The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1913-11-13
HAVE BECOME
HONEST men
William A. Pinkerton Says That Criminals
do Reform. Not Alone the First
Timers, but Those Known as Hardened
Criminals are Reformed. The Man
Pinkertoa Knows Whereof He Speaks.

Pinketon Knows Whereof He Speaks.
A representative of the New York
Herald interviewed William A. Pink
erton on the subject of the reform
of criminals. The following are
some of the forcible statements by
this great authority:
Do criminals ever reform, really
turn over a new leaf, and become
good ci,izens?"
/ fired the question at random, lit
tie dreaming what wealth of inter-
esting and convincing anecdote it
would evoke. / expected the time
honored cynical reply, something to
the effect of ''Once thief, always a
thief" But / was Disappointed
agreeabIy disappointed. For my
answer was quick, emphatic, earn
est YES"
And the man who said Yes" was
William A. Pinkerton. and he
knows.
Probably no living man knows
more intimate details about the indi-
vidual members of the underworld,
those who are active criminals to-
day, as we'll as the notorious crooks
of the past, than the head of the
Pinkerton Detective Agency. And
every crook will tell you, what every
honest man who knows Mr.. Pinker
ton will tell you. that when he says
Yes there is nopossibility that the
correct answer should be No"
81 know what the average man
thinks-that real crook never turns
straight. But it isn't so. Thousands
of crooks-and | don't mean one
time offenders, but men in the class
we call hardened criminals have
become honest men to my knowl-
edge. It's not true, as some rec mt
writer said. that as many crooks
turn honest as there are honest men
turn crooked, but [ believe that one
of the reasons is that 80 few men
are willing TO lend helping hand.
I don't mean that every crook is
ready 10 reform if he is encouraged,
but do mean that Society makes it
hard for any man who has once been
a criminal to lead an honest life.
s'And I'll tell you another thing"
continued Mr.. Pinkerton; Pm
prouder of the fact that / have help
ed few criminals to become honest
men than of all the work l have
done in putting criminals behind the
bars. I'm proud that every crim:-
nal knows that Pinkerton will deal
sauarely with him if he will deal
squarely with Pinkerton-that l be-
lieve it is as important to keep faith
with bank thief as with a bank
president.
Il know score Of men in Chica-
saloonkeepers, but reputa-
BILE merchants-who have criminal
records. These men have done time
and have paid their debt to society
for their crimes. I cannot tell you
their names, for it would be unfair
to them and to their wives and fam
lilies, many of whom have no
suspicion that there is anything
wrong in the pasts of their husbands
and fathers. Besides, when Society
discovers that a man is a former
criminal it is not content to cancel
the debt, no matter how much i'm
prlsonment at hard labor the former
crook may have given in expiatIon
of his sin.
II know men in trusted positions
in New York who were inmates. In
many cases only the man himself
and his employer know the secret,
and sometimes the employer does
not know it. / know scattered all
over the West business men, pro-
fessional men, many Of them wealthy
and prominent citizens-who have
seen the inside of Joliet, Moyamen-
sing, Sing Sing or Leavenworth.
They have sons and daughters who