The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-04-08
SPENDS Il OF z
YEARS In PRISON
Two Great States On Trial in Re-
markable Case of Young Man
: Under Arrest For Larceny.

CLEVELAND, O.. April Tin the
coming trial for larceny OF Joseph
'S1esinger, or Chicago. the state OF Hi
nois is on trial, and the state OF Ohio
yes, and the whole penal system OF
the country.
Joe is % years cid. He has been
In prison IA years. Since he was
boy OF sight-he has had but four
months OF liberty.
Just four months TO be a boy
that's all. Four months to learn self
reliance, and the use OF money. and
how TO take care VI Dimself and fight
his own battles. And now boyhood
Is gone.
Just as boyhood holds no memories
for Joe Slesinger, so MANHOOD has no
promise. It's prison for him-again.
For. they will send him "over the
.soad" again. Never -worry-as u that.
See what they've done already.
At something aud seven. Joe a
homeless. fatherless and shivering
pewsboy. committed the crime OF
-sleeping in a sheltered doorway. He
went to the state reform school, where
he spent IL years.
At IL Joe broke away. Being hungry
and without money, he raised the win.
DOW or store and took one toaf OF
bread. -~.---'s~s ~~~
-~--For stealing one loaf OF bread, ono
year in the penitentiary.
---~After this he grew downright vi.
= cious and stole q whole meal at res.
lptaurant--butter and q slice OF. meat
and an apple, and some milk. as we'll
: ~ bread. Another year In the pen.
- They were waiting for him at the
: door when be came out-these strange
men who had taken on themselves
the ordering OF this boys life. They
had a new warrant. Joe had stolen
some money from his employer dur
ing the three mouths between his first
: and hts second year at the Columbus,
. o., penitentiary.
sNeThree thefts--a nights sleep In
cold doorway, q loaf of bread, and
full meal-these had been the crimes
Fourteen years in prison had been
the punishment.
And now he's taken money, they
say.
II the police and state officials. who
are wiser than little boys, have made
any mistake In dealing with Joe
Slesinger, 1t won't be on their heads
long. or course, his life is ruined
his boyhood wasted, his manhood
robbed of its opportunity-but the
ruins won't be visible much longer.
For, luckily, Joe has contracted tuber-
culosis. Good place to get IL, Column
bus is-with its dark, cold. damp.
Ill
! snd he will surely get the term--then
the state will hear no more from this
young man
Maybe he'd be better of that way
But let. US Just suppose for minute
that In some strange court the, grea.
and prosperous commemorative OF
Ohio and Illinois--mOthers Of presI-
dents and OF Americas greatest men
were on trial. And that Joe Sizes.
niger was the prosecuting attorney
summing up the case against them.
You, Illinois," he could say you
sent your policemen after me AMI
drove me out of your greatest city
You said should rot work on the
street, and you wouldn't care for me
as child.
at wasn't my fault tina. had no
mother. II isn't my fault that she
died the morning I was horn. Nor
is II strange that. shouldn't wish
!. to live with the cruel and unloving
old woman who sent me into the street
to work, and whipped me nightly to
make sure That | Brought back every
penny I earned.
And you. Ohio, you treated mo
coldly from the night | tumbled ous
of freight car in your chief city.
You sent your policemen after me.
tfoo