The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
By Julian Hawthorne
THE GRASP OF THE TENTACLES

| are men VINO were porn weak, nuflDlc
| and yielding. never esteemed themselves,
| were always ready to take n back seat
| and give precedence To others. They
do not understand the rights of the
matter, but suppose it must be all right,
that penal servitude is the proper thing
for them, that laws were made by wise
men and must be enforced
They admit their stealings and their
trickery, and blame themselves, observ-
ing regretfuly that they didn't seem
able to help it. Next timc-if they get a
next time--athey will try very hard To
he straight, and perhaps they will sue
coed after all.
There was little j. in the BARRIERS
gang. a cheerful. smiling. sweet tenn
percd fellow. who had served know
not how many terms for small larcenirs
and turpltudes.
rive always been such n damned little
fool" he would say to me. as he
smoothed off my chin. "The boys would
get round me and rope mo into some
scheme. and | didn't seem able /, keep
| clear of EN-. But I'm goin' To be
let out again next July. and I'VE made
| up my mind I'll never be seen here
| again.
NO. sir. oh. I've been talkin' with
the chaplain too. and I'VE been reading
the Bible. and all that. and I'm going
to be "A good man. Yes. sir. I've had
my fling, and I'm through with IL;
when the boys get round me and tell
me of some easy job I'll tell EN- 40.
not for j."
He was a man of 40. as naive and
innocent" Gin tn. immoral .ense) as a
child. and he had been in Jail off and
on since he was ten years old. I hap
pcncd to be in the front office at the
moment when J. was signing receipts
| and receiving his property preparatory
to leaving.
| H., was dressed in n nca. business suit
! Of his own-not "A prison made mon
| strosity. He was clean and smooth
and bright and tremu.ous with excite
ment He signed his papers with n
shaking hand. he took up and put down
again his wall packed gripsack. he
| shook hands with sort of clnging.
appealing grasp. as II he were afraid
of being left alone. he giggled and
looked profoundly solemn 10y turns The
officials stood about, Indifferent and con-
temptuous. the men who had been hard
and cruel to him and those who had
| been not So hard.
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ao,oo, ,r,.,rro,,h t, ,vn,,nrs ~ mis-.
a,,.;n, 10 h,a vouo5 ., no y.,1 Ian,
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| ,,,, ra,,,,1 hi,,,.o ,;sh.1 hir, ,o,,
| ,,,,,, wi,h oil my b.,r, Six m,r,h,
re- n.s.oa ara - mat h.,, In ioi
yo, 90 f,r ,s 7 b,y. heard put IN,
.n,os NO u,o,ch,r, hin, ava H., von.,
| ~, 90 ,u DO 10 ao,d
mo, u.;,h ,bor, chance h,ou,b, m.
| ,ra,,a,,,y 4, co,,oc, uo., II , zoo,
as Tho torn 10
Whom , ruard IL esr,r.inp a hatch -,
| visi,ors obou, III, nriso, bo sn.,Ls -,
the yeprs in an ominous tome os II they
u,ara .n,,. d.,.,lv ,n,ns,.r, hardy =.
he oven Looked nj with immunity I'm,
verps ne n body are IN. hest men in
Tho nrisnn They have cod. of honor
| and strength OF character
Outside they blow open safes and d.,
| other risky Jobs and they will shoot la
| kill on the occasions when II is their life
| or the other mans They will do this
| because they know what a prison h. and
| also what spies outside prison are But
| they will spare your life. IL possible: not
| because they care for you-they hate
| and despise YOU as being man VINO
would be and have in the past been
| mcrcilcss To them, and ar. a hypocrite
who Is either n rascal on the sly or
would be IL you possessed the courage
or were subjected to the temptation
| they spare YOU not from mercy but from
IA settled policy Killing Is bad business
| and means sooner or later a violent end
for the killer
Most yeggs are men ~ more than av-
erape intelligence and sometimes az fair
| education. They were nn, horn outIows
hut IL won can win ,h,m In sp.,k ~
themselves van will yoner,,,v ANA ,h,,
| ,hov have undergone ,bir,s hn,h In and
ont of nris, enouyb ia make an n,,,I,,,
| on, of n saint Mos, mo, s,ccun,h nm,
d,r sucb ching, an, oi,nor az, -. ,,,o,,,,,,
,,v.a Il, ,,,ri, ~, ,.,,,,,., ,a .,,,,.,.i,.,,
.ra ,h.i, ,,i,i, +, ,nh.,,
-,
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'"''" VI -" ''"'" ~ an"
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ny '""' "''' .""' '''E i'"' l" H''''
S''''''''S upon 'n'''' except upon some