The Holbrook news., 1912-07-19
IN LAND OF CRIME OFFICIAL FOR MANY YEARS IS
 cORGED WITH MURDERS.
Views of F. c. FreyIlng, Who Knows the Underworld, on the Require ments of Prisoners and the
 Causes of Offenses.

London.-For nearly half a century
 have been associated in an official
 capacity with that curious, but in
 tensely interesting, section of human
 ity known as the underworld. F. G.
 Freyling writes in London Answers
 It is a strange and mystic region. In
 1t dwell actual characters whose doing
 and emotions are more amazing than
 any portrayed by even the most vivid
 and imaginative novelist
 I have been engaged officially in
 many of the most sensational crimes
 particularly murders-of recent times.
 It has not been at all uncommon for
 me to have to listen to the details of
 murders for a whole week at time.
 Indeed, I remember the late Justice
 Hawkins, afterward Baron Brampton,
 trying four murders at the Old Bailey in one week. All of them were sen fenced to death And later Justice Darling in my presence tried three in forty-eight. hours. In these cases, too, the dread sentence of death was passed, but two of the men were re- prieved. I was officially engaged in all these prosecutions.
 For thirty-one years, at least, have been gorged with crime, and I cannot for one moment believe that a man who has been thus employed can emerge from the ordeal otherwise than with his ideas as to some people be- ing somewhat distorted.
 It has been pointed out to me that in the many years I have been en- gagged in criminal work I have had endless opportunities of doing good in the shape of advice, warnings and ex- hortations to discharged prisoners and their friends and relatives. Has any body except the court missionaries, the probation officers and clergy whose duty 1t is, tried to induce a prisoner to reform and lead a better life? i And. if so, with what result?
 In my humble way have delivered | many a lecture to prisoners friends and relatives and on three occasions. at least, prisoners whom I have prose cuted have come to me, after serving | their sentences, and thanked me for my conduct.
 But my experience has been that prisoners don't want your advice. and they don't want your lectures. What they want Is money which might en- able them to live honestly after their discharge Without it they must either starve or thieve.
 It is no use giving man religious tract when he wants food. Try lit tie of both and you may succeed. But the effort must be sustained or your subject will inevitably drop back into evil courses.
 Statistics of crime, need 1t be said, only include judicially condemned criminals. Hidden crime far exceeds crime. Thousands of cases tried in court are never reported to the public, nor could they be; and there must be large numbers of cPim- nal matters which never come before he courts at all, because of certain iificulties in the way of prosecution. Indeed, can assure my readers that he official career of a man compelled 70 be always looking at the seamy side of nature Is not one to be envied.
 Now, there appear to me to be two productive causes of crime. One Is he nature of the individual, the other lis or her social environment.
 It is, of course, not a mans fault hat he is born bad. and from his earli- sst childhood Is brought up in the midst of crime. It is, however, unlike y that he will, under these circum- stances, escape contamination. But, his unfortunate. lot. le must be punished, when he com nits crime, that others may be de erred and his particular crime re- pressed, if possible.