El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-12
WRITER BREAKS
INTO PRISON
Month in Ohio Penitentiary
To Get Story; Now at
Camp Pershing.

How would you like TO spend 80 days
at hard labor in a state penitentisry
as a common convict just to get a
good story Of inside conditions from
actual experience?
That is what c. c. Lyon, staff CORE
spondent for the Scripps-McRae did at
Columbus. Ohio, and his stories of
prison life created a sensation when
they appeared IN the Scripps' papers
after he was liberated. Lyon is at
Camp Pershing with the Ohio troops
and has a tent, a striker and a pet
horned toad out at the Fourth Ohio
infantry on the paved road
Broke Into Prison.
Lyon did not get sent up for any
crime. His experience was the result
Of the working Of the "scribbler's itch"
which attacked him when he first went
to Indiana university and which has
become chronic since Letting his beard
grow for a week and slipping into the
summer before lasts second best suit
Lyon went to the warden's office and
announced that he was an escaped con-
Wet who had got away the year be-
fore.
As the warden did not know the es-
capped prisoner he fell for Lyons story,
locked him up and gave him a number
fare doing prison work and sleeping
in a steel cell for month. in the mean
time getting much inside stuff" for
Ms series of stories He finally OBJ
tanned his release and the discovery
Of his clever ruse created a sensation
in Ohio.
Praises Ell Paso.
Lyon does not belong 10 the crouch
school Of newspaper men, He is an
optimist and has proved IL by writing
some crackerjack stories for the
Scripps-McRae string OF newspapers
about e. Paso. a recent story. which
appeared in all Of the Scripps papers,
was illustrated with a four column pic
ture Of Fl PasO with Mt Franklin in
the background The accompanying
story. which might have been written
by George Clements, the chamber of
commerce publicity director. reads
@WOnderful Climate
Pvt Blank Of the Ohio guard.
who did a lot Of kicking back in
Camp Willis. Columbus. this sum
mer, now asks somebody 10 give
him a swift kick
On the Mexican border at last.
helping Uncle sam guard his pre-
serves against the raids OF Next
can bandits. Pvt Blank is the hap
piest. most excited boy in all
America today. bar none
This land of wonderful climate.
picturesque scenery, horned toads.
cactus and NeSicans has captivated
him completely.
Just think he exclaims dozen
times a day. I might have missed
all this"
sleep Under Blankets.
After sleeping like 4 log all night
under heavy blankets. he pokes
his head out Of his tent and almost
in his front yard flows the Rio
GranCe- Beyond II is Mexico and
he looks on mountains that are 30
miles away
The Rio Grande appears TO be
about five city blocks away but in
reality II is mile and a half The
atmosphere Is so clear and rare
that distances are deceptive
A. his right. on the American
side. are the lofty peaks Of a noun
tain chain that seem almost TO top
pie over on II PasO- Behind him is
Fort Bliss. and on his left stretch
ing away for so miles. q vast plain.
Rave About Citrate.
The climate here is something TO
rave about. During the day the
sun is hot but there is 50 little
moisture in the atmosphere that
one stands the heat better here
than back in Ohio
As one philosopher put it, You
may bake down here, but you don't
parbOil as We did back home"
It is always cool in the shade
here regardless Of how not the sun
is and the nights are great.