The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-01-12
M0RGANFIELD'S
SPEECH
Addresses Audience in Academy
of Music, Richmond.
CHARGES AGAINST MANAGEMENT

About five hundred people heard
Charles Morganfeld, the train robber
lately released after a term in the pen
itentiary, deliver what he called a
lecture directed at the convict labor
system Of Virginia Tuesday night at the
Academy of Music, Richmond. He
chose for his subject Fifteen Years in
He'll" Morganfeld spoke for fifty-five
minutes, and received considerable APP
plause. He was evidentally pleased
with his reception.
The occasion was unique. A man who
was a desperate criminal occupying the
stage Of the leading theatre IN Rich
mond. The audience was made up OF all
classes and conditions,
The man denounced the Thacker Shoe
Company, which operates the factories
in which the prisoners work. lie as
serted that good workmen are kept in
prison by false marks and charges to
prevent their release on parole and thus
to add to the profits of the shoe concern.
Morganfeld presented not an unin-
teresting figure. Large, with smooth
face, which shows power in ever Inca
ment. with gray hair, he is rather hand
some. Given a good suit of clothes, a
hair cut, shampoo and other modern
treatments, he would make an exceed
ingly creditable appearance.
He seemed not devoid of humor, yet
the inevitable iron of prison life had
scared his soul and made him bitter,
vindctve. unreasoning, and while he
showed feeling more than once, there
were times when this emotion, revealed
through the eyes and lips. showed the
tigerish impulses of the desperate out
cast
The ex-conyict, who intimated during
his remarks that this is not his real
name. held up and robbed passenger
train, near AQUA Creek, on the R., +.
& z. r. X. in 1894. After the robbery
he sent the engine at full speed up the
track, where, but for a fortunate cir
cumstance, il would have cOllided with
a train bearing scores Of people.
He was given Is years in the
penitentiary, and served fifteen
years and eight months, having been
released only a few days ago. An
accomplice named Searcy, who turn
ed States evidence. got off with
eight years II was stated that
Morganfield had sworn vengeance
against Searcy II he ever found
him, and ii is understood that Scar
cy has several times sent out an
n0uncementE that he Is daed
No one introduced Morganfield.
IHFR on
his crutches when the curtain rose,
waving his arm to the audience. He
walked up and down necessarily
during the lecture. using sometimes
one crutch, sometimes both. Sew
eral times he took counsel with
men In the wings as to the loudness
of his voice and as 10 the length
OF his remarks.
He rambled to such an extent
that a connected account OF his
charges is impossible. His voice
was fairly good. but his delivery
and language poor.
Beginning with the assertion that
II he told all he knew he would be
hanged and the audience would
hang all the penitentiary officials.
Morganficld announced his mission
TO make the shoe shop leave Ore
gon Hill" Every word sent out
by the management OF the prison
about conditions there he declared
to be a lie. They had lied about
him and about everybody else. he
said
These things he spoke Of as ex-
listing at this day. although some
OF the incidents related referred
to periods under former manage
ments.
There is blood. asserted Morgan
field. on every pair Of shoes turn
ed out.
For himself. he had never made
any shoes. Yet he had been pun
ished. he said. under false charges.
although he did not explain why he
should have been punished when his
work did not go 10 the shoe com
pany. He was beaten three times
and put in solitary confinement for
saying he would complain 10 the
Governor II he was made to work
on one day when unable TO do so.
For this he was put down in the
records as having assaulted an Of
ficer. This was the worst thing he
did during his term according TO
his statement.
Various more or less wild asser-
tions were made. One OF these
was that prisoners in the peniten-
tiary are all right save on some oc-
casions, while the management Is all
wrong on all occasions.
There are boozers in the peniten-
tiary among the officials. said Nor
garfield, and he made dark threats
that he would reveal the fell secret
of their names some day. He is go
ing to lecture some more. he said.
having for his object the amelio-
ration of conditions under the big
top"