The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-19
From the Louisville courier-Journal

FROM the LOUISVILLE COuT1ef-JOufndl.
A N example of the coddling of a
"a criminal by persons who hold the
\ theory that black isn't black or
white white where crime is concerned is
the ado that is being made in New York
over a woman stenographer who has
twice pleaded guilty of forgery. She is d
bright young woman who, as her apollo
gists explain. disliles the dun routine of
work-a -day life and likes music and art
and the atmosphere that goes with music
and art
She was sent to the Bedford reforma-
tory, but when she was "gradua ted" from
that institution she returned to her weak
nesses.
The New York Tribunes report of the
case includes the following paragraphs
"She has been in the Tombs since Au-
gust 26 and has spent a good part of the
time weeping. When she appeared be-
fore Judge Mulqueen she was pale and
o-begone.
"Cnder ordinary circumstances she
would undoubtedly be sent to state prison
at Auburn for from one to 10 years. Miss
Catherine Bement Davis, head of the
Bedford reformatory, however, believes
that she is not thief in the true sense
of the word, and that if she is sent to
Bedford again she can be sured. She has
urged Judge Mulqueen to send her there
rather than to Auburn
Miss Davis said that it would be
great loss to the world if the young
woman were sent TO state prison. She is
a woman of talent and extraordinary abil-
ity, Miss Davis says During her first
term in Bedford she acted as secretary
to Miss Davis and assisted in the admin
istrative work of the office.
Judge Mulqueen is geratly interested
in the case and is having it thoroughly
investigated. So far as he can learn the
girls sole use for the money she OBJ
tained by forgery was to get glimpse
of that other life which she craved. Judge
Mulqueen has learned that she frequently
took her friends to the opera, that she
hired automobiles and that she enter
tanned lavishly at expensive restaurants"
Although she was tried in case in
volving SIG in 1905 when she pleaded
and in case involving $50. when she
guilty it is alleged that she was several
thousand dollars short in her accounts
with the second employer she victimizcd
by the simple process of forging indorse-
ments to checks and spending the money.
That this girl stole "solely to get a
glimpse of the other life she craved
seems to have impressed a judge and the
head of the Bedford reformatory. but is
it not fact that nearly all habituaI
thieves steal money for the purpose OF
enjoying life at a pace livelier than that
they could maintain by working? At any
rate, there is good deal more to say in
behalf OF the man who, when hard
pressed by poverty, steals to provide for
family than for the girl who forged
checks to satisfy wholly frivolous desire
for amusement.
| The Bedford reformatory has done first
rate work with certain classes of delin-
quents, but coddling criminals Of this type
can hardly lead to anything but additional
| crime.
| Judge Mulqueen is quoted as being in
doubt whether the girl forger Is an I'm
curable criminal or whether there is
| some weakness N her moral nature that
may yet yield to proper. treatment"
| The penitentiaries are full of men ana
women who were not habitual criminals
when they were committed, and who
would have been glad to lead straight
lives If given another chance The word
! ''penitentiary' is obviously enough. de-
rived from ''penitent." Although there
are prisoners who are not penitent, the
majority are sorry that they committed
crimes Habitual murder is rare but that
does not excuse the man who is not in
cuably murderer. but Yields to single
and. perhaps, sudden. temtpation to Kill
some one. tnlessi he can buy enough
alienists. IN a market biistling with bar
| gains, he goes to the electric chair or to
the place of penitents." Murder in many
cases and. perhaps, in a majority of them,
is far less sordd and deliberate crime,
although more serious one. than forging
Endorsements to checks in order to go to
the opera in an automobile and buy lob
sters after 1.-The, show Men commit
murder from divers motives. They kill
because of wounded feelings--a thor
| oughly conventional excuse for killing
another in the days when gentlemen went
about with a chip OF honor upon one
/ shoulder and meat ak or spiked club
s<wung over the other shoulder--and Bit