The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-06-09
He Has Had Personal Concentrations
since Last December with 4Z2
OF His Prisoners.
OBJECT LESSON IN TEMPERANCE
The TERRIBLE AND REALISTIC RE-
CITAL OF A MURDERER.
1t Is Enough TO Make the Hair stand
Straight UP-WaFden Shideler's
Prison system.

oners in my Office since last December
remarked Warden George A. II. Shideler,
OF the State Prison. recently You may
wonder how I know the exact number of
these talks. but it is a simple matter 1
make it a system. or practice, TO keep in
touch with the prisoners and scarcely
day passes that do not send for one or
more Of them to be brought into my pri-
vate cffice for a few minutes conversation.
1 have a little book fun Of blank orders
directing the deputies to bring prisoners.
and whenever fill out one of these blanks
/ make an entry on the stub.
You can have no idea Of the beneficial
effects these little talks have on the men.
Nobody could have unless he were TO be
confined In a penal institution for some
ofense against the law of the land. 1t af-
fords the prisoner distinct mental relief TO
tell his little and big troubles to some one
For instance. a prisoner into my
Office not long ago and began telling me
that he was greatly worried over a letter
ne had just received notifying him that
his wife had applied for a divorce Say
warden, he said, can't you just write my
wife little note, telling her that 1 am a
good prisoner and that maybe the next
time the parole board meets l will be let
out and can return to her? Tell her that
long she surely can wait just little while
longer Another prisoner looked and
morose when he came into my Office in
response to request sent by one of my
deputies. 1 accOsted him about in this
way: Now look here, my boy, you have
brooded over your situation until it has
made you gloomy and sour, and you think
you at with the world and the
world is at war with you. You are wrong.
The birds we're made to sing as much for
you as for me, the flowers bloom sweet
ly for you as they do for me- 1t wasn't
chance that made you prisoner and me
warden We brought these things about
ourselves. You just put few potted plants
OF better endeavor in the bay window OF
your memory and give them a little atten-
ton and what the result will be-
why. never thought of it in that way,
warden he replied. L guess you are
right
GOOD TEMPERANCE LESSONS.
Mr.. Shideler says that great many of
his talks with prisoners reveal stories that
are better temperance lessons than any
ever given platform. Fully so per
cent of the men in the State Prison." he
said. when they tell their stories to me
begin them with the remark: I'll tell you
how it was. warden, L was drunk when
committed the crime they sent me up for
81 have seen Henry Irving's fascinating
yet horrible portrayal of the remorse OF
the inn keeper Matthias in The Bells
continued Mr.. Shideler. but the great En-
glsh actor was outdone by one of the pris-
oners in our institution the other day. The
poor fellow was not acting intentionally,
yet he gave the most realistic bit of acting
that it has ever been my privilege to wit
ness. had sent for him 10 have a friend
~, confidential chat with him, and when
he stepped into my Office 1 thought he
looked rather familiar but l could not call
his name at once. Don't you remember
me?' he asked. 1 was in here about year
ago, and talked to you oh, yes. now / do
remember YOU 1 replied. You work in
the cooper shop. 1 was trying TO think of
your story know that it is manslaugh-
ter, but / can't recall the Incidents
. L have been in prison seven years, war
den.' he said, and the confinement behind
the bars and the separation from my fam
lily has been hard e bear, but the fact that
1 have taken a human life has weighed
upon me more even than the separation
from my loved ones
. Go on L said, and tell me how it hap
pened
"'Well.' he continued. L was a poor fell
low. had wife and four children, and
worked at days labor. One Sunday morn
ing l started TO finish building a chicken
coop in my back yard. While l was work
ing away neighbor entered his back yard
carrying a pitcher of beer. l was once
heavy drinker. but had not touched the
stuff for 6oOd while. The man came UP
C. the fence and handed the pitcher to me-
Well. l felt thirsty and took drink
WENT TO \ SALOON.
Il did not work much longer but threw
down my hammer and saw and boIted
through my own backyard gate. headed
straight a die for the saloon. There I
bought some beer and kept on drinking
until l got into a singing mood The poor
fellow that l afterwards killed did not
Ike my singing and made no bones about
telling me SO. We were both maudlin
drunk, and pretty soon were scuffing
about the barroom. Being Sunday. the bar
keeper did not like to have any uproar go
ing on in his place for fear the police would
make a raid. so he fired us born out
through the back door There we continued
our fight in an aimless sort of manner. he
scratching few times and 1 striking
him at random. Finally l left him and
started home. but in a few minutes real
lied that he following me- When T
got 20 my gate the man picked up a rock
and threw IL at The act fired my
uquor-maddoned brain and / made a IN,
rious dash through the gate into the ward
up to the kitchen door. and. pushing aside
my wife and children roughly. grabbed
butcher knife from a table and rushed ont
OF the house again, my wife all the while
screaming TO me not TO go OFT there Her
cries fell on deaf ears. L rushed TO the man
and plunged the knife into his breas,
The instant 1 committed the crime I real
lied TO the full the horror OF what | had
Lone pulled the knife out a hideous
stream OF blood followed. and the man fell
was quite sober then and tried TO pick
him up. at the same time feeling over his
heart. II was still. For that crime seven
years OF the penalty has been paid There
are seven more years TO pay
las the poor fellow related this story
70 me-" continued Mr.. Shideler. he repro-
duced with most startling fidelity OF facial
expression and OF bodily movement and
gesture the whole terrible affair AS he
81 -. "A