New Britain herald., 1914-07-07
PROHIBITION PETITION
 SIGNED BY CONNECTS
Prisoners in Philadelphia PtnitcR-
 tiarY Claim Downfall Due to Drink.

Philadelphia, July 7-Out of total of 1,47s prisoners confined in the Eastern Penitentiary, 1,0o8 have signed a petition which will be sub mitted to the next legisla ture asking Statewide prohibition.
 The petition is probably the strong est sociological argument ever made against the liquor traffic. Without word or even suggestion from Var den McKenty the prisoners confined Signed their names and in many in stances volunteered to go. before legislative committee and tell how 'drink has wrecked their lives. L# Vote Made Public.
 | q The vote was taken on Independ2 ence Day and was made public yes- terday. On each petition was an ap- peal to make Independence Day memorable by signing the petition.
 ''It is unique and the most manly document ever sent from a penal in- stitution,'' was the terse comment of Warden McKenty last night. Tt is an appeal to decent men serving in the legislature to come to the aid of unfortunates confined in this institu- ! Ition. Seventy per cent of the prison CTS claim that their downfall is due to rum. It is certainly wonderful argument against the liquor traffic" Prison Paper Starts Crusade. Three months ago the Umpire, tho little paper published by the convicts, started a crusade against drink. Let-i | ters began to flow in telling the per- |sonal stories of prisoners who claimed Ithat were it not for whiskey they would not now be serving time in prison The editor of the paper himself Eprisoner, was so impressed with the fletters that he drafted petition and |sent 1t around the prison for sigma lures. He said last night: T am greatly |pleased with results It proves, and |conclusively too, that the great ma 'jority of state prison convicts were Brought to ruin through the saloon evil. If the legislature desires evl- dence we are ready to supply wit nesses. Think of.it, 70 per cent. of the men here assert that rum caused their downfall. Think of the wrecked homes, broken hearted mothers, wives and sisters
 The Umpire's editor has axbulk of letters that relate the personal ex- |periences of convicts. Here is one written by man serving ten years: }. Writes His Experience.
 $ "I am serving long sentence for snansla ughter Years ago I became tnvolved in a saloon fight One man #as killed. My dear wife was forced 70 suffer a worse fate. She has strug- gled along with the little ones while have been locked up. Her heart Is broken, but good woman that she is, Hhe keeps up the struggle for exist ence. Rum caused my downfall Why should the sociologists and so- called learned men who are interested ln penology go outside a prison for facts? The facts may be obtained in any penal institution
 Another prisoner writes:
 'I have signed the petition. I only
 wish that some strong man in the Legislature will push the bill for state wide prohibition through. Any man with a spark of Christian charity III his heart should visit this institution, bear the stories of prisoners and then Eo out and swat the saloonkeeper.''
 Women Prisoners Sign.
 An interesting phase of the vote concerns the women prisoners Thirty
 hree out of a total of thirty-five were requested to sign the 1etition. Not one refused and 4any volunteered to appear before a
 legislative committee and offer evil
 ence in support of the argument
 hat the liquor traffic is responsible Or 70 per cent. of crime.
 OFFER CARPENTER $2O,OOO.
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