The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-14
ARTIST Thief DYING
Genius, Who Is Burglar, Nears
End in Prison.
William Dunn Cared For by New
York Salvation Army, But Yields
to the Lure Of Crime-Wlns
Governors Notice.

New York.-Word comes from Dan.
nemora prison that William Dunn, ~
fist by temperament, burglar and
highwayman because, as he said, he
could not control his impulses toward
crime, 10 dying there of tuberculosis.
As Is common with sufferers from that
disease, his mind at every rally builds
castles for the future. all based on an
honest life; but Doctor Ransom. the
hospital physician, says the last stage
has been reached and he may die any
day.
Many families in the upper part Of
the city have on their walls examples
Of Dunn's art. Although uninstructed
In any school, he had the knack Of
reproducing familiar objects In faith.
ful likeness. and his pencil and brush
earned him an easy living when hs
chose to employ them.
He would paint roses, looking %
II fresh picked, on q common thin.
wood holder, the kind on which but.
ter Is trayed. and they were eagerly
bought. Whenever he tried more last.
Ing work purchasers seemed almost
equally eager to buy ct better prices.
He never lacked a market when he
wanted 1t. but he has spent twenty.
ono of his thirty.seven years In prison.
due to his inability to resist the lure
Of crime.
In prison his work has been as pro-
life as circumstances would permit.
The keepers have let him keep pen
ellis in his cell and sometimes colors.
There was no market there, and when
he made his sketches he gave them
freely to other prisoners. One of
them, a picture in colors of the Vir-
gin, was retained by the warden, who
framed 1t and hung It in the prison
chapel.
1t attracted the attention of Gov.
ernor Dix on a visit to the prison
shortly before the end Of his term OF
office. When Warden Kaiser in
formed him that prisoner had paint.
ed 1t the governor said he would like
to see him. Dunn was brought for.
ward. His disease had already marked
him.
did you paint that picture?" the
governor asked.
II did," Dunn replied, timidly.
You are too good man to be In
JAIL" the governor said, land will
see that you get out"
Other affairs must have driven the
incident from the governors mind, for
nothing came Of It.
Dunn began his present term Of ten
years in Dannemora in November.
1911. For some time before that he
had occupied basement room in the
Salvation Army employment agency
In Thirteenth street west Of Sixth
avenue, where Envoy Thomas Ander-
son, who looks after discharged and
paroled prisoners, had fitted him out
with working material.
Every night Anderson took the days
collection Of sketches and colors to
meetings where he spoke, told the
story Of the prisoner who was trying
to get on his feet and let the audience
carry the work away. leaving for It
whatever money they liked. Good re-
turns were coming in daily by this
means when, suddenly and without
warning, Dunn failed to appear In his
basement studio. On Anderson's reg
ular visit to the Tombs the next Fri.
day Dunn was there.
What was the natter" the envoy
asked.
Il couldn't help It; always told
you couldn't help IT," Dunn an.
swered.
Weren't you doing we'll, and didn't
we treat you nicely7"
Yes; I must be insane" said Dunn.