The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-21
THEREFoRMIsT.


mind When he started out in the re-
| forming business there were people who
| called it fad and referred to him as
daffy. but no matter how good the cause
there are people who will always speak
| i'll o. it as3sz7 zss
The mistake that most would-be re-
!orrnlsts make is in beginning on a sub
/ Ject too late. "A hoy of the street can
be taken at II or IA and changed all
over Let the same boy continue on UNI
| I'll he is 80 and he cannot be changed at
all. Mr.. Nickelby made this mistake.
he passed over the young criminals to
wrestle with the old. His particular
hobby was the reformation of burglars.
/ 1t was unfortunate that he could not
plcic one out on the street and invite
/ him to dinner and have long and
| earnest talk with him and get a prom
! Use of reform, but 1t is hard to distin-
/ guish burglars from any other class of
men as they move about the street. Mr..
Nickelby, visited several prisons and was
| allowed to talk with several burglars,
/ but the conversation was always stilted.
The burglars always insisted that
Judge and jury made a mistake in send
ing them to prison, and they always
wanted promises that the reformist
could not give. One said that he would.
reform on emerging if furnished with
4 money to open a dime museum; another
wanted his way paid to Europe and So
| 600 to start in business; a third wanted
a sideshow connected with a circus, and
| SO it went. The refornlist always asked
his burglars why they were in the BUSH
ness. He had dim feeling that at some
point in their lives, had the right infiu-
ence been at hand, they might have be-
come lightnfngrod men or champion
long distance swimmers. The invaria-s
BILE answer was that they went into the.
business for their health, and so he
gained nothing by his questions.
However, there came a day to Mr.
INickelby, as there comes day to all
of US His family went to the country
o. h. lad f1ao o. MIG h rs
One night at midnight he was awaken
| ed from his sound sleep by a hand be-
ing laid on his shoulder. He opened
his eyes to see stranger lowering over
| him.
| MIR Nickelby,' said the man. ST am
a burglar. 1 have called to talk with
you. 1 have taken the liberty of pre-
pairing a little lunch down stairs. and
I should like to have you join me-.
This seems to be gigantic piece
of Cheek replied the reformist as he
got slowly out of bed; IF I'd had
one minutes notice I'd have been
ready to send bullet into you'll"
That's human inconsistency For
years you have been wanting to have
a free, frank chat with a burglar and
lconvince him of the error of his ways
and bring about a reformation. l
come at last, and you are sorry that
you did not meet me with a bullet"
1 But you have broken into my
house"
but that is part of my business.
Having broken into your house as L
have you cannot doubt that am what
i 1 claim to be. Let us now go down to
the lunch"
! Mr.. Nickelby didn't like it at all. He
/ wanted all burglars to reform. but he
wanted it done by programme. The
lunch didn't amount to much. Aside
from four ham sandwiches brought in
by the burglar himself, there was
i bottle of wine taken from the cellar
and a supply of cigars. The burglar
motioned his host to a seat at the
head of the table, passed him a sand
: witch and a glass of wine and then
II courteously said: ~
Nov, sgo ahead and ask me- any
questions you will. 1t will be-the first
: time have ever submitted to an in
terview.''
glar alarm. and I don't see how you
entered it, replied the reformist, who
couldn't get over his feelings in the
matter -
only to cut the wire outside the house.
Do you wish to know why i became a
You can state the case if you wish,
but tomorrow I'll raise hob with the
police for not spotting you off before
| you got in here"
Don't do it. Statistics will show
that there are just as many burglaries
now as before a policeman was invent
ed. You would only be throwing your
time away. At thirty years old l was
a minister of congregation in a coun-
try town. My salary was $500 year,
| and was behind half the time. 1 made
the change in order to make a living.
| l have made an average of $4,000 a
year as against you Have you any
| criticisms to make? Have you any
thing as good to offer me if I Will
YOU'D get at least five years if ar
rested for breaking in here sulkily
replied the reformist.
1 n hi Of hI1f
arrested. If 1 promise to mend my
ways, can you get me job of driving
. an ice wagon at SO per week %
You ought to reform because 1t is
wrong to be criminal"
ooh, had Z? 1 ought to walk the
streets looking for job because l
want to be an honest man. How about
every alderman in town? How about
every merchant? How about the tens
of thousands of men who are cheat
ing and swindling and robbing every
, day? Go to a man who sells coffee.
, 1t is so per cent adulteration. VIII he
stop because you say it is wrong?"
But you are burglar protested
Mr.. Nickleby.
. 1T is a distinction without a differ
hence Instead of robbing the city rob
: one residence Instead of mixing half
cotton with my wool l use false keys
to enter a residence. You are in the
! cloth business. There are more tricks
in your trade than in mine. Are you
willing to reform
"If you had come to me and said
you wanted to reform ] should have
stood sheady toto
Eyes. go on You would have stood
ready to give me a dollar and your
best advice. and within a week I would
] haven been a starving man. 1t won't
do old fellow. It's all sawdust. We
!. are all out for the. dough, including
: yourself. and none of us is going to
; give up good thing for the sake OF
, free soup and a bed under a stairway.
: Cut it out and save your wird Now,
. them I have packed UP a bundle in
the hall. 1t contains a few pieces OF
|, silver, two suits of your clothes and
a few other things. They are my. per-
the worse for YOU,
Il may come again at the end q