Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-18
DAILY. STORY
A QUESTION OF HEREOITY.
lOriginal ]


cussing 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 heredity. At least. to change n
hereditary criminal by environment we
| must begin in the earliest childhood.
| and then it will not in all cases be pos
| sible to eradicate the hereditary
| faint"
You are wrong. professor. l will
| Il; Ike a middle aged criminal. remove
| him from temptation. Impress him with
| the Nervousness of crime and make
| good citizen of him."
"Such impression is at times impos-
sible. once endeavored to reform
q 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 l believed l had
changed him, my man made a second
attempt"
| ANU 1 can cue tuSt pei NOlA'i'
right here in this penal settlement
Peter Hull and Eliza Wurts We're serv
| ing life sentences here. Peter was
twenty-five when he came here. an0
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
it was not fOreOrdained that they
should remain such, any more than it
IS foreordained that a poisonous berry
shall always remain poisonous. 1t
may be cultivated. grated. transplant
ed, till it is sweet and of delicious fla
| vOr.
so it has been with Peter and Eliza.
They have not had a field needed for
| an experimental case. but they have
| had sufficient tn produce 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 Il little home, to breathe
| the pure air of heaven. to thrive in the
warm sunshine. 4 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
niture. if of plain manufacture. was
| 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 t.
hang them. 1t was she who made a
white valance for his bed. He furnish
ed the material from which she made
him sheets. pillowcases. napkins. III
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.
niture 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 it as easily.
There came the little god and whis
pered in Peters ear: United you car
both do better. You can be more fret
to make money with Eliza at home Il
take care of your house, mend youl
clothes and have your meals ready TO
you when you come home. There will
be more money. and it will be applied
to better advantage This was not al
the god whispered. Peter thought i
was, but it was not. The boy spokJ
things both to Peter and to Eliza which
had no reference to what was prac
teal. Eliza's ear was more attune'
to them. At any rate, she heard them
and they appealed to her.
; Peter went to her and told her VIVA
he had been thinking. She waited t.
hear those spiritual words that tn,
little god had spoken to her The.
did not come. but she knew by Peter
manner that he felt their influence
: They went to a priest and asked hin
to marry them.
Were you married before comnf
hereT he asked of Peter.
Yes
"'And your wife is deadY
5 eyes
"'Are you surep
+ killing her.
/. ''The priest turned. walked to a win
dow. looked out. bordering, then re
turned to the couple.
land your to the woman. You ar
willing to marry man who has kille,
his wife,
81 am
"'Do you not fear to live with sucl
MANI
I "'He has not been worse than L.
"'What were you sent here for"
+ killing my husband
again the priest walked away, pom
e dered and returned.
WELL he said, if you two are will
4 ing to marry each other. see no res
D son why | should not marry you
! And he did. That was twenty year
8 ago. Mrs. Hull is now fifty years ole
i and her husband is fifty-two. The
n | rprtph Tod