Dewey County advocate. [volume] (Timber Lake, S.D.) 1910-1913, 1913-06-13

tur--ed out the same way myself. Tho
actual business Of stealing didn't
make any hit with me; knew it was
wrong and that there couldn't any
good come of it. Right here / want
to say that feel the same way about
stealing today, although l have been
thief all my life. and II got out Of
prison would probably be one again.
1t wasn't the wish to do wrong that
made me crook. 1t was Just that
wanted money and burglary looked
like the easiest way of getting It
It was easy, too. The first trick
turned alone netted me $3.50, and at
that l only got about third Of the
real value Of my haul, owing to the
fact that / did not know any reliable
fence and had to dispose Of my stun
to a pawnbroker. then tied up with
couple of experts named Chuck
Sullivan and Jim Rice-both dead now
and we toured the country together,
averaging 5000 or 5000 each q week
Mo- professionals alive could do that
now. let alone kid just starting in 1t
the business. When we got into q
house all we had to do was to locate
the place were they kept the jewelry
and we were ready to beat it with .
good profit. That wouldn't work now,
because most people who have valu-
able jewelry keep it in the safe de-
post vault. But It worked then.
and for six years ! made money a.
easy as though ] were picking it up
out Of the street.
In 1883 ( dropped for my first ex-
perience in prison. had got into .
house in New York city, and while
going through it was surprised by the
return of the owners. There were two
men. l put up the biggest fight Of my
life, but they got me. pleaded guilty
to a charge Of burglary, and was sen
fenced to Elmira reformatory. want
to say right here that it would have
been better for myself and better for
the community II l had been SEN
fenced to die. Any reform l had in
me was soon taken out. The reforma-
tory is still bad. but in those days it
was simply a school Of crime.
It's funny thing, when I stop
to think of any Of the fellows I've
worked with, it's fifty to one that l
met them In prison. Two months after
got out of Elmira l was working
with the former Lew Warner, who
while was behind the bars had
coached me for the examinations
which had to take before l could get
my parole! For years afterward I
kept remeeting old prison mates, and
on at least two occasions when l had
determined to turn over q new leaf It
was these meetings which put me
back where I had started. Nearly an
my pals have been men / have met In
Elmira, Sing Sing or Dannemora-not
the people have become acquainted
with on the outside. ~.
1T will be this way. suppose. just
as long as prisons exist. Only those
who are acquainted with such condi-
tons can realize the advantages Of the
present system of paroling first Of
tenders. Any way look at It the state
was foolish to send me to Elmira. It
didn't impress me with the majesty Of
the law. because I got out by a trick.
just as lots Of others do. Lew Warner
not only coached me for my examina-
tons but framed it up with a friend
on the outside-a fence-to vouch for
my future good behavior. It was a
careful frame-up and it worked. It's
just as well that it did, because the
reformatory wasn't teaching me any
thing but bad. There were oficial
abuses. just as there are and always
must be in all prisons, and these made
me hate society.
Now, l had been a thief for 4 good
many years. but / had never before
felt 1t was justified After my re-
formatory term I always excused my.
self with the thought that was get.
ting back at society. My three bits IN
Sing Sing and DannemoralI have
spent about IL years in prison
altogether served to strengthen this
feeling. Experiences has taught me