester, how many burglaries have
you committed?"
Il don't know, governor; l never kept
count; perhaps a hundred"
You have been a very bad man."
Who says so, governor"
Without due reflection the governor re-
piled on impulse, "the newspaper" To
which Forester retorted II think l have
seen your name in the newspapers once or
twice, governor. If they will say such
things of man in your position, what
must be expected of a man in mine?"
Forester then went on to remark that,
while 1t would be absurd for him to claim
TO be actuated by moral scruples, the gov
ernor need have no hesitation in granting
him pardon, for his mind was made up
to abandon a life of crime He had fol-
lowed burglary all his life long had ham
died immense sums of money had spent
half his days in prison, and had de-
liberately concluded that burglary did not
pay But" he added, 81 am bound to
say that l regard burglary in itself as
legitimate a vocation in life as the prac-
tice Of law or of medicine or the preach
ing of the gospel"
How do you make that out?'
why, property has certain rights, priv
ileges, powers, and it must have correla-
tive obligations. The first duty OF prop
erty Is to take care of itself. If there arc
three men engaged in general merchan-
disc in country neighborhood, and there
is not business enough to support their
three families, what happens? Two of
them combine against the third, and by a
judlcious application of the laws of trade
they drive him away, appropriate to them
selves his business and the profit of 1t.
and everybody says that is right. What
difference does it make whether this is
done by the judicious application OF the
laws of trade of by a more summary pro-
cess? Why governor. you know very
well that there are many men who are
rich who have no more right to what they
have than you or l."
do understand you 10 say, Forester
that you confine yourself, in your depre-
dations, TO that class of people?"
"Oh, | aim to. | aim to; the last man l
robbed was a member of congress-"
The governor very properly and natur-
ally decided to let this prisoner serve out
his term. Notwithstanding his conviction
as to the Improbable nature of burglary
and his resolution to lead an honest ife
he was afterward found in the eastern
penitentiary Of Pennsylvania, under the
alias Of Conrad Foley (the former keeper
of the Chicago jaiD, for burglary, and he
is now in the pententiary at Richmond.
Va, where he Will probably end his DAYS.