The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-11

penitentlary, however. show that he
was disciplined on several occasions.
His chief target seemed to be the shoe
company, which has q contract with
the State for the work of the con-
yicts, and his every remark about this
Boston firm brought clapping. 1t us
ualiy starting from the same quarters
OF the house each time.
The ectnre was not prepared by
Morgantieid. 1t was an impromptu
affair, delivered without notes, order.
sequence ar system. and because OF
M~organtield's inexperience on the plat
form. his Hyena-iike movements
across the stage, and the rambling.
disconnected way in which he talk
ed, 1t was difficult to follow him.
Among other things, he declared
that the copy of his record given him
when he quilted the penitentiary vas
q lie from start to finish, but never
explained why he thought so. He
said the guards at the penitentiary
provoked conyicts into using abusive
language that the prisoners might be
whipped. given demerits and thus rob-
bed of the usual four days a month
off for good behavior. so the State
might get an additional s1.ss-rour
iiillfS - EIts-W hittl kht &lApE GOiIa-
pany pay for the daily services for
each convict.
InterSperses Humor.
Morganfield proved conciusivels
thai his fifteen years Of imprisonment
had s~harpened rather than dullsd
his sense of funror. He made many
jests and near Jests which caught
the crowd" and brought applause
which drowned his speech for a few
seconds.
Tho merriment reached Its height.
however, when ne declared that he.
a cripple and exempt from working,
according to the surgeons certificate,
had broken up all the rock for the
concrete in the court yard. and that
he was not allowed to walk on II.
TT struck me hat IL anybody had
a right to walk on h a concrete 1t
was l who had cracked all the stone"
declared the speaker.
He said he was tainted at the penI-
tentiary with EFT viii be a cold day
when Morganfeld gets out"
And 1t was a cold day in January
when | did get out. Mighty cold
said Morganfield.
Peals of laughter rang out when
Morganfield, after commenting on the
food he had toSeat and charaeterizing
IL do iIBL III iOI q dOks oSCfdIEu,
And while / am talking about food,
let me tell you about two thousand
goats which were running at large
on the street of Richmond, and which
the authorities said they intended fer
tilizing. They did fertilize them at
the penitentiary."
For the most part, the lecture was
composed of general statements to the.
effect that "the tconvicts were all
right. except some times. but the PEN
itentiary officials were all wrong all
the time" and hat prisoners were
treated "inhumanely, cruelty and out
ragecusly."
Morganfield made several attempts
to talk about his record and the pun
ishments referred to In 1t. but repeat
eddy di dressed and told blu little of
his own experiences. He declared he
knew enough ia hang all the penl-
tertiary officials, and was also well In
formed on Virginia politics and In
tended fighting the powerful lobby
the p~enitentiary maintains in the
Legislature. so that prisoners may be-
dealt with fairly and humanely and
that shoe shop elosed.n
First Punishment.
Referring TO his arst punishment
he recited the following story: "A few
days after Iwas sent to the peniten-
tiary the superintendent said he had
an Important let err from my sister,
Sarah. He asked me If ] had a sister,
Sarah, and ] told him to tell me what
In the letter, He asked me If |
had eyer been In Maine and l told
him no. He asked me ii Morgan-
field was my right name. and ) told
him that was none Of his business,
that he had the name Mprganfeld
from the court which sent me- To tbs