The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-01-11
MwORGANF|ELDW WILL
TOUR THE STATE
Ex- Convict to go all Over Vir-
ginia and Lecture on Alleged
Cruelties at Penitentiary
ANNOUNCES INTENTION
OF WRITING A BOOK
Discharged Train Robber is
Heard and Cheered by Large
Crowd at ~Academy-Has
Sense OF Humor

Encouraged by the large attend
aRe at his lecture in the ACADEMY of
Music Tuesday night and the hearty
applause which greeted his u~tterances
concerning abusive practices at the
penitentiary, Charles Morganfield,
who was liberated from the peniten-
tiary last week after serving fifteen
years for stealing $3.50 from an ex-
press car and sending a wild engine
along the tracks to meet an oncoming
passenger train. intends touring the
State.
Morganfela has declared his inten-
ton of visiting every city and town
In Virginia In which he can obtain a
ball and telling of the crueliies he
saw inflicted on his fellow prisoners
In the p~enitentiary. and the fnistreat-
ment to which he says he was sub
Jected, He also purposes writing a
book.
A Ray of Hope.
The e~x-convict declared emphatical-
ly Tuesday night that he was not
ieCturing for the money he might re-
ceise. but to send back a ray of hope
to those thousand men on Oregon
Hill, and let them know that they
nave at least one friend In the world
willing to brave the dangers Incident
to exposing penitentiary methods"
The crowd which heard Morgan
Held talk for a little less than an
hour was surprisingly large, the en-
tire first floor being filled. the first
balcony having but few vacant seats
and the top gallery being packed.
~Aorganiield is believed to have real
lied close to $500 on his first lee
ture, the boxes, several of which were
Hlled, selling fer 81, orchestra and
first balcony seats going for SO cents
and the gallery seats at rs cents. The
audience was composed chiefly of
WorkingmGn and familiar figures
along the Broad street n with
a literal sprinkling Of youths and
about six women.
Alter much handcla piping whistling
ana many cat calls, the curtain went
up shortly after S:30 O'Clock. and
Morganfield, carrying crutches under
his arms, walked briskly on to the
stage and acknowledged the hand
clapping which greeted him. with a
quick wave Of his right hand.
Apparently no one was on hand to
Introduce him. He began his lecture
~ saying he thought everyone in
richmond knew him 10y this time. and
IL not, he was Morganfeld, whom the
penitentiary officials had tried to Kill
but had not succeeded.
Mqrganheld scored his first bulls
eye with the audience 81 few moments
after he began by saying: They have
made me cry for mercy many a time,
ana ! shant let up until have them
begging fer mercy at ray hands, and
untii | put that shoe factory over on
oregon Hill out of business"
n eX-convlct declared that he
knew a great deal which he could
not tell for two reasons, which were:
first, that If he did the good people
Of Richmond would go to the peni-
Tertiary, tear 1t down and murder
every official in il. and. second, that
the ~penitentiary officials might catch
him on the street and lynch him for
telling the truth. He said he intend
ed speaking but an hour. and this
was too short IL time in which to
crowd fifteen years of narrowing ex-
periences such as he endured, but
promised to give an outline in his
first lecture Inc details in subsequent
talks.
Ever on the. Move.
Throughout the lecture. which Nor
garfield delivered while walking back
n forward over the. stage. waxing
}'hFS hand III an oratorical fashion,
often raising his voice to a scream
and later modulating 1t to a quaver-
ing tone. he assailed the penitentiary
officials for compelling men to work
In the shoe factory. He declared thai
men were being murdered by the
Wholesale by the guards and attend
ants n Others were unmercifulfy
beaten that they might curse and
abuse tile officials and thus furnish
the latter with justification on the
books for the beatings.
Although Morgantield frequently re-
ferred to the inhumanities practiced.
he did not actually tell of his hav-
ing been dashed. The records at the