The San Francisco call., 1910-02-20
"The Dragnet"
By Elizabeth Bak

hS
By Elizabeth Baker Bohan. illustrated hy
Langdon Smith. Publisher c. Nj. Clark COM
pany, Boston.
It'is not possible to read The Drag
net" without recalling what Charles
Dickens did to uncover the wretched
institutions Of his time. Not that the
author, Elizabeth Baker Bohan, even
suggests the English novelist in style
but that she weaves her story with
conviction and makes it picturesque
withal Her style is clear and simple
Her philosophy is gentle and humane
and it is never given in too large doses.
The dedication of the work is Ito the
unfortunates who have suffered injury
by reason of the unchristian admins
tration of our penal institutions.
The first chapter of this novel deals
with the evils of the fee system. a state
of affairs handled at length and in the
very beginning of the book published
by the Prison Reform league. 1t pic
lures a wandering boy on his way home
to the mother who knew not where he
had gone. The lad in order TO save
his few remaining dollars walked away
from the highway to eat, unobserved,
the biscuits he had in his pocket. He
was but 20 miles from home. An old
tramp followed the lad and asked for
some of his food. The boy was divid-
ing his meager portion when consla-
BILE appeared and arrested them, the
bow protesting his innocence. His
struggle added resisting an officer
to the charge of ''vagrancy, and the
blow struck by the officer seriously in
jured the lad. There was great delay
and unspeakable jail conditions before
the trial. then a 60 day sentence at
hard labor While serving this the
boy escaped and reached his mother;
his identity was revealed by a fellow
prisoner. The lad was hunted down.
In his desperation he shot one or his
pursuers, the remaining officer fired
and killed him and the mother dropped
dead from the shock. The constable
who did the shooting was young man
of wealth. who had taken his position
as means toward enlightenment and
as a diversion as WELL The horror Of
the experience turned him into jill
lanthropist, a socialist.
The love theme is coincident with all
his experiences. 1t develops in minor
kew through endless intricacies, but
finally come the redemption and hap
piness of all concerned. The worldly
mother of the hero, Prentiss Morello,
has to learn her lesson.
small newspaper! called the Drag
net" established by Morello, plays an
important part in the story. 1t branches
off into general undertaking because
back of prison abuses are the political
tricksters. The organization of
prison reform league is vital part of
Morello's social work.
me author rises many times in this
.,,ury to intense dramatic situations
presenting vital scenes. In one, when
rIorello, the husband before the law
of Dolores, finds her in danger from
the man who lured her from her Eng
lish home the story runs:
"For moment there was deadly
quiet. Dolores, catching her breath,
looked at her husband and saw the
primitive man. Redding looked at him
and saw the elemental creature de-
picted in his face, his face, that ex-
pressed neither malignity nor hatred,
but dire comprehension, irresistible de-
termination and immcasurable satis-
faction.
1T was only a moment they stood