The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-09
FIFTY YEARS IN
CRIMINAL LIFE
Joseph H. Mack Tells Ogden
Court About Long Career
of MiSdoing.
TUTORED IN PRISON CELLS
FIRST SENT TO PENITENTIARY
AS A CHILD.
Especial to The HeraIdD

Ogden, Aug. S.--"Fifty Years Crimi-
nal" would be the proper title to give
to the life history of Joseph Henry Mack
alias Charles johnson, who appeared be-
fore Judge Howell in the district court
today to be sentenced to the pententiary
upon the charge of attempting TO commit
burglary in the second degree. The pass
ing of the sentence was continued until
today. Before leaving the court room
the defendant asked permission to address
the court. which was given him. In MS
address Mack. who is 60 years OF age, told
q most interesting story of his life as "a
criminal. He did not try to conceal any
thing of his past and requested the court
IN passing sentence upon him to be az
lenient as possible.
Mack said that he arrived in Ogden in
February last fully determined to lead
an honest life. He secured a place in d
machine shop and. though the work was
not steady, he managed TO make a living
at it. Then he was attacked by Theuma-
tism and. after trying various remedies,
began course of treatment that seemed
to benefit him. The full course would
At the time when his need was most des-
peTate ne met a friend with whom he had
in other days engaged in crime.
The friend was anxious to secure set
of burglars tools and asked Mack to
make them, agreeing TO pay Mack 800
( for them. Mack withstOOd the tempta-
ton for time, but at last, tortured Oy
the rheumatism and seeing no other way
10 better his condition, consented. He
made the tools and gave them at night
to his friend. The meeting was near a
( building the friend had decided to break
/ into. After some persuasion Mack agreed
Z to act as lookout. The attempt at burg
/ larry was a failure from every stand
point. but especially from the standpoint
/ Of Mack. When the police appeared the
! friend got away without paying Mack
d l.
rested. The rest of his story as told in
court follows. Said the defendant:
His Career of Crime.
( II have been in Jail before ] unfor-
tunately have [ have struggled and made
mp my mind never to be in it again.
would ike to have kept out of it all the
I rest of my life
/ What have YOU been in Jail for what
! charges" asked the court
/ Burglary I have robbed corporations
] Nv environment has been such that
( couldn't possibly escape being a crimi-
! nal ] never knew any better. What Jill
/ tie education ] have had in my life
! picked 40 myself
] How old were you when You were frs
/ sent to the penitentiary2
/ Ten years of age I had been gam
bling for the preceding three years. ] had
/ no father and mother I was naturally
bright, al least they told me J was"
! Where WIS that2''
Toronto. Canada ] had the name o.
being a wild boy. The judge told me: d.
am afraid if I send YOU to the reform
/ school You Will concentrate the inmate.
! that are there. Therefore YOU are sen
/ fenced to four years in the penitentiary
/ where YOU can't coutamindte them aut
they can't COntamin1te YOU Now. tina
was my carly education. Tho only friend
I 1 ever knew in my life [ made when
was little boy among the prisoners
! They made = pet of me. they taught m,
all they knew / listened 10 their storie
and listened to their tales and 1 though
1 ought to be like them. I spent fOu
years in that place. every day gettin:
educated more and more i'm crime Their
was nObOd to take any interest in ne
When | finished those four years / wa
about - years of age ] came out and IL
less than ten months | was back in tn
same place for five years.
The second time was just precisely tn
same. This ti-ne the judge gave me fiv
years in the same peuitentiary and
went there and T thought at that time
was ABOUT as pleasant as they could max
it. OF course when l went there l ass0
Ciated with Toughs and crooks 7 pu
that five years in. Nobody ever took an
, interest ip ne.