Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-04-30
SOLD HIS LIFE FOR
PLUGGED NICKEL" /"
SAYS 'LANKY LEM
Hardened Criminal Pleads With
Officers Of the Law to Help
Him to Freedom.
WRITES WARDEN PLUMMER

PROFESSIONAL NepS Nuo
quired from several prison sentences a
Wish to begin a new life, is contained in q
letter recently sent to Warden M. ).
Plummer of the New Castle county work
house by Edward Carney, better known
as 'Iankv Lem" MIR. Pummer was one
Of the PARTY who arrested Lem while he
was on his way TO rob the post office at
CLAYTON several years ago. He was caught
in railroad car, and struggled desperate
ly with the late Lieutenant Doris OF the
Pennsylvania railroad service. During the
rough and tumble fight he had several
ounces of "soup," as the 'yeggs call
nitro-glycerine, in one of his pockets.
Lem served four years in Atlanta for
transporting explosives. On his release he
took up again with his old companions,
and was caught attempting to rob a bank
in PikesHille, Md. In the fight at the
bank he was wounded, and one of his pals
and detective were lSIied. For this
crime Carney is still imprisoned at Balti-
more.
The following story shows in a striking
way the development of a criminal from
material which might have been, and may
vet be, useful to society. Mr.. Plummer has
answered the letter and is interesting HIM
self in Carney's attempt to start his life
over. The letter follows:
PATHETIC APrEM.
Dear Mr.. Plummer:
Once a thief always thief is a saying
that you and | both know not TO be true.
There are many classes of thieves, but
there are only two distinctive classes, the
thief through instinct and the thief
through environment. One who has had all
the advantages that civilization has to
offer, such as home, family, education,
and whose mind has been trained to
,navze and reason, and sacrifices it all
or artificial pleasure, is thief through
instinct. Therefore, he is the real criminal,
and the higher order the education, the
greater the criminal.
You know enough of my life TO know
that ] fell into the hands of the Phlis-
tines when only kid in knickers. | was
normal as q child, a little reserved with a
strongly developed desire for affection.
/ soon learned in order to be rewarded
with love and praise that | must get
money; how, it did not matter with the
only people knew who were kind TO me
| became very ambitious. At fourteen
| knew how to knock off a pete: at twenty
had reached the apex of my profession.
| was the mechanic for one of the most
successful gangs of bank robbers in the
Middle West. Had | rose as rapidly in any
legitimate profession, | would have been
considered marvel. My only desire was
TO be loved and praised i,
You know | am not mercenary. that
| gave the money away ] stole without
wen waiting to be asked for it. / derived
ess benefit from 1T than anyone. You
nave probably heard all this and many
other tales. But have you ever heard as
much as a whisper saying that had ever
sacrificed the interest OF any associate or
acquaintance
i have gambled with the greatest stakes
Of all, life and liberty, numerous times IN
order to protect the interest of my asso-
ciates and acquaintance, always ready
to sacrifice my own interest IN order TO
protect others.
Our opinions and prejudices are the
collective opinion of the little world or
class in which we move. Therefore, my
reputation for honesty, truthfulness, sta
bility and unselishness, would average
with the very best of any other circle, or
class
You will agree with me, am sure, that
/ am and became thief through environ
ment. Fundamentally | am honest. But
there must be something radically wrong
with social system that allows one TO be-
a thief. / NAV have flunked, but | think
society flunked as well If such be the
case, then we are equally guilty, and IN
asking society for chance, ! would be
asking not for generosity, but only fair
play.
At fifty think have sold my life for
plugged nickel, and | may have gotten
ANYTHING in the world chose to ask for IT, !
l have known little but trouble perhaps, |
have been unfortunate because / tried to !
help myself by troubling others. There is |
only one thing left In life for me and that is |
my liberty. | cannot hurt anyone from |
now on.
/ am before YOU all as man who has |
PLAYED the game unfairly. ] am humbled, |
and for the first time | am pleading for |
mercy-the holiest thing IN human rela |
tions. it is not only blessing to the one /
who receives, but to the one who gives. /
/ will go as far as to say ! will never steal
again. Don't think ] have become sud-
denly religious, not at all. There never
was nor never will be any false pretense
about me. If anything am sincere.
LONGS FOR HOME.
The other day, the 4th of this month,
was my fiftieth birthday, and my age may
not have brought wisdom, but it has at
least brought a little common sense,
enough to thoroughly realize that ] am up
against losing proposition. l can't be
accused of being a quItter, as have spent
twenty years of my life In prison, long
enough to convince me that it doesn't pay
to lead an unconventional life.
Can YOU realize what exquisite torture
the thought is of a lonesome old age, with
out ever knowing the most wonderful
thing In life, the pride of possessing
home with loving and faithful wife, to
ieel the arms around you of loving and
children, the Joy 1t must give
10 better their chances IN life?
/ have never known nor felt such Joy.
have been as much alone, and am at
present, as If | were a bit of chaff floating
,n the Atlantic / don't know as / have
my right to ask for your help, but ex-
Derience has taught me that there is
.mong men with good red blood and
sporting instinct, an unexplainable bond
If sympathy for man who is up against a
lough proposition.
/ don't know how many hundreds of
years 1t has taken TO create me, but | am
he last of the line and God knows don't
want to die IN ditch without putting up
'ome sort of fight. have no kin, but the
lass OF friends whom ! cannot rely on
Then again ! would like to be free agent
inder no obligations to any of my COM
,anlons
] don't believe that ] can make good,
know can | am not a weakling. ] have
OTIS of energy and ambition. / don't
rink nor gamble If you could only forget
hat l was ever accused or convicted of