The mirror., 1914-03-26
LIFE Term men
ARE OPTIMISTIC
AS Rule, They Accept Their
Lot Philosophically and De-
vote Their Time to Acquiring
knowledge.

A hum of suppressed excitement
buzzed through the Halls of Justice,
as the jury, after long days of dig
sention, filed in and announced that
they had at last reached an
agreement, says the Huntsville
(prison) Monitor. The spectators,
wearied by the long wait, straight
ened up in their seats; the attorneys
evidenced their appreciation by long
sighs of relief. The defendant
looked the jury over with a hope
full, eager gaze as if trying to catch
the import of their verdict, even be-
fore it was rendered. The Judge
on the bench cleared his throat and
asked question, then as the crack of
doom came the words, I'VE, the
jury, find the defendant guilty as
charged, and assess his punishment
at imprisonment for life."
The prisoner seemed dazed; Life!
And he had expected freedom.
AS he was hurried back to Jail he
could hear the. newsboys shouting
extra editions of the account of his
trial. The news had preceded his
arrival at the Jail. and his entry
was greeted by grim silence. His
fellow prisoners looked upon him
with pity. Life! Some of them
were facing long prison terms, some
of them were hardened, reckless
fellows, others but weak pawns in
the game of life. but they all lived
in hope. Life!
Later he was transported to the
prison. The great doors changed
behind him, never to open again
until he is lifeless lump of clay.
Life! What has he to look forward
to? What can he hope to do with
the years and days that are but
living death to him?
Yet such men as these fall into
the routine of prison existence, and
act exactly as their brethren who
expect to 60 out into the world
again; as whole, they make better
prisoners than short offenders.
Their whole hope of liberty hin
ges on their prison records. Per-
haps in ten, fifteen, or twenty years,
without single mis-step. they may
gain their freedom. Ten, fifteen
or twenty years without single
quarrel, without a single infraction
of the rules, and they have chance
for hope. Once or twice month
they may write single letter to
friends or relatives; what pleasure
they get out OF life they must get in-
side these walls. The short-term
man works toward a definite end;
some day the years will roll away,
and he will be free; he knows to a
day when that will happen; bis
every thought is of the future; he
builds castles in the air, and hopes
to see them materialize when he goes
out. Whether he succeeds or fails
matters not at all; he can still hope.
But what has 'lifer" to look for
ward to?
How They Work
Thirteen years ago one of these
"lifers" entered this prison. He
didn't sit down and NOPE and groan
over his fate, but he went to work
and bent his every effort toward ac-
quiring thorough mechanical
knowledge. Today he is an expert
in his line, designer and draughts-
man. During the intervening years
he has patented gasoline engine,
which mechanical engineers claim
will prove to be a revolutionary
idea in gas engine design. With
out having even seen an automobile
he has designed and patented in
Europe and America, an automobile
transmission that is different from
anything now on the market. Its
practical success remainst be
proven. of course, but he has sue
ceeded in finding enough financial
support to enable him to build an
experimental car. This man has
been judged menace to society,
yet he is giving his life to things
that will ultimately be of inestima-
BILE value to society.
Another, a talented, likable fell
low, has worked day and night in
the prison hospital, doing every
thing in his power to alleviate the
suffering of those unfortunates
thrown under his care. for the four
years he has been with us. He is
every inch man, and has accepted
the burden of his life without
murmur. Still another who once
entertained hopes of freedom, but
against whom vigorous protest was
IL L