Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-09-18
FROM PRISON HIS
SOUL SCARS ON
BACK OF PEGASUS
jailed Poet Tries to
Jimmy Way Into
ParnassuS.
is SERVING A TERM FOR
CARRYING BURGLAR TOOLS
Says He Used Magic of I'm
agination" in "Papa's Money
Cannot Buy Me-"

Cannot Buy Me.
Listen to James Hamilton, poet and
prisoner:
Singular as it is I have very Otter
written poems and acrostics OF al
kinds. but never gave this matter Q
commercial thought before"
Hamilton, who is a negro, is at pres
tiary. He is serving nine months ir
solitary confinement for carrying
burglar tools, and he has written two
songs. which he has placed in the
hands of Alonzo n. Messer. president
of the East Orange police board, with
request that they be published
Here is one of them:
"a Millionaire Girl, or Papa Cannot
Buy Me-"
Say, Bill. don't you call me a million
aires girl
For such loose words in anguish pain
me;
And, papa's money makes me in your
eyes the world:
But, Bill, you said once that you love
Chorus:
Papa's money cannot buy me;
Papa's money can only buy a tart;
Papas money would only guile me,
Papa's money cannot buy my heart
Second verse:
Bill, don't go away, I'm all alone,
Your words of yesterday beguile me
greives me,
But, | hope in heaven 1t will be e'el
atone:
SO, come back Bill, and trust your
heart with me-
Third verse:
Honey, If my words have caused yor
pain,
Put your hands in mine and let ms
kiss your tears away:
Let me take you to the Beau -bo land
n, and there refrain,
Let me make you my queen in the
far away"
Perhaps 1t is proof of his poetic
soul that Hamilton has shown traces
of insanity, and at one time was
deported from this country Com
missioner of immigration Will
Jams says also he has served time
i'm Sing Sing, but then Paul Verlaine
and Prince Kropotkin also went to
jail.
r.. 49,, r., Di hi
dom. In his letter to Mr.. Messer he
writes:
Songs are like short stories some
thing written To catch this popular
air or fancy. Something to give or
to meet local color or thought, the
light and shade ofaexpression, or, as [
have said before. 1t must be some-
thing to meet the popular air or
fancy of the community.
I'm short, therefore, [ have en-
deavored to give my song poems n
harmonious union of fiction, and of
fact-that exquisite blending of the
natural and supernatural. / have en-
deavored to give them that touch of
true feeling in real life. embelished
by the magic of imagination. Con-
two song poems, though written very
much on the impulse of the moment.
however, l have also endeavored after
the very rough drafts of the same to
render the skill of the poetical IL
cense to rythm and metre, as near as
/ possibly can
SHOULD you, therefore, condisend
to venture in this little business pro-
position with me, l would first advise
you that you give my song poems to
some of your lady friends. as to re-
view and to give you a partial criti-
cism of their opinions concerning
them.
I'm my insolation l sometimes get
ideas of lofty things-great things, of
songs, of operas, of sonnets and Of
dramas in the fictions. | feel that at
times when | am so fired with imagi-
nations, inspired as 1t were. in some
of the flights of thought, that l can
accomplish something wonderful"
The Soul's Enchantment" may be
one of the 'acrostics" that Hamilton
says he writes. Here it is:
"a little whims of fire.
The enehantment of the soul
Hidden in mans heart to light
Her castle dreams of gold.
Chorus,
Not till the soul in danger
Not till her spirit In pain,
She will choose a lover,
To love her for'er in vain.
Second verse,
A little flower of white,
The primrose of virtue came;
As angel wings took fight
From high yon hills of fnne
Third verse:
little VIII of love,
A bit of conscious humanity;