The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-17

CHARLES E. CHAPIN'S STORY (Written in Sing Sing prison), with an
 "Introduction' by Basil King. G. F.
 Putnam's Sons, Publishers, New York z City.
 Before and since the Ballad of Read ing Gaol,' the stories of prisoners, writ ten in prisons, have gripped public at tention. And from Sing Sing peniten- tiary now comes another such tale, the autobiography of a man convicted of murder and serving life sentence for his crime. The author is Charles Chapin, TOW up the river" as a "lifer,' and for merly city editor of the New York Eve ming World.
 "The amazing part of my story is that 1 am alive to relate it,'' is the first line of the authors foreword to Charles Chapins Story just published by Put nams.
 Tt has been said my others that after taking the fife of my wife lacked the fortitude to kill myself. The assumption is justifiable, but it is untrue. With nothing left to live for. it was easy to die" Such is the soul-baring statement of this man who wanted to die. and now must live in cell forever.
 When l gave myself up to the police I realized as wildly as I ever realized any act of my life. that I would be put h prison. placed on trial and convicted. and that would have to go through the ordeal of ignominious death by legal ex- ecution. The thought that I might es- cape the electric chair and spend the remainder of my life in prison, never came to me.
 After sending bullet into his wife's brain as she lay beside him in their ho- tel rooms, Chapin, according to his story, went out into the city dazed man.
 Throughout the night" he writes, T IA 1~w hA vhxryrsx crouched in "a seat at the end of a car. I fancied myself dead and that it was | the shell of what once was me that sal so silent and still It was as if I were ir l trance. My hands were like Jumps ot | ice. The blood in my body seemed frozen For hours I couldn't even think. l had no sensation of thirst or hunger. just
 rode on and on like a dead man. l Tn the early morning I got off at station and bought a newspaper A | headline glared at me. My ayes were I fascinated with the horror it told. lf l black type at the top of the page was | Star reporter on the Chicago Tribune
 at 9. city editor of the Chicago Times at 25, and for more 4han 20 years city editor of the New York Evening World
 he was active in all the great news events of the United States from 1880 t | 1918 and was known throughout the craf1 as one of the most astute and dominant news executives in the land.
 | During that time he came in contact with the outstanding figures in Amer ican journalism. politics and big bust ness and had personal experiences whicr 1 for number, variety and interest wouit
 make full and exciting lives for dozer 1 ordinary men. His career was coinciden' with. in fact part of, the astoundins | growth in influence and power Of tn' | newspaper in this country.
 r MT Chapin recoAnts. in what might ot
 called the most vivid newspaper style
 his experiences from his first connection
 with newspaper as a delivery boy n ' 1 small western town and down througt
 70 years of dynamic reporting and edit l Ing. His autobiography has the life ane l alertness, the news and feature value the clear thought and crisp expression which characterized his stories of mur
 ders and disasters, boodlers and politica 1 intrigue that established his reputation
 as star reporter in Chicago. No on' who wishes to learn something aoou
 the inside of news gathering and how : great daily newspaper is conductes
 should not miss reading this book. 10 l 1t is the work of one who knows-of master mind.
 Even In Sing Sing. Mir. Chapin's grea
 talent is not going to waste. He is edi