Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-08-17
BRlTON HAS RECORD
FOR IMPRIS0NMENTS
Robert Lawson Has Been
Placed Behind the Jail Bars
Ill Times.

From the Philadelphia North American.
If some So years ago the magistrate
who was passing sentence on Robert
Lawson had said, "%Thirty-hve years IN
the house of correction it wouldn't
have been u joke. Lawson is the cor
rection's steady" The place wouldn't
be the same ii he wasn't there. Dur.
ing has lifetime he has been sentenced
to the johannesburg retreat Ill times.
Criminals of all Observation-Disclosures,
burglars, highwaymen-have served
out their terms in that time; but poor
Lawson is still patcolling the grounds.
Nevertheless, he is IA privileged char
acter and is allowed to roG.sl about and
do pretty much as he pleases. No Won
der He knows more about the place
than the oldest guards or keepers.
The police in kensington have all
ways considered Lawson a pretty hard
case. That's where his old haunts
We're and where he spends his little va
cations. Sometimes these last a day
or two at the end of the six-month Sem
fences; sometimes even a week. Yes.
and a few years ago Lawson was out
for six whole months. He was trying
a new tangled cure. and it worked
we'll for a while-until Lawson fell Oft
the wagon.
Lawson has 4 splendid opinion OF
hlmseifIfar better than the police
have He was interviewed at whay
might be called his home a short time
ago. The interviewer was surprised
when the ma was ushered into the re,
ceiving room. Every rough looking
customer that approached might have
been l-awson; but instead a meek lit
tie man about SO years old whom you
would say couldn't hurt a fly, came in.
He is about 5 feet Z inches tall; his
hair has turned gray and he has little
blu eyes, which are generally cast IT,
the floor unless Lawson wants to
about him, when he stares straight a:
his interviewer.
Nov look here, I'm not as bad a
fellow as some people try to make out.
1t has been said that I've been here
since he place opened. but it's nos
true. No, sir; not a bit of it. Why.
I've only been coming here about 2.
years; that's all. How many sentences.
In that time? Oh, about 35 or 40. The
papers said that I've been here 81
times, but there is no truth in that
They are exaggerating."
But Lawson had evidently forgotten
a number of his sentences, despite tha
fact that he tried to get some of the
older keepers to prove his words.
Horace l.. Davenport. the maste.
warden, has the record of every pris-
oner ever brought up h river" and
made Ill trips. Mr.. Davenport saia
that in the early days. when Lawson
was more spry, these we're for beina
drunk and disorderly:'' but nova
days they are just plain drunk"
Well, to get back to Lawson's de.
all. Why. they won't give me q
chance" (By they" is meant the pc.
lice.) mo. sir; just as soon as / ger
out they nab me. and the first thing }
know is that l wake up and find my.
self arrested. Is it the same fellow
that pinches me all the time? Well, e.
tell you the truth. sir. 1 really don {.
know. You see, l generally meet thu
old boys after l get out and we have
a good time, and that's the end of it
Now it's only natural. after being ava.
from them so long, that [ would wan,
to see my old riends once again.
They are always glad to see me. too
The drinks follow, and that is as much
as l can remember. l fall asleep Oh
some doorstep n am pitched into tn
patrol: and that's the reason 1 dont
see the policeman. Why don't q,
somewhere else? Well, wouldn't be
as content, You see. l was born anG
raised in kensington. and l Ike to get
around the old hooks and corners. ]
have nephews and nieces living a.
10th and Waverly streets. / guess J
would be welcome there; but / like
Kensingtcn better.
But L would be freer in any otFe,
section? Yes, sir. l bet you that j
could get arrested dozens of times,
downtown, or somewhere else, and
would get off scot free. Why, hum
dreds Of other fellows get a little in
toxicated n nothing is lone to them.
But that is not the case in k%ensing-
ton. They know me too we'll. just az
soon as l am brought before Magis-
trate Scott I know before he says it
that six months is the House of Cor
rection' is going to follow. Other
judges have given me 60 and 80 days:
months
Scott knows me too Well, you see.
I've lived in his n~eighborhood all my
life, and probably he thinks thls is the
best place for me. But 1 can't under
stand why. for I've never done any
thing except take a drop of liquor once
in a while. And l can't do tina with
out being put on the boat. I'm un-
lucky: that's all there is to it. Why,
there's lots of fellows far worse than
me out in the world"
Then he looked at himself and his
stripes. But poor me! This is where
! a W to spend my days."
Lawson explained hat he was a
driver; but he seldom gets a chance to
drive. except the wagon on the farm
occasionally. He drove a carriage
when he was taking his six months
cure.
When Lawson left to go back on the
farm. one of the guards said: dawson
is a fine man. the best we nave here.
He never gives any trouble, and he is
' ~ ~So-1 ~ =,