davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Prisons Make Criminals.

What is true OF the association of ne
groes with whites Is not less true Of the
| association Of what are called professional
criminals with the young and unba rd-
ened. Various prison authorities cla i'm
that they have made some effort TO pre-
Vent this contamination. but the only
sign of il that l could ever discover at
Atlanta was that the old and the young
are not commonly assigned TO the same
| cells, Obviously. however, a man young
in years may be old In crime; there can
be no security In the age test taken by
Itself. and no pretense OF adopting any
Iother test In a jail is made.
young fellow. without inherited or
acquired criminal tendencies. is sent to
jail for. some tnadyertent and Insignfi-
cant infractlon of law He had always
meant to live straight; he had no enmity
himself as we'll intentioned and law
abiding. But here he is: and he is
TSn sneS SoaTNr and appalled, az the gpd
a mind thus astounded and distraught the
professional criminal seiZes and works.
The man of the word-of ihe criminal
world-befriends him, chats with him,
heartens him, and soon begins TO fasci-
nate him with Ideas which had never TIL
now occurred 10 him. He breaches the
injustice and hostility OF all mankind. and
JAN ever again re-establjshing himself In
the world, He tells his pupil that he Is
damned forever BY his fellow men out
side. and that unless he be prepared to
lie down and starve. he must hight for
life in the only way open TO hlm-the
way OF crime. Then he proceeds to show
him. progressively, the profits and ad-
vantages OF criminal practices. II Is only
too easy for the trained crook to over
come tho resistance of the unhardoned
youth. his arguments seem unanswerablc, ,
and the wholly justifiable feeling that
prison Is wrong and an outrage aids the
corruptor at every turn. A few months
Is often enough to turn an innocent boy
into a malefactor: year or more OF such
Instruction leaves him no chance OF es-
capc: and many an innocent boy finds
himself In a cell for what seems 10 him
f.ft
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Tragedy of Jails.

There was woman. the wife OF
iaier, With n son 4 years old. Al first
he- husband had lived In a house out
side The jail, but latterly' he had been
obliged 10 dwell within the jail walls.
His wife bad seen and known too much
Of jails 10 he happy in such residence
She thought OF her son. growing up In
side prison walls. and seeing the suualor
and daily misery Of convicts. and wit
Messing the crueIties OF the guards-
mere matters Of routine. but horrible
nevertheless. Her husband had come up
from the ranks In prison life. and was
an efficient officer He bad no thought
Of ever changing his occupat ton.
One day he lef, the jail on business
and did not return till o'clock the next
morning Two keepers who had been left
IN charge heard four sounds Ike pistol
supposed them TO be torpedoes exploding
on the railroad that passed the rear of
the jail. There was an interval OF an
hour or so. and then came two moro
the jail but il did not occur TO them 10
examine the quarters Of the warden.
where his wife and his little son were.
When the husband and father reached
home he went To his rooms and there he
learned the extent OF the misery and
loa thing which hts profession and mis-
woman VINO had loved him. She lay dead.
with bullet hCle in her temple Tho
little boy was also dead. shot through
the heart by his mothers band. on the
shells we're scattered about. Those four
bullets she must have aimed at her son.
but the horror OF the situation had
shaken her hand. and she had missed
him. Then had come that interval. which
the two keepers had noticed. What had
been In her mind and heart during those
endless, brief rinutes--her terrors. her
memories. her desperate resolve. now fail
ing, pow again renewed? II YOU who
read this Hrc mother. you may per
hapS Imagine the unspea Ia BILE drama of
that hour. AZ last murder and suicide
were better than the jail, and she fired
twice asaln. and this time did not miss.
Insane was the verdict But II is
perhap ps rea soma BILE 10 ascr!5e the In
sanity TO the conditions which found their
ha elk frOition IN the womars act. rathe~
than TO the despairing creature herself:
She had all that most women would ask
for happlness--a good husband. darling
little son, an assured support. But there
was over before her eyes the ghastly, in
human spectacle and burden OF the jail;
she knew u through ard through, ana
she could endure 10 no longer She pic
,ured her innocent boy growing up and
following his fathers trade The idea
tortured her beyond the limits OF her
strength. and she accepted the only al
tcrnative-desth. She was not a prison
er-Sne was only locker on, but that is
what prison did for her. And our press.
echoing our own will. and our courts.
voicing our own laws. keep shouting
Put the crooks in stripes; show them
ro rucrr,-''
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Crime of Herding.

] was speaking just now OF the proms-
cuous herding together of prisoners in
prisons generally. No effort Is made to
separate the old from the young, the edu-
Gated from the ignorant, the hardened
sinners from the impressiona BILE youths or
newcomers, or (at Atlanta, except in the
cells) the negroes from the whites. AS
sociation OF negroes with whites. on q
footing Of enforced outward equality. Is
bad for both; not because n bad white
man is worse than q bad negro. but be-
qualities OF either react unfavorably upon
the other The negro. being the more
ignorant as n rule, falls more readily
into degraded vices; tho white man, be-
the eitua tion. masters the will of the
negro hut cannot or at least does not
erect barriers against the latter's subtle
corruption,
normal conditions in prison--the misery
of It. the dearth of variety and relaXa =
lion, the terrible yearning for some form,
any form. OF distraction and amusement.
The male is parted from the female and
from thc resource OF children; his nerves
are on edge. his alural propensites
starved. his thoughts wandering and en-
btteTed; he finds no g9od I, Any ainywnere' nor
means OF abating or dulling his cravings.
The negro is plant. immoral. free from
the restraints OF white civilization. In
the south especially his suborcnntion 10
the white is almost n second nature. but
he jnVoluntarily nvenEes himself tas all
lower races do upon the stronger by
that readiness to comply; which flatters
the sense of power and superiority IN
tho other and leads TO evil.
wish 10 say. In passing, that my
allusion Ia negroes In this connection
is by no means TO be taken as rejecting
Tor whom ] had the highest respect were
negroes; and I am inclined to tllink that
the negro in his right place and func-
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22

and owed the indulgence to that func-
tionary. On the other hand, there is a
convict, also a lifer, who cultivated a
most remarkable skill In inlaid wood
work, producing really beautiful and ar
tistlc boxes and other articles. and found
some consolation for his awful fate IN
making them. But one day while I was
there his cell was entered by tho guard
his boxes ands plant taken away and
broken and he was forbidden to do that
work any more. Visitors did not know
about him.
This was malicious. But some OF the
things done by prison authorities are ap-
parently due TO sheer stupidity and ig-
nor5nce. For example there were some
cows belonging TO Atlanta prison, and
some of them calved. So there were half
q dozen calves. moro or less. with pros
poets OF more TO come. The authorities
decided that the expense OF rearing these
innocents was not justifa BILE: there was
nothing in the rule book about &C.; be-
sides. the jail was not designed to barbor
innocent creatures. The minutes OF the
conference were not given out and we
can Judge of what passed only by the
results, The order went forth that the
calves be killed and the killing was
actually perpetrated. and the bodies were
buried somewhere in the prison grounds
The story seems incredible. but it was
corroborated by several men cognizant OF
t;le facts Why not. al least. have turned
them into yeal?
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
The Fruit ofOur Prisons
Grpping, Thought-stirring Sentences the An.
,hor Declares That 1t Is Not the Men Made Over
Into Righteousness, But Creatures Hardened in
the Ways of Crime, and Augmenting Fearfullv
tbe Criminal Stream.

thett and murder
,,o we breed poisonous snakes and scor-
pions, give them no chance to be any
thlns but that, and then wonder they
are nor doves and butterflies. Things
@ihg @ iNls gangster are Internal spirits IT.
tirpstInsso ns o'e the out we gain nothing by ex
stream which carries them must he
Damned at its source. or the conditions
onn mitien ns generate them. pare S the pris-
YET at tho root Of the matter-the keep
erS are not primarily 10 blame II is The
PI!nclple which prisons illustrate which
attracts and molds Keepers TN they bo
come often as bad as the men they have
charge OF, and often much worse.
lIlSohs mean social selflshness, the dis
og owm,ng OF our own flesh and blood, They
segreeate visible consequences OF social
clseasei but the disease is invisibly pres
ent in all parts OF the body corporate
and can no more be healed by cutting
smallpox by cutting out the pus,ues.
PRISONS are not the right remedy: they
inilame and disseminate the poison We
would he rid of and prevent any chance
or cure. The soul of all crime is self
seeking In place OF neighborly good win:
We send men 10 prison To get them out
OF our way, and that is criminal self
seeking and il-Will to the neiEhbor-
delega ting to hlrengs our own proper
business
IN attempting thus selhsbly To extirpa,e
crime, we commit The crime least OF all
iorslvaole-the denial al human brother-
hood and responsibility For that crime
no law sends us TO prison. yet it is no
sentimental notion. but the truth that il
is crime worse than those for which we
tmpl1son men, Prisons are brnful of
men less guilty before God than is the
society that condembed them. You and
are not excused because we are not
society--we are society Society Us not
numbers, but an idea-a mutual relation;
we cannot shift our blame 10 people In
the next street Am | my brothers
Eeeper?' was an argument used long
ago. and its reception was not encour-
aging
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Will Prison Make a Demon?

Last July. justice OF state supreme
court sentenced Thomas Baker. little
more than a child. TO fifteen years In jail
for-what7 IL your mother was blind and
helpless. and your stepfa ther came IN and
abused her and beat her. in your pres
ence-a big brute with whom you could
would be your feelings. and what would
YOU he prompted 10 do? Thomas Baker
trembling and sobhing with rage and an
guish, ran out of the house to neigh
bor's, borrowed a shotgun. and ran back
and cmptled il into the brutc's body, Kill
ing him on the spot Fifteen years In
prison for that! Shall we rejoice and
say that justice. at last. Is satisfied? But
that Is a digresson.
No doubt, meanwhile, Thomas Bakers
one consolation In life is the reflection
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Need of Exercise.

PHYSICAL exercise twice day IN the
apcn air would diminish the sick line.
produce better work. and help 10 put
soul IN any prison. Desultory exercise
saw two or tarce hours OF baseball on
Saturdavs-does not meet the need.it
empha sizes IL rather. But at present tie
weil-nigh universal aim seems 10 be 10
render the gray monotony or prison
slavery as monotonous and as gray as
I,ossibie Any relief from II is opposed or
made difficult 1t is true that AT Auania
and elsewhere We have music thet is
what 1t Is called. and ! have no wlsn 10
crIticise the Woodworking and Jealous
Young fellow who produces 1t In and out
of eason; and some OF the men may Ike
IL for aught I know; and that vaude~
Vile company performs for us occasion
ally, But I must look these SLIT horses
i'm the mouth. and say that often we
have them less for our own advantage
than as an advertisement to the public
OF the libersllty of prison authorities,
And there, 10 be sure. at my prison, Is
Uncle Billy who makes fddles OUT oil
shingles, with nails, and plays on, them,
ali with one hand But he Isl nope i
NAV now say, he was, for he was 10 have
been paroled the other day, he was
lifer. and a picturesque and wholly IN,
nocuous dgure-he was. then, permitted
TO pursue this industry, and visitors used
10 como and watch him do II: bur he 100,
lwas most useful TO the prison press agent
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22

tion is desirable element in civiiza-
tIon and, II we would treat Ilim Alright,
would do as much good as we can
do him, But the negro in Jail Is at his
worst just as white men are, and he is
made worse by white panionship
There are more than 200 of them In At
lanta jail. and some of them are the
worst of tlosir Kind
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22

or anybody else any good prominent
business man was put in a cell yesterday.
n political boss arrives today; a college
graduate. Judge and a religious fans tic
are expected next week But business.
politics. the Four Hundred. the law and
religion are no better than they were
The procession becomes ever more
crowded. When is IL 10 stop? Shall we
build more prisons. enact more avs? 4
leading counsel said the other day; Com
nercidl crime is an effect and not
cause. The existing system is responsi-
ole We should prevent conditions that
lead TO crime and resort TO criminal
courts little as possible An ex-
attorney general observed. about the
same time. II sometimes think that II
We could repeal all the laws on our
statute books and then write two laws
Fear God and Love Your nelShbor'-
We would get along better"-but he
added. III We could get the people 10
i've up TO them. Yes. that is n pru-
dent stipula ton: and !, applies just as
well 70 the myriad avs on our statute
books as 10 these two.
/ call prisons = tragic farce. and am
sensible Of an unrealitY In them; but
they arc fortunately unreal only IN the
sense tha, they stand for nothing ra
t'onai or in line with tho proper and nat
urai processes ol human life. They are
false. and tho mind spontaneously rea cts
against falsity and denies IL But here
are half n million Tor some gay. n mil
honl men every year who suffer actus !
ana real misery from this falsity, and
many OF whom die OF Il: that is the
tragedy of the farce And the fact that
this falsity, prison. exists among US and
has legal standing and warrant. tends TO
demoralze everyone connected with II.
and more or less. the entire community.
If its misery and evil were confined
within the circuit OF its walls We might
endure N; but IL spreads outward like a
pestlence. n creates little Jails In our
minds and hearts. though we never be-
held the substantial walls nor beard the
gates clans together. We become jailer5
to one another, and 20 ourselves
The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-02-22
Beneficial Discipline.

Thoughts like these pass through a
convict's mind when he discovers that he
is on the last leg OF his disastrous voy-
age. lie then begins to see the whole
matter In its general relations; what use
was served? Who is the better for #?
bad sn m9ss wokse good t0n man bad and nte
heard the men at Atlanta put 1t, The
situation entire and in detail, is -prepos-
tcrous and futile. Grown men, from all
ranks OF life. or all degrees of lntelIi-
gence and education, re herded promis-
cuously, and treated now like wild beasts,
now like children. Discipline, IN any
people need discipline more than we do.
but I'm prison. discipline means punish
ment, and there is no discipline In The
right sense OF the word, a man is dis
clplined" when he is starved, or dubbed
or put in the hole or deprived OF his
good time.
Military discipline might De beneficial
it implies respect for rightful. authority
and orderly conduct of ones own lie
Officials in a penltentsTy wear uniforms :,
prisoners wear prison clothes; put. IN
warm weather, officials go about, Indoors
and out, in their shirts, and with the
bearing OF loafers; they have no Official
salutes and the men are not allowed TO
salute them--to do so would expose them
to discipline" There Us no drill in the
prison. no soldierly bearing. no physical
control OF movement. The men arc
lined up" to so to work, but It is a line
Of slouchers and derelicts; no spirit In
other no decent example set by the
guards. And yet armies in all aSes and
In all parts OF the world have proved
the value OF discipline-its necessity, In
deed-ln all proper and intelligent hand,
ling and control OF bodies OF men; and
II is as important for convlcts as for
soldiers. IT would promote cheerfulness,
smartness. efficiency; half an hours live
ly drill OF all the men in prison every
morning and evening would do them
good, improve relations between guards
and prisoners, and lessen the danger OF
reyolts Why refuse IL. then? Is II be-
cause IL would imply something human
stin lingering in convicts? Or because
Il is feared that convIcts taught to act
in unison by military drill would COM
blne more readily for mutiny? But or
der does not naturally lead TO disorder.
but away from It, and mutinies are most
lv Inpronlptu affairs. contemplating re-
venge rather than escape. AS for tho
other argument, lie is not sound ba-
sis to build on, and it is lie that con-
yicts are not human. TO admit this
would facilitate their management
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24
TALK OF THE TOWN
Abbott Is showing large line Of new

Abbott is showing large line Of new
suits.
Regular meeting OF Barre local, r. G,
II. p. A., Wednesday evening at 1880
in the Pythian hall.
George Moriarty, who has been pass.
ing a few days in the city, returned last
night to his home at Upton, Mass.
Manager D. H. Cutler OF the Eastern
Estate Tea Cos. local branch is serious.
" III at his home on jefferson street.
Miss Gladys Morton, who has been
visiting in the city for the past few
weeks, returned Saturday to Burlington.
Mrs Alto Mariana Of North Main
street returned Saturday from few
weeks visit to Boston, Quincy and Win
chester, Mass.
Adds knight, who has been passing
two weeks vacation at his former
home in Hardwick, resumed his duties in
the Barre Savings bank this morning.
Miss Berniee f. j. Sanders, who began
vacation from her duties in the Office
OF Jones Bros at North Barre Saturday,
is quite seriously III at her home on JEFF
ferson street.
Miss Ruth Waterman OF upper Wash
ington street is passing several days with
her sister, Miss Inez Waterman in Or
leans. Mrs. d. S. Waterman passed the
weekend in Orleans.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24

s pecial convocation Of
Granite chapter, No. 20, r.
A. NJ, viii be held on Tues
day evening for the purpose
Of comforting the P. M. and
NJ. f. NJ. degrees and on
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24
TALK OF THE TOWN


Stock reducing sale at Knights.
New Devonshire cloth at Abbott's.
Mem Roman stripe silks ut Abbott's
Sixty-nine cent crepe robes at Alb
bolts.
Special prices or suits to close up stock
at Abbott's.
Special, bed spreads, sheets and pillow
slips, at Vaughan's.
Miss Lena Pitkin of jefferson street,
who was taken seriously i'll while visit
ing in Hsrdwiek, was brought 70 her
home yesterday. Miss pitkin's condition
remained unchanged to-day.
Robert Brown, VITO has been passing
week with his parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
John Brown Of Bassett street, returned
this morning to Windsor 10 resume his
duties in the Windsor Clothing store.
Miss Christine Merchant Of Smith
street left this forenoon for Roxbury,
where she will pass the coming few
weeks at the Telawauket camp. She
was accompanied by Miss Gertrude Dom
aid
Miss Nina Thurston, who has been a
guest at the home OF Mr.. and Mrs. Clyde
Reynolds OF Prospect avenue for few
DAYS, returned this morning to North
field, where she is employed on the staff
Of the Mortified News.
john O'Leary of Park street returned
Saturday from few weeks visit to
ST. Johns, P. O., Boston, Winchendon,
Mass. and Atlantic City, n. j. He re-
sumed his duties at the Marion &
O'Lesry Granite Co. to-day.
Joseph Comolli returned to-day from
st. Johns. P. O., where he caught for
the st. Johns semi professional team
afternoon. Mr.. Comoll has
been engaged to play at St Johns dur
ing the remaining summer months for
special games.
Mr.. and Mrs. Paul w. Waterman have
returned from Boston and are passing
few days with the formers parents, Mr..
and Mrs d. s. Waterman, of upper
street Mr.. and Mrs. Earl
:. Waterman OF State College, Pa, are
also visiting their parents.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24
Our Early Fall Showing

prices the retail goods merchants
obbng lines
unlikely Spool SILK will be l5c per spool by
war
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24
WILLIAMSBURG.

! In response to invitations from Celia
| WILDER Colby and Annie Martin WILDER
| II OF the former students of the Will
1 Jamestown village school met at the
/ home of the latter on the afternoon OF
1 Friday, Aug. 81 for an informal reunion
1t was the original plan OF the hostesses
to have an outdoor gathering, but the
heavy rain Of the night before made
this impossible The afternoon was
pleasantly spent with greetings and re-
miniseencesi OF schooldays and teachers.
Refreshments were served at o'clock
and an hour later the party began to
break up, with the resolve to meet again
next year ii possible, Those present
were Miss Julia A. Simons OF Providence,
r. l.. Mrs. Flora Benedict Colby of Bur
ington. Mrs. Jennie Fuller Pember OF
Rochester, Mrs. Ella Martin Kanaly of
Montpelier, Mrs. Mary Adams Reed OF
Randolph Center, Mrs. Alme Woolcut
Lang and Mrs. Lucy Earle Holt of
Barre, Mrs. Ruhamah Erskine JefFords
of Graniteville. Mrs. Hattie Burnham
Granger, Mrs. Alma Adams Boyce. Mrs.
Nellie Williams ingalls,, Mrs. Fannie ST.
mons Dow. Miss Hattie NJ. Briggs, Mrs.
Elizabeth Work Seaver and Miss Alice
Walker Of Williamstown.
A meeting OF the W. G. T. l.. viii be
held with Mrs. Harry NJ. Lasell on Tues
day afternoon. Aug 25, at 2;30.
The families Of DIR. w. H. Hurley and
y. +. Bruce. who have been in camp
at Berlin pond in one Of Mr.. Stewards
cottages for about two weeks past, re-
turned home last week.
Alr. and Mrs Fred w. Grain OF Bethel
were visitors at tine home Of Mrs. Grains
father, Frank l. Godfrey, over the week
end.
W. i. Carpenter was at home over
SUNDAY from his work in RoNbury, as
was also John l.. Winchester from his
work in Waterbury.
Moses G. Metcalf was taken seriously
m while visiting at the home Of his
son-in-law, George Goodrich. something
over a week ago and ne he did not i'm
prove under treatment he was taken 20
the Mary Fletcher hospital, Burlington,
N the night Of Aug. p The cause Of
be attack j. an affection Of the kidneys
which results in the poisoning II the
system His condition is regarded as
critical a. he has not been in good health /
'or several wears.
Mr. and Mrs. George ID. Martin II
D. G.. are visitors at " n. 4
>tewarts.
A go0diy number 81 the ncighbors and /
relatives Of Mr.. and Mrs Eugene N. /
Rpxnolds lsathered 81 thcir home on /
Main street on The evening Of Aug. ~
- remind them that they were passing +
ne 2sth milestone u their seddcd life I
md 10 assist them in celebrating the +
went. There were presents Of linen 4
md silver. Light refreshments were 4
lrrvsd ard = very pleasant evening was
lnigyed b. sil present.
The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-08-24
TALK OF THE TOWN

Buy Regular" -four at the Kempton
mills.
White skirts at one-half price at Alb
bolts.
See the new showing of fall skirts at
Abbott's
Bargains this week. Cleaning up stock
at Vaughan's.
Yours for the best service" Miers'
Barber Shop.
Automobile for hire Inquire of E. A.
Prindle, 50 Keith avenue.