The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-24
HIS GOOD ADVICE.
Prison Guard Lavey Says Keep
Boys Out of Prison.
Better Than " Reforming !"
Them After They Get Out.
PICTURE A VIVID ONE.
Horrors of the Dark Cell and
Coal Mines.
Thinks That John Collins Isn't
Guilty.
PICTURE A VIVID ONE.

A forceful logical lecture, without
grandstand frills. is what Patrick c..
Lavey, the ex-prison guard. delivered
before an audience of about 1000 at
the Auditorium last night. Il am not
a teacher of grammar" said Lavey at
the opening of his lecture. There are
teachers for that purpose, and my
purpose is different. I am not going to
preach a sermon-ministers of the Cos
pei. trained for that purpose. can do
that. I am going to try to show peo-
pie, particularly growing boys, that
the prison is worse than death. and
it is far better to be good than run
the risk of entering it,
Mr.. Lavey accompanies his lecture
with pictures of prisons and prison
life. on large screen. They are as
good as the best pictures ever seen in
Topeka. On the screen, a dozen feet
square, the expression of hatred, sorrow
or cunning can be easily seen on the
faces of the pictured convicts And
Mr.. Iavey has the advantage of know
ing whereof he speaks. Ministers may
try to describe the horrors of the prison
and tell pathetic stories about it, but
their hearers know that the preacher
read it in a book. Lavey did not For
several years, armed with a saWed-off
shotgun and sworn to take the life of
human beings if they attempted to
types of mankind. He saw their suffer-
ings, and noted the change in them
between the time they entered the
sally port and when they left it. He
also has the faculty of wildly de-
scribing things he has seen.
The pictures were of the two Kan
sas penitentiaries, the federal and
state, showing the every day life of
the convict. In passing over the pic
lures he pointed out and told about
ing their names. His vivid description
of the punishment melted out to stup-
born convicts, the dark cell and the
solitary" from which victims very
frequently came forth bowling lu1ll-
tics and are taken to the insane ward
to die. was in itself enough to drive
back boy started the wrong way.
Mr.. Lavey'S text is: Don't wait to
reform people after they get out Of
the penitentiary. 1t is too late. Don't
let them go there"
He says that the work done by Mrs.
L. E. Thorpe in Topeka will save doz-
ems of boys from the penitentiary to
one saved, after serving time by the
Society for the Friendless. He does
not preach reform in prison system.
The prison should be a place of
dread" he says. Make it a health
resort, with all kind of luxuries, and
it loses its purpose-that of punish
ment, and would have to be trebled
in size within year.
In talking about convicts he had
known Mr.. Lavey stated that he had
been asked frequently since coming TO
Topeka, about John Collins, aud
whether or not he thought him guilty.
Mr.. Lavey practically stated that he
did not think the Topeka boy guilty
of his fathers murder. He said that
he had known Collins very we'll, and
that if he were guilty he was a differ
ent type of criminal from any he had
ever known before.
John Collins never talked to me
about his case" says Mr.. Lavey, but
he has on several occasions looked me
squarely in the eye and sail; I am
not guilty
Mr.. Lavey was a soldier, and fought
in the Philippines. Since he has been
in Topeka he has met several of his
comrades, also number of ex-prison
officials with whom he was acquain1-
ed.
The proceeds of last nights lecture
will be devoted to the Social Settle
ment work conducted by Mrs. Thorpe