The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1916-04-01
CONTINUED
FROM PAGE l
REPORTER WELL FED
IN WALLA WALLA PEN

below me. lie seemed always TO
be smiling 10 himself
Well. how are they coming.
Wilson," he asked. cheeriiy
"oh. | can, kick" replied. IT'S
all strange 10 me- and Two lost my
appetite. but guess I'll set alouE
all right"
sure. you win" he replied. 10
spite OF the peculiar. lecring smile.
began 70 like him.
This nin't n bad place. atall
Two seen lots o. worse ones Say.
II your. right. they treat you like
prince here. All you got. 10 do
is play eiuare show tho folks
you're all right. and there won't
be nothing too good for you.
What you want 20 do Is try 90
keep out OF the mill. Oh. referred
TO tho iute MILL It's only tho
buns that 20 there. By the way.
what's your liner
I'm q bookkeepor." lied.
Fine" tho convict smiled.
You'll b, all right. They won,
tskc a guy like you out TO the mill.
You want 10 try for a job In the
library or In tho front office.
You1i have all tho liberty you want
and you won't have 20 associate
with all those rough necks and
hard.hoiled cons in tho other
wings
All Prisoners
Have Their Duties
Al the prisoners at walla whila
have duties TO perform
There are a dozen convictH who
have offices OF honor IN tho prison
library. and even sleep there.
Tho printing establishment.
where tho prison paper. Our View.
Point" r. published. In located In
the library.
The front office" n tho admin.
istration building. All tho routine
office work and bookkeeping OF the
institution il done by prisoners.
Peter Miller. sestsie's "a.
nous burglar. who has so
many sentences against him
that he probably will never
leave prison, 10 the librarian.
He has two bankers, a doctor
and a haf-doxen other men OF
brains assisting him In the
handling and sorting OF books.
A Job In the library" Ia coveted
by many. but achieved by very few.
During my conversation with the
convict with the crooked smile. Il
began my effort 20 learn the inside
truth OF prison reform.
Say" said. as the trusty lolled
on the deck outside my door. what
do you think about this place? DO
you think II does any good 10 lock
us fellows up here7 DO you be-
lievc you will be better man when
you get out7"
Where do you get that stuff"
was the convict's retort. Re
form7 Well. should say not.
N the Judges who send men
here would make the sentences six
months, instead OF two and three
years. for small offcnses. they
might do some good. Because In
the first six months man really
suffers. lie learns his lesson. II
he ever would 20 straight again.
because OF fear Of being pinched
and sent back. he'd do II az the
end OF six months In stir. ("Stlr"
is the prison term for peniten-
taryD
Declares Prison
Does Not Reform
But I'm eight months or year
you get toughened up. You lose
your ambition. You don't give
d whether you come back or
not
THE reason guys come back TO
prison as second and thlrd.termers
Is partly because they have lost all
ambition TO be straight again. and
partly because they have spent so
much time inside that they get the
wrong viewpoint of other people.
They think society owes them llv.
Ing. And II does. too. in good
many cases.
This man was n clever burglar.
ABOUT the middle of the after.
noononf.. cell door was opened by
n trusty and was told TO 20 down
TO the main corridor There | sat
on bench. wondering what would
happen next. Several trusty con
vlcts gathered about me. asking
questions In whispers.
One of them elected the informa-
piano.
Think you could pick II up again
II you had a cbanoe7" he asked.
yes. think could" replied.
Say, you're Just the man we're
looking for The leader OF the or.
chestra wants pianist. He plays