The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-22
Humanity of Convicts

/ Free people are apt to look on con-
victs as class entirely apart-as
/ outcasts who are little better than
The inhabitants of a convict prison
are just as human as their fellows.
and you see the same virtues and
vices among them as you do In any
other community, SAYS the Montreal
Standard.
A prisoner newly entering great
/ prison in some way resembles boy
entering large school. IF he is a
decent good-natured sort. with some
public spirit about him. and is ready
TO work without grumbling, and to do
a good turn to his neighbor when the
chance comes, he gets on we'll enough
II he is a sneak or a shirker he
! gets himself disliked and you may
/ take it as an absolute fact that his
I fellow prisoners can make his life
unbearable II they have cause to do
so.
AS any prison ofYlcer can tell you.
the prison has its own code of rules,
which are Just as strict as those in
a public school. One rule Is that a.
man who has the luck to get hold of
tobacco must divide 1t among his fell
lows. 1t is a rule which Is hardly
ever broken.
/ Convicts are almost Invariably kind
/ to animals At exercise one day
prisoner noticed a pigeon hopping
about unable TO fly. A'shot had brok-
en- one of it's wings. He caught il,
and managed to smuggle 1t into his
Ecell, where he bound up the broken
wing, and actually got 1t to set.
! Then he took the bird to the gov
ernor and asked to be allowed to
st no rnpliyipe~ that
the care of the bird would probably
have a good effect upon the man.
gave leave for a home to be found for
I the pigeon in the shed where the
prisoner was employed, and there its
owner tended it so carefully that 1t
became perfectly tame, and would
/ come to his hand when called. When
/ liberated the prisoner took his
bird home with him. and it still re-
mains his most priced possession
{ Here is 81 tiny incident which is
proof of the kindly nature of the old
/ lag One sunny spring morning a
butterfly. awakened from its winter
sleep by the warmth, was noticed
iffuttering about the chapel at great
penal settlement.
Finally, it settled In the aisle, just
where the priest would step. An ell
| derby prisoner after giancing cauti-
ously around to see whether any war
/ der was watching. leaned down. and
using his cap as a broom, carefully
swept the insect into a place OF safe
4 ~.
Men who have behind them long
records of crime and imprisonment
are yet capable of extraordinary acts
/ OF self-sacriflce. At a certain con-
| vict prison two men, named Kirk and
Bartly. had a quarrel with warder
ana assaulted him, injuring him so
badly that, instead of being dealt
with by the visiting justices, they were
sent for trial at the assizes.
1t was curious sight. that trial.
! for no fewer than Ave OF their fellow
convicts were brought to give evidence
The offenders were both found guilty.
the jury finding Kirk guilty Of COM
mon assault and Bartly OF assault
and causing bodily harm. Bartly. who
seemed to have been far the worse of
the two, was sentenced to serve an
extra eighteen months. but Kirk
was given six months only,
( No sooner had the Judge pronounc-
| ed the sentence than Kirk stretched
/ out his hand in pleading manner to
attract attention.
Give me the same, my lord." he
cried. with evident emotion
/ mo; / will not" answered the
/ Judge, evidently surprised.
But 1t is all my fault" declared
Kirk. Only for me, he would never
have done it. Give him the six
months. and me the eighteen"
That / cannot do said the judge
gravely. But as you desire it, will
take six months off Bartly's sentence
/ and only give him twelve
Gerofamo Pasquali. who for murder
was sentenced to fifteen years in the
/ Italian penal settlement of Lampe-
dusa, came in for a considerable for
tune at his recent release. His very
| first act was to write a check for
900 and send 1t to the governor Of
| the island, requesting that 1t might
tn used at his discretion for the BEN
| eft OF his former associates.
Negro Girl Snatched s..
I W. r. Logon, of IL Decatur street.
last night reported that negro girl