The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-10-12


pone the removal of the guards until
the conclusion of the term at the viii.
annette University. Investigation de-
veloped that one of the guards, ia
vorite of the men, was working his
way through the law course at the
school with the aid of the money he
received as guard They were unwill
ing to spoil his chances of graduation
by taking away his employment. The
guards will be dispensed with after
this season.
The results would seem to Justify
the governors belief that three-fourths
of the men who are sent to the peni-
are really not any worse offenders
than thousands who through some
turn of fortunes wheel, escape the
stigma of a penitentiary term.
Governor West was sitting in the
Warden's office one day last summer,
following meeting of the parole
DOdius at NhINH tNthlN -Ouu lltu, lhoo'
of them in their early twenties, had
come to the board and asked permits.
sion to leave the prison.
You saw those men and heard
their stories" said the Governor to his
interviewer People say that | am
sensational in my dealings with them.
That may be true--but | find their
cases are sensational. To me it Is
sensational to know that there are
men in this building who don't belong
here, whose presence here may mean
either that they are shown the right
road or the wrong-largely as we deal
with them. Here's young fellow who
has perhaps got in little trouble
through drink. | find most of these
cases result from whiskey. He's been
railroaded to the penitentiary. 1t is
at this point that he needs a helping
hand. He's ashamed to write to his
family to let them know his plight
He is in constant association with
hardened characters-there are al
ways a certain number of them in a
large prison. have been, and | pro-
pose to continue, letting such boy
out to work or on parole.
II don't believe that is sentimental
ism. | think it's good sense The on
lily time that | have been actuated by
sentimental motives, ! believe, wa.
when performer in circus playing
here in Salem, broke some law, ant
! was sent to the penitentiary. He serv
ed year, summer came around agai'
and brought the circus back with II
Some of the mans friends came to SCI
me and asked that he be pardoned.
couldn't see any particular reason 70
/ doing 1t and told them so. Later on
/ went out in the capitol grounds as tn
/ parade went by, bands playing, all tn
| glitter and lure of the circus life o.
, display. 1 thought of the poor dew
shut up in the penitentiary while hi
r friends went to to the next stand, an
+ the next So | let him out and sen
, him after them. | allowed sentiment I
. creep in that time, but the man ha
! made good and I'm not sorry" He /
= now advance agent for the circus an
). gets $3.50 per month and expenses.
;. The practical proof of the Homo
, System" at the Oregon penitentiar,
+ Of course, lies in whether 1t works O
not If it didn't work it might be IL
, teresting sentimentally but scarcel
, desirable from practical point G
3 view. But it does work. In the tw
D years just preceding the adoption @
the system-in the years 1909 an
/ l9l0--about thirty men escaped fror
: prison. Some were killed, some car
: tured, some are still at large. Sine
the Honor System" went into effec
{ three men have broken their pledges
: and taking advantage of the lack O
? guards, escaped. One has since bee
4 recaptured. This, in spite uf the fac
! that the system was tried out throug
r the long summer months, when tn
4 wanderlust, if ever, is at it's stronges
Q when the temptation to break tina
). imaginary shackle called honor
{ greatest, when it is easiest to folio,
the trail through the woods and owe
4 the hills, to sleep out-of doors under tn
< frs, and to gather what food on
q needs to sustain life until he's out c
D the danger zone.
r OF the three who went two wer
r weak, rather than vicious, too wea
). to gain the respect of the other col
y victs or to hold to the promise the
gave when they were allowed to tr
l. outside work, The other-Jess Hal
e was rather a more serious case. Jes
l. Hall came to the Oregon penitentiar