The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1906-1907, 1907-03-19
A QUESTION
OF HEREDITY.
Iorigina.J

AT one or those British colonies
where criminals were sent for a term
Of penal servitude two men, Professor
Dixon and DR.. Hardeman, were dis
GUESSING problems Of heredity which
fell continually under their observa.
ton. Professor Dixon was speaking.
Il do not admit your claim, doctor,
that environment has an equal effect
with heredfty. At least, to change a
hereditary criminal by environment we
must begin in the earliest childhood,
and then il viii not In all cases be pos
sible to eradicate the hereditary
faint"
You are wrong. professor. I will
Jake middle aged criminal. remove
him from temptation, impress him with
the Nervousness Of crime and make q
good citizen of HIM"
''Such impression is at times impos-
sible. l once endeavored to reform
man who had tried to kill his
father. He told me that his father
had killed his grandfather and the
grandfather had tried to kill the great
grandfather. Ten years after the first
attempt, and when / believed l had
changed him, my man made a second
attempt"
"And l can cite a case per contra
right here In this penal settlement
Peter Hull and Eliza Wurts were serv-
Ing life sentences here. Peter was
twenty-five when he came here, and
Eliza was twenty. They had lived at
home In the very worst part Of London.
From childhood they had been accus-
toned to crime. 1t was foreordained
that they should become criminals, but
1t was not foreordained that they
should remain such, any more than 1t
Is foreordained that a poisonous berry
shall always remain poisonous. 1t
may be cultivated, grated, transplant
ed, till 1t Is sweet and Of delicious fla
vor.
so 1t has been with Peter and Eliza.
They have not had a field needed for
an experimental case, but they have
had sufficient to produce a marked
change. Transplanted to this colony,
they were removed from their homes in
the slums. Then both were given tick
cts Of leave. They went out of prison
each to live in little home, to breathe
the pure air Of heaven, to thrive In the
warm sunshine. A vegetable garden
for each put forth green sprouts. Fruit
trees and flowers budded. Within the
windows dainty white curtains gave a
CHEEKY look to each house, and the fur
re Nn Nn
always kept vanished.
''Peter could not have done all this
had it not been for the help Of Eliza.
1t was she at least who made the cur
tains for him and showed him how to
hang them. II was she who made a
white valance for his bed. He furnish
ed the material from which she made
him sheets, pillowcases, napkins. In
short, she did all those things that wo-
men know how to do, and Peter did
many things for her. He spaded her
garden, repaired her house and her fur
ntture and often made her presents Of
things she needed and could not afford
to buy, for. while she could make
money go further than he, she could
not make 1t as easily.
There came the little god and whis-
perod in Peters ear: United you can
both do better. You can be more free
to make money with Eliza at home to
take care OF your house, mend your
clothes and have your meals ready for
you when you come home. There will
be more money, and 1t will be applied
to better advantage This was not all
the god whispered Peter thought II
was, but 1t was not The boy spoke
things both to Peter and to Eliza which
had no reference to what was prac-
teal. Eliza's ear was more attuned
to them. At any rate, she heard them,
and they appealed to her.
''Peter went to her and told her what
he had been thinking. She waited to
hear those spiritual words that the
little god had spoken to her. They
did not come, but she knew by Peters
manner that he felt their influence.
They went to a priest and asked him
70 marry them.
"Were you married before coming
hereY he asked OF Peter.
"TYes.'
"'And your wife Is deadY
eyes
"'Are you sureT
"T should be; was sent here for
killing her.
The priest turned. walked to a win
dow. looked out, bordering, then re-
turned to the couple.
sand your to the woman. You are
Wiling to marry a man who has killed
his wtfeT
81 am
"Do you not fear to 1--we with such
q manY
"He has not been worse than l.
~'What were you sent here forT
~KIlling my husband
81 ealrn Aha r.nLa..-A