Evening journal., 1914-02-03
PRISON CHIEF
TELLSOF SOME
CRIME CAUSES
Warden MCKenty Believes
Some Sympathy Should be
Shown to Men Behlnd Bars
BELIEVED ASYLUM SHOULD
HAVE HELD hOMER WIGGINS

Several hundred men were enter
tanned by the Mems Bible Glass Of
West Presbyterian Church in the
church last night, when RobertJ. Nc
Kenty, chief warden OF the Eastern
Penitentiary, spoke on Grimes and
Criminals That those present en-
ioyed the address Of Warden McKen-
~ was apparent, as none left the
school room until it was time for the
visitor to make his train. In addi-
tion to Mr. McKenty. Judge Victor b.
Woolley, Judge J. w. Lattomus and
Caleb z. Burchenal spoke.
When Mr.. McKenty invited ques-
tions one Of his audience asked what
he knew and thought of Homer G.
Virgins, who committed suicide In
this CITY, after fight with the police.
Mr.Mckenty declared that Virgins
should have been IN an insane
asylum, saying, 'he simply could not
do time, and while he was In my
care, he attempted suicide three
times. The ony way I could keen
Virgins was to have him sleep under
my bed. The man cried all the time
and Taylor. who escaped with Wig
gins, told me that Wiggins almost
had him crazy"
Mr.. McKenty, in referring to the
diseased mind of the young bandit,
said. When a man has no thought
Of the hereafter, he will commit sui
eide, and this Wiggins did, although
there we're twenty men outside wait
ing for a chance to kin him. When
Virgins was I'm st. Louis. he sent me
postcard, saying he was going to
the border. but / knew his border
line would be Wilmington. and noti-
fled the police. He could not stay
away from Wilmington"
As Mr. Mckenty ceased talking of
Virgins, some one asked him how Wig
gins managed TO escape from the peni-
tentiary, to which Mr. McKenty repledi
He simply climbed the 35-foOt wall at
2l5 o'clock in the morning." Mr.. Me-
hcnty also branded the whipping post
as relic Of former days aud one that
had nothing TO IL. Tie said that Penn
sylvania had abolished. the post years
ago.
Caleb L. Burchenal introduced Mr..
Mckenty but before doing so. he said
that while Mr.. McKenty would speak Of
the man as he leaves the court room for
prison, the speaker thought of another
aspect. that of the man who comes be.
fore the court. Mr. Burchcnal said it
appeared 10 him that the court should
have more facts before sentencing a
man. Mr.. Burchenal declared there was
a difference between the man who stole
a Loaf OF bread for his hungry children
and the bank plunderer.
In opening his address Mr.. McKenty
said he divided criminals into classes,
those against property and those
against persons. These two he later di-
vided into sections and in many cases
The prisoners are found TO be not rightly
balanced. II they were, he asserted,
they would realize that crime was the
poorest paving job.
Some men are criminals because they
do not get the proper start in life and
about 80 per cent. of criminals are
caused by liquor and environment OF
all the types. the yegg is The most dan
gerous and as q rule they come from
railroad shops on bridge workers who
are rowing. These men out of work de-
temine TO rob an Office and first they
rob a blacksmith shop and then rob
the oihce,h Mr. Alokenty declared. 1T
is easy 10 become a criminal, ii YOU get
in the rut. We have had them since
the world began and for awhile we tried
to suppress crime by hanging. This was
useless and when Philadelphia was a
small town 100 years ago, they had 400
criminals and We had the post and pill.
lory"
Mr.. McKenty said that what the
man inside wanted was not senu-
ment, but a fair deal He believed
human nature was the same inside
As Il was outside a prison wall.
Mr.. Mckenty said the coke" habit
was one OF many that makes crimi-
nails. These, he said. We're the most
dangerous type, especially when fill
ed with the drug.
After telling OF some other causes Of
crime, Mr.. McKenty spoke of the ef-
forts that are being made TO uplift
men. He said every person has q
soft SPOT. that ought to be located.
During his reference to the whip
ping post, Mr.. McKenty was asked II
he thought the post had a detorrine
effect on a criminal. He replied no
and If IL had, there would be less
criminals here than in former years
Mr.. Mckenty referred to the Pris.
on Conference he attended some
/ years ago in Chicago, at which he
said papers a mile long were read
He rldiculed the idea contained in
some Of the papers.
+. Allen Hilles, Of the New Castl,
County Workhouse. who was sittins
on the platform with Dr. u. Franklin
Smiley, Judge Woolley and Mr. Bur
chenal, said he had attended the con
vention that Mr.. McKenty had re
ferred to. Mr.. McKenty, turning {,
him, said. "Wherc you there, too?
Then you heard those papers.
Mr.. Mckenty said that at the con
ference the 'highbrows declared tha
booze was the cause of much Grim
and then they gave a banquet a
which LIQUOR was served. Whel
some Of them opposed this. thos
who attended replied. well we ha'
ours"
Following Mr.. NcRenty's address.
Judge Woollev said that to he a iudg
one had 10 have some backbone. an
while he favored the hclninc of thos
who had fallen. he declared the pub
lie should not give way to maudlii
sentiment.
During the evening a male quar-
tet sang. and ice cream and cak
were served.
CONTINUE STATE AUDIT.
spec'al % THE EVENING JOURNAL
! DOVER, Del, Feb. 3.-The IeQisls