Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-06


tur: ed out tire same way myself. The
actual business of stealing didn't
make any hit with me; knew 1t 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 If got out of
prison would probably be one again.
1t wasn't the wish to do wrong that
made me a crook. 1t was just that
| wanted money and burglary looked
like the easiest way of getting 1t.
1t was easy, too. The first trick 1
turned alone netted me $3.50, and at
that | only got about a third of the
real value of my haul, owing to the
fact that | did not know any reliable
fence end had to dispose of my stuff
to pawnbroker. l 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 $500 each week.
No professionals alive could do that
i1nw. let Lowe ~ "a 3nst starting h All
the business. When we got into
house all we had to do was to locate
the place were they kept the jewelry
and we were ready to beat 1t 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 1t worked then,
and for six years l made mons y as
easy as though f~wefe picking it up
out of the street.
In 1883 l dropped for my first ex-
perience in prison. l 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. put up the biggest fight of my
life, but they got me. l pleaded guilty
to charge of burglary, and was SEN
fenced to Elmira reformatory. want
to say right here that 1t would have
| been better for myself and better for
the community If 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 school of crime.
It's a funny thing, when / stop
to think of any of the fellows I've
worked with, it's fifty to one that |
met them in prison. Two months after
l 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 could get
my parole! For years afterward |
kept remeeting old prison mates. and
on at least two occasions when l had
determined to turn over a new leaf IL
was these meetings which put me
back where had started. Nearly all
my pals have been men l have met in
Elmira, Sing Sing or Dannemora-not
the people / have become acquainted
with on the outside.
1t Will be this way, / suppose. inst
as long as prisons exist. Only those
who are acquainted with su.L condi.
tions can realize the advantages of the
present system of paroling first Of
tenders. Any way I look at it the state
was foolish to send me to Elmira. II
didn't impress me with the majesty nj
the law. because got out by a trick
just as lots of others do. Lew Warne,
not only coached me for my examina
tons but framed it up with a frieni
on the outside-a fence-to youch IN,
my future good behavior. II was ,
careful frame-up and it worked ~,
just as well that it did, because tn,
.reformatory wasn't teaching me anv
, thing but bad There vera oficia
abuses, just as there are and aIwav,
must be in all prisons, and these mad,
| me hate society.
I Now. / had been thief for a goo,
/ many years, but had never befor,
! felt it was justified. After INV re
formatory term l always excused INV
: self with the thought that | was gei
t ting back at society. My three bits |,
5 Sing Sing and Dannemora-I hay
, spent about Is years in prisol
S altogether-served to strengthen thi
3 feeling. Experience has taught m