The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-02-26
SENSATIONAL|SM
IN newspapers
Is Held Accountable for the Making Of
Criminals. An Inmate Cites Instances
to Prove his Contention and Offers
Good Advice.
By H. S. Med.


ten on the subject of the reforming
of criminals are inestimable. The pre-
vention of crime has been discussed
pro and con. Various theories have
been advanced as to causes of crime.
Strong drink heads the list and
minor causes follow in rapid success
ion. Sensational journalism is
rarely accredited with being the
greatest cause of crime that exists
in reality today. Perhaps you dis
agree on this point with me and
think that l do not know what |
am talking about; perhaps you have
never given the matter serious at
tention. Let me present few facts
for your caraful consideration and
then | think that you will feel
strongly inclined to believe that
what | am telling you is real facts
and not theory
Have You ever picked up daily
paper and started to read it? What
are the first worGs that catch your
eye?. Are they not large blackface
letters at the top of nearly every
column? Do they not bring to your
attention that some great scandei OF
crime is fully explained in the col
umn below. Take your daily paper
and look at the first page and see if
| am correct. But, you say, what
have scare heads and sensational
reading to do with making crimi-
ais? Let me give you a few exam
pies that have come to my personal
knowledge.
In fairly large town in an ad-
joining state, young man was ar
rested on suspicion of having COM
mitted certain crime. The daily
paper secured his photograph, which
with full details of his supposed
crime. was printed under a sensa-
tional scare head 1t was set forth
In the paper that there was no
doubt of his guilt and that if he es-
capped punishment behind prison bars
it would be by some trick of his at
torneys or by some vagary of fate.
When the man was brought to trial
it was found that there was not a
particle of evidence to hold him on
and besides, friends proved per-
feet alibi for him. The sensational
daily paper, however, had had it's
say and, as many people believe all
they read, the young man found
cold shoulder greeting him nearly
every place he went. The result
was, that he became ashamed to be
seen and took to drink in order to
gain courage to go upon the street.
He finally became almost an habitual
drunkard and one night while un-
der the influence of drink he broke
into his employers store and took
all the cash in sight. He was
caught in the act, tried, convicted
and sent to prison. Upon bis re-
lease he fell into his old habits and
consequently he was soon in prison
again. He has become a criminal.
He says that if he had not been
drunk he would never have stolen
anything, which is possibly true,
but had it not been for sensational
journalism the chances are very
good that he would never have tax
en- to drink. l hope you agree
with Inc here as the truth is only
too plain.
Another instance is the case of
lad of some Is years of age. He
had set fire to a small stock of rub
bish. The wind suddenly began to
to blow and carried sparks to a
nearby barn. The boy ran to give
the alarm but by the time the fire
department arrived nothing re-
NAMED of the barn but few smold-
ering embers. The boy was taken
into custody pending investigation.
Of course, the affair got into the
papers and the lad was mentioned as
being anything from Jesse James
to an anarchist. The investigation
proved the boy innocent of any evil
intent and he was released. Here
again the paper had done it's worst
and the boy was scorned by all his
playmates Now, when boy finds
that his playmates will have moth
ing to do with him he is very sure
to find some one older than him.
self that will, and he is not exactly
particular who that some one else
is. This particular boy ran away
from home and became tramp and
dweller among tramps. He soon
learned all the vices and designations
that go to make up the life of the
tramp. Six months after ne ran
away from home he, in company
with more tramps, attempted to rob
a hank Thew were all canturod