Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-13
CONvICTS' WRITE Of
THE PSYCHOLOGY
Of or | N {
ENTERTAINING LETTER
TO THE ACTING GOVERNOR
Funniest Stunt of the Peniten-
tiary investigation Sprung
on the UnSuSpecting Public
in Santa Fe,

Especial Correspondence Morning Journal.
santa Fe. y. NJ, July 12.-Absp
Iutrly the funniest stunt that has beer
pulled OF by the gang in the whole
course of the penitentiary "investiga
ton" not oven accepting the compo
meters attempt 10 figure out the
amount of coal in the p%enitentiary bins
is an alleged letter printed here laf'
night in the Almanac, with an intro
auction in the c~omptometer's best
The letter purports g have been
written by some five COnVigts in the
peuitentiary who by divers ingenious
maucuvers, managed 10 smuggle ut
cut of the prison and get it placed in
the hands of the acting governor, who
considerably refused to allow II %
become public during the "inVestiga-
tfun." but~Whu. at this late date, Whon
fine incident is quite CLOSED allows
fl to become public in order TO show
fust what am inhuman wretch Trclford
is anyway. and TO prove to an inter
estcd public that the COnVicts in the
pcnitcntiary are possessed OF a wide
and deep knowledge of criminal So
GEOLOGY and the psychology of crime,
including the works of the best French
authors ON the deeply interesting limos
of investigation.
The letter VIII. moreover. convince
the surprised people who happen t.
see il. hat n convictS who Wrotn u
are possessed Of IN elegant English
STYLE which would u Chaucer to sii
up in his grave and turn green with
envy at its purity.
The letter VIII also convince the in
tercsted public that the conyicts writ
ius the letter were thoroughly famil-
lar with the line of evidence followed
out IN the Prichard investigation
since the letter is a condensed review
of thai evidence although, of cours
there could have been no knoWledgo
of what the evidence was to be. since
we are assured by the Almanac that
The letter was written before the in
vestigation began. struggled out of the
prison by the clever convicts and con-
sidcrately withheld by the acting gov
crnor.- who wanted his attorney gen
Cral To give everybody a square deal
and who couldn't allow the evidence
uf q bunch of cOnviets to be used
against Trelford.
The Almanac concludes its introduce
tion TO tho letter with the following
Illuminating paragraph
How the letter was struggled out
of the prison has not been asCpTtainel.
Acting Governor Reynolds did not re-
fer the epistle for Investigation as at
that time there were no means of find
ing out whether or not it had been
actually written and signed by tho
conVicts. Since then Verification haH
been obtained that it was so written
and signed by the cOnNiCts whose
names are attached
There are a lot Of %sorchcads up here
who are unkind enough TO say that the
letter might nave been 'smuggled
out Of the prison by the fearsome con.
victs by the kindly offices of Assist
ant superintendent Garrett, since that
gentleman has been in charge of the
prison now for quite q few DAYS.
u Is also aid by these yellow do
fellows that Garrett might have so-
cured the "verincation"-but Of course
nobody pays n attention To these
chronic rappers who apparently onlE
want to disturb conditions and the
prosperity Of the territory by gettine
In the way OF the grafters.
But the funny part Of h incident
is found i'm the letter itself.
Here are the conyicts who sign tho
letter:
WILLIAM D.. MEARS.
CLAUDE DOANE.
y. S. BACA.
DAVID 4. THOMAS.
A. NJ. ARCHCLETA.
There are several people down in
E~crnalillo county who have lost horses
10 Doanc and who happen to know
liEll ne Is llNi fAdiNIN a nNiAfNlifl ~ NfA~ /
son. Mears cannot De said to be a
master Of English.
Raca is really not considered q Sci
enlist In 10 true sense Oi the word.
while Thomas and Archulctl ave
neither of them qualified 70 become
college professors.
Yet II is found on perusal Of this in
letter that it possesses 70
beautifully shaded English style which
even the master hand which guides tn
comptometer can harlv claim 90 eqnal
even i'm his own choice ""PsychologicaI
!
And then just listen 10 this:
III the citizens Of New Mexico toll Z
crate a |felonious pen warden and a
pugilistic deputy whose New YORK
HuWcTv p~uguaCity is SO great and un-
c%ontrollable that he Is pcrpetuallT
TO knock your head Off why.
they are responsible for the great in
jury done the inmates mentally ana
morally. and such injury viii evcutu'
ally reach home to the people when
they are held up and their homes
.burglarized.
'The greatest crimoloeists of the
claim that The more inhuman
and cruel the treatment OF people
confined in penal Institutions the
more hardened. vicious and perverted
The offenders become.
"Anrieo Ferri. the famous author OF
Criminal Sociology and considered
the foremost crimolugists Of Europr.
points out the incfhciency Of severity
brutality as "a means Of %reforul1-
ion.
Humane treatment has q wonder
ful i<nuencc even unon the minds OF
those initiated into an the phases OF
crime. But DC IS the first offender wno
not vet hardened and Therefore ar'
very susceptible fn gond or bad treat
that just and humane treatment
"a great effect upon. Hru- /
.slity viii unlv souT the minds 81 these
men and prepare them 20 continue a
areor of crime and one but on the
inst few steps. II given mental mcdi-
iue coniuEent with tn mental sick
lcss. can easily be cured. Clubbing
Fill never cure n one.
The extensiVcucss OF u hruiaIitF l
II Mr.. Trelford and Mr.. sample h al-
usef unbelievable. bat 81 anyone
the fruthfulncss Of "a accuse I
ions and will take the trouble 90 come
1wn here and investigate his incredd-
business win be quickly andfullyelimi-
'afef. 4
Isn't that a hot bunch?
wouldn't old Anric0 Fcrri SIT up and
ok pleased If ne knew how far hi- I
works have penetrated. N ne /
l-f were Informed that they were 4
ud and discussed and fully under
TODD hy the convicts ih She NeU l.
iexlco pcnitentiary. 50 that such con-
81 as Du1ne and Mears are 01aIi- Z