The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-07

who Is serving life sentence in
Arizona State prison for murder.
The first impression Eytinge made
upon the outside world was by his
letters. These letters have no whine
In them. They contain RIO muuthings
Of bitterness: but on the contrary,
breathe optimism and-strangest Of
all contentment; but, Of course, con-
tcntment with hope.
They may be business letters, in which
event they are crisp and pulling. They
may be letters of friendship, in which
event they will sparkle with brains and
humOr as well as beat with pulse
that is warm and human. These friend
ship letters, and even the business ones,
have mysterious power 10 klndle af-
fcCtlon for the man behind the type
writer; so that over the country to-
day grows a little circle Of men and
women, lecturers, writers, advertising
experts, wholesale merchants and bust
ness idealists generally who though
they have never seen the man are
proud to call the life termer friend and
speak of him with respect and affec-
ton.
Some of the great publishers and
manufacturers of America have solic-
preparing series OF form letters to be
used by them in selling direct through
the mails. Recently Letters, a Chicago
trade journal, devoted nearly an issue
to consideration Of some series OF
letters prepared by this convict, ant
concluded by saying
"A study Of Eytinge's style-of his
reasoning-w pay any man Every
rin Will his al
is direct, convincing. and no opportu
nifty has got by where he could show
greater interest, render greater ser
vice, cement and double rivet the ti'
that bnds--true friendship
But Eytinge's letters have not only
power to persuade to business ends. b,
the power Of a letter he whipped MAJ
in an Eastern State whom he had neve
seen out Of drunkenness into sOhriety
after which more letters got this con
structed drunkard into the employ o
another correspondence friend in posi-
ton that promises to be worth NOR
than ten thousand dollars a year.
Naturally people ask: What kind 0
prisoner is it who can write sue
such letters? And: What kind Of
prison is it where they allow convic
to throw his mind over the walls I
the far borders of n continent?
Answering the former question frs
this prisoner though still young has
long record that is deliberately, skill
fully and viciously Criminal-a caree
in which there Is little to excite sympa
thy and less on which to ground hop
And yet bad as Louis Eytnge Ia
been, II is permitted at the very out
set to relieve the feelings Of the reade
by saying that there is serious doul
i'm the minds of many as 10 whether h
ever took the life of a fellow being,
lie went to drive upon the desc
outside of PhuiniX with a sick ma
whom he had befriended and who Ia
trusted him, He came back alone. tt
companion was found dead his poke
rined and an empty chloroform can
the bushes near at hand, Eytlnge, wit
trail Of forged checks between hi
and the scene OF death, was arrest,
900 miles away with some of Il
dead mans property in his possessio
That In brief was the circumstanti
case upon which conviction was S
cured II may appear conclusive B
To many H. is not. There exists "a dout
Judge A. c. Baker Of Phoenix, wi
defended Eytnge, became so exercise