Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-23
PRISON MONTHLY
IS INTERESTING.
Inmates of Illinois Penitentiary
Publish First Issue of
Their Magazine.
KNOCKERS" ARE HIT
BY PRISONER EDITOR
Uphold Warden for Abolishing
Punishment Rule After He
Gave 1t Personal Test.

ICpSChHI az NENHER
JOLIET, ILL.,, Jan. 23.-"The Joliet
Post" has just issued it's first num-
Der
1t is prison monthly of forty
eight pages published by the Illinois
State Penitentiary and, according to
the legend on the first rage. 1t Is
Edited by Prisoner"
Strange flashlights of prison life
and stranger bits of prison philos-
ophy, are scattered through its pages
Just beneath the editorial state
Z ment at the top of the first page is
this announcement:
The prisoner who looks only for
sympathy in this paper will be dis
appointed. We hope that he who rec
ognizes his own shortcomings will
find encouragement in every num-
Der"
This unusual philosophy is empha-
sized again in the following brief
editorial entitled Prisoner Endorses
Prisoner"
Zone of the greatest sources of
mischief during prison life is that
the prisoner is surrounded by so many
who are anxious to encourage him
In the belief that he has been wronged
by society.
"He is seldom, if ever, questioned
about the effect of his crime or crimes
upon his victims
THAT society and individuals some
times wrong a prisoner is Well-known
to everyone who understands the adj
ministration of the criminal code, but
this does not signify that every pris-
oner should be encouraged to look
upon himself as a victim"
Knockers Knocked.
An abrupt transition from the calm
tone of that editorial is this vitrolio
comment of the prisoner editor, under
the heading, Especially for Knock
ers:"
"A sneak may escape being a scam
dalmonger but a scandalmonger is
always a sneak. Every large COM
munity has its percentage of scandal
mongers, so it is not to be wondered
at that this penitentiary has at least
few.
"A scandalmonger is no better than
stool-pigeon. a snitch or a trusty
who runs away. The former convicts
himself of cowardice out of his own
mouth"
There is a long interview of the pris-
oner-editor with Warden Edmund M.
Allen. He is quoted as saying, among
other things;
II have no use for tale-bearers and
spies. Complaints may be made to
me by any prisoner at the regular
meetings in the hearing of those pres
ent, but not in any underhand way.
I feel that I am here to elevate the
character of the prisoners and not to
debase them, which / would do if I
tolerated spies. AS to the enforcement
of discipline l feel that / do not re-
quire the help of prisoners. 1 shall
be able to manage this with the as
sistance of my officers.
Prisoners are permitted to help
one another in every legitimate way.
I encourage the spirit Of fellowship
along proper lines.
Newspaper reporters will be adj
mitted at reasonable hours on work.
Ing days only; they may talk with
whomsoever they desire. 1 feel that
the more the public knows about this
Institution the greater will be the in
terest in it, and that it will help the
prisoners both while they are in GUS
tody and after they have been re-
leased"
Sandwiched in with miscellany al
the end of the interview is this sum-
mary of the etiquette of calling
names:
Amongst men worthy of the name
'the occasion of speaking of another
as a CRATER or a thief is ID When
the accused is present. (2) When the
one making the charge can prove 1t
(3) When the speaker can be held to
account. 4) When some good can
come from the charges"
Prisoners Contribute.
Not a little of the breeziness of the
magazine is due to the prisoners own
contributions. Witness this from a
prisoner under the heading, Wanted
Dentist"
CAS- a class we are very poor. Very
few of US have more than pennies
and many have not even these.
THE State lays its strong hand
upon us and confines us for periods