The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-03-31
CRIMINAL AND PHILANTARopIsr.

| Parage2" asked the philanthropisr
| doubtfully
Certainly said the big man in the
easy chair. He looked good natured and
at the same time rather tired and con
| temptuous. he has been through it all
the accepted ideas and the usual people
| did not matter much; but there was no
reason 10 be angry with them or any
| thing else.
i was extremely glad that our mutual
| friend, Mr. Timmins, was able to induce
you TO come and pay me visit. I need
not assure you Of our good faith. You
| have nothing TO fear"
! A smile flashed over the criminals face;
| the philanthropist went on rapidly:
I'VE are not in with the police.
won't say we oppose thern-that would
/ be ilegal-but we are not in sympathy
with them. Now, before we begin TO
/ talk, what may I offer yOu2 4 cup OF
/ tea '-vahantly outing with his proof
/ that he was no fanatic-"a whisky and
| soda? And what about a cigarette?"
Thanks" said the criminal 7 never
drink at in the afternoon. For that
matter I never drink tea or whisky at
| any time; they undoubtedly spoil the
nerve. For the same reason prefer my
| pipe, if you don't mind7'
BY all means. I'm afraid I smoke
| four OF these every day of my life, and
i
habit Now. my views are pretty we'll
known, and it would interest me ex-
tremely to have the views of q great
| should perhaps say remarkab ie-criminal
upon them l mold that the prison ruins
| the body, lowers the intellect and de-
stroys the soul" The last phrase came
fat and mechanical The philanthropist
had used it on many platforms.
Undoubtedly" said the criminal. But
what else can you expect?'
Surely in this twentieth century" the
phlanthropist began, and stopped blank
Briefly, there are more stupid and well
informed people Our method of treat
ing criminals pleases the stupid and ig-
norant majority"
You're quite right" said the philan-
thropist, eagerly THAT majority must
be educated. Already there has been
some advance. Look at the sentences that
used to be carried out less than a hun
dred years ago; they would not be toll
Grated now. But there is much to be
learned Now I see the prison of the
future as a handsome, well-lighted. airy
place with fine garden attached. and a
swimming bath and-er-a gymnasium
and library, nd-er-everything of that
sort. There would be comfortable re
creation-roOms; agatelle-perhaps bill
lizards. Gambling and bad language, of
course, prohibited. There would be an
employment bureau, which would look
after every man when he had finished his
term. There would be a system of re-
wards for good conduct, and there would
be a good deal of music-we should be-
lieve in refining process.
The philanthropist was conscious that
he had put it better on platforms. There
was something in the criminals good ma
tured and contemptuous eye that discon-
certed him.
How does it strike your he asked.
When the criminal was able to speak
for laughing, he said: Excuse me-it's
rubbish OF courset
You don think that as a method Of
reclamation" Again the philanthropist
stopped blankly.
mo criminal is ever reclaimed. People
who are not criminals, but have made
mistakes, may see the advantage Of not
making any mOre-that happens some
times. But the natural criminal remains
the natural criminal, just as the natural
genius remains a genius, and for just the
same reasons. Environment and cir
cumstances may make the occasional
criminal but the real thing-that is in
born, that is the man himself.
oh. but l can't hold with you there"
said the philanthropist, plucking up
And the facts are all against you. Do
you know the work that the Salvation
Army is dOing?"
Certainly It is wen meant And
YOU may depend upon a religious orgy to
produce in some people a kind of hyp-
motto state under which suggestion acts
very strongly on them. That is found in
all religions. The permanence Of the
conversion in the real criminal depends
on the hypnotic condition and the sug-
gestiOn being frequently renewed. Take
these away and the man goes back again
and he is no more reclaimed than I am
THAT is not my version of it at ALL
said the philanthropist.
MOP"
"And look here. You think the present
penal system all wrong. You seem to
have no faith in wide-minded religious
and philanthropic endeayors. What is
left?"
Science The study of the correlation
Of mental and physical abnOrmalities is
in its infancy; the moral side of the
map of the brain is very incomplete.
There are some splendid things in their
early stages, If we get on as fast this
century as we did last in our study of
the human double-dumpling we shall
have practically settled the criminal
question by the end of it.
Its awful-this idea of the irrespon-
sibility of the criminal"
ON the contrary, it's most hopeful
And how is the brain Of the criminal
to be altered2'
How should I know? I'm not q doc
tor. BY altering the character Of the
blood supplied to It. ] suppose. Possibly
by operation--the tendency nowadays
seems TO be toward more knife and less
pill-box OF course where nothing else
can be done the criminal VIII be killed
1 personally ought to be killed, and
should be if I were in a civilized country
I am the real thing. But We hang only
murderers who nearly always are useful
people, and ought not 10 be killed al all.
It's a funny world. But 1 am afraid /
shall never make YOU see these things
my way Tn any case I must be of.
am going to-I shall be rather busy to-
night and I want. il I can. 70 get few
hours sleep first. Goodby. Charmed
to have met YOU
He shook hands warmly with the phil
anthropist and left quickly.
Extraordinary cascH' the philanthropy
list thought to himself Must have had
sorns sn7atreriug Of education We'll
dressed too, wonder If there is time e.
make a note of 1t before / 20 10 dress
for the annual dinner.
And then be noticed that little bit az
his watch chain was hanging loose from
his buttonhoIe The rest of fl had gone.
50 also had the very handsome gold
watch presented 20 him By the committee
with the pretty inscription about TWEEN
tv years AZ devoted and voluntary ser
vice Barry Pain.
She Might Have Waited.
II was the impulsive young thing with
the great gray eyes that told II the
dream 70 the other boarders at bseak-
fast.
had su-h q lovely dream last even