Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-21
BEST THOUGHT IN AMERICA
DIGEST OF THE MAGAZINES

erect on the inmates. There Is an ann
NUMBER of suicides "a recent investlsatin|
ported 2S In Auburn for one YEAR, ana 4
more appalling number who attempt s,ic,Sl
Lall' or who just become madmen and ara A
terred to hospitals for the criminal inss,1
one week, In cells but a few feet from
Two men committed suicide and two mora
ana failed. Those who succeeded hanged
serves. one of them chose that rnsth1
escaping punishment in the dungeon, mi
peeh reported for some petty violation Al
rules and was to appear before the prd
Keeper IN the morning for punishment D|
the night he was heard to say, "I'd sooned
the devil than the p. X" and then he hl
hlnself on the bars of his cell door This
convey some idea of prison guards and
administration of discipline"
In spite of all the newspaper stories OF
reforms, | can assert, as to Auburn pI
that most of.'this vaunted reform Is a
III is true that much of the atrocious cod
punishments, flogging, hanging I'm bv|
thumbs. etc, has been generally discarded
the terrible crushing discipline that has rep|
those methods is many times more deyas|
In its effects. Those severe punishments
meted out only to few, but all suffer frod
discipline.
Woman as the "Protected Sex"
Madeleine Doty, a New York Prison
missioner n year ago voluntarily sery|
short sentence in Auburn Prison in ord|
learn conditions for himself. She writ
the Century D, telling of some of
women she met, whom she had come to
better in her visits to the prison since
Eugenie is %, and was sent to prison wh|
AS she crept close to the bars her head seal
came to my shoulder. She had small
features, and small, shy ways. Her q
hair was pulled straight back Her blue
were eNpressionless. | spoke of the llttll
born in prison. With a dart she was al
table taking from it her one treasure al
ture of an exquisite, radiant, Laughing
AS she handed 1t to me the small face|
transfigured; no longer expresslonless, ID
allght with love. For the moment time,
and self were quite forgotten II waI
months since she had seen her baby. Fol
years he had been in n chidren's asylul
tried to get her story, but she spoke on|
broken English. When her letter came and
translated, this is what 1 read:
ut is already nearly four years since
locked up, and there is no one to help d
my misfortune. At the time of the arrl
was too young and permitted myself to be
led, and l am terribly sorry, but 1t IS
late. There where l worked I met the mai
whom | am now suffering and paying the|
atty. He promised to marry me. My frl
promise he'd keep; but was not to tell
one. l believed all the time that he was u
the truth. I had nearly 800, for which l wC|
so hard He knew that I had the money
said l must give II to him and all that
owed to me for work. lie said there was|
pocket.
~ did not think he was deceiving me q
shame, and / gave him all the money
l got suspicious, and after two years q
him. Why don't you marry mel? told
] couldn't stand this kind of thing any \
When l reproached him, he said he knew i
Ing about 1t. He denied all he said before
could do as he pleased. Nobody could
him. He would marry anybody he chose
said: America is a free country and cal
as l please.'
"By these words | was so overwhelmed
grief regret and shame that I took his
] beg you, dear madam, very much to tram
this letter and explain what the reason
when on trial / did not speak, said nothing
cause | was ashamed, Therefore, ] was
demned with my child TO be imprisoned 4
to Is years"