The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-08-17
BnITON HAS RECORD
FOR lMpRIS0NMENTS
Robert Lawson Has Been
Placed Behind the Jail Bars
Ill Times.

From the Philadelphia North America
Ii some 35 Years & the magistrate
who was passing sentence on Robert
Lawson had said, "Thirty-five years in
the house of correction it wouldn't
have been a joke. Lawson is the cor
rection's steady" The place wouldn't
be the same If he wasn't there. Dur
ing his lifetime he has been sentenced
to the Holmesburg retreat Ill times.
Criminals of all classes-murderers.
burglars, highwaymen-have served
out their terms in that time; but poor
Lawson is still patrolling the grounds.
Nevertheless. he is a privileged char
acter and is allowed to roam abou and
do pretty much as he pleases. No Won
der. He knows more abou the place
than the Oldest guards or keepers.
The police in Kensington have al
Ways considered Lawson a pretty hard
case" That's where his old Eaunts
were n where he spends his little va
cations. Sometimes these last a day
or two at the end of the six-month sem
fences; sometimes wen 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 a splendid opinion OF
himseif-far better than the police
have. He was interviewed at what
might be called his home a short time
ago. The interviewer was surprised
when the man was ushered into the re-
ce:ying room. Every rough looking
customer that approached might nave
been lawson; but instead a meek litt
tie nan about 60 years old, whom you
would say couldn't hurt a fly, came in.
He is about 8 feet Z inches tall; his
hair has turned gray and he has little
blue eyes, which are generally cast to
the floor unless Lawson wan to
~strenuously deny some remark made
about him, when he stares straight at
his interviewer.
Now 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 the place opened, but it's not
true. No, sir; not q bit Of it. Why,
I've only been coming here about "a
years; that's all. How many sentences
in that time? Oh, about 35 or 40. The
paper said that I've Deer here So
times, but there is no truth il that.
The are exaggerating."
But Lawson had evidently forgotten
a number of his sentences, despite the
fact that he tried to get some of the
OitSA NSSpSio W PioFC HIS WOluS.
Horace l.. Davenport, the master
warden, has the record of every pris-
oner ever brought up the river" and
Lawson's record shows that he has
made III trips. Mr.. Davenport said
that in the early days, when Lawson
drunk and ~disorderly;" but nova
days they are just plain drunk"
Well, to get back to Lawson's de-
Tense. I'm not a bad sort Of fellow at
all. Why. they won't give me a
chance" (By ''they'' is meant the po-
lice.) INC. sir; just as soon as I get
out they nab me, and the first thing I
know is that l wake up and find N.Y.
self arrested. Is it the same fellow
hat pinches me all the time? Well, to
tell you the truth, sir, I really don't
know. You see, l generally meet the
old boys after I get out and we have
a good time, and that's the end Of it.
Now it's only natural, after being away
from them so long, that I would want
to see my old friends once again.
They are always glad to see me, too.
me drinks Follow, and that Is as much
as I can remember. l fall asleep on
some doorstep and am pitched into the
patrol: and that's the reason I don't
see the policeman. Why don't I go
somewhere else? Well, I wouldn't be
as content. You see, I was born and
raised in Kensington, and L like to get
around the old hooks and corners /
have nephews and nieces living at
Goth and Waverly streets. / guess /
would be welcome there; but I like
Kensington better.
But I would be freer in any other
section? Yes. sir. I bet you that I
could get arrested dozens Of times
downtown, or somewhere else, and
would get off scot free. Why, hun
dreds of other fellows get a little in
toxicated and nothing is done to them.
But that is not the case in Kensing-
ton. They know me too well. Just as
soon as I 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:
but not SO with Scott. It's always six
months.
Scott knows me too well. YOU see.
I've lived in his neighborbood all NV
life. and probably he thinks this Is the
best place for me. But I can't under
stand why. for I've never done any
thing except take a drop Of liquor once
in a while. And I can't do that with
out being put on the boat. Tn I'M
lucky; that's all there is to it. Why,
there's lots of fellows far worse thar
ME out in the world"
e he looked at himself and his
stripes. But poor me! This is where
/ have to spend my days.!
Lawson explained that he was q
driver: but he seldom gets a chance e
drive, except the wagon on the farm
occasionally. He drove a carriast
when he was taking his six months
cure.
When Lawson left to &C back on the
farm. one of the guards said: 'Lawsor
is a fine man. the best we have here,
He never gives any trouble, and he Is
a friend of everybody. His only fault
is hat he can't keep away from the
iiiduor when he Is III the city, and II
takes very little to put him OUT But
he has it much much better here thar
IL he was walking the streets Of tho
city. OF course, he has to wear the
stripes; but he is privileged to 2
where ne wHnrs witnin the BOUNDARY
lines, and to do as he pleases. Nc
tabs are kept IN him. and he neyeI
abuses his privileges"
Tho BABY Likes Being Automatic.
From Success Magazine.
ITO tell you the whole bitter truth
the baby does not mind being made
automatic says Ellis Parker Butler
In an article in Success Maga,;ae