The New York herald., 1922-04-14

why MEN GO WRONG
TOLD BY 6 CONVICTS
Joliet Inmates Give Expert
Testimony to American
Bar Committee.
FLAPPER GETS BLAME
Failure to Segpgate First
Offenders Breeds Har-
dened Criminals.
HOME LIFE VITAL NEED
Crooked Dry Officers, Easy
Bail and Shyster Lawyers
Mentioned.
HOME LIFE VITAL NEED

Special Dispatch to THE NEW York HERALD.
CHICAGO, April 13.-"Why do men go
wrong?"
Six criminals of Joliet penitentiary,
selected because of their intelligence,
were asked this question to-day by
the law enforcement committee Of the
American Bar Association, which is
investigating the causes Of the nation
wide crime wave.
Environment, expenses OF entertain
ing modern "fiappers" and lack OF
proper home life were causes assigned
by one witness. burglar He added
he would not be in prison had he
possessed $3.50 with which to fix his
case with certain officials
Failure to handle properly first Of
tenders and to sesregate them in county
Jails. which they call schools OF crime.
were reasons assigned by three others.
One nationally known confidence man
refused to talk.
"This concludes our investigation here
and in Chicago" said Judge Marcus
Kavanaugh. THE statements to-day
are Of great clinical value. We meet
again in New York in June
When the confidence man refused to
talk the commission called another con-
vict III the same line OF endeavor.
"The whole trouble. as | see it, he
said. 'Ties in the fact that youngsters
when first arrested are thrown into Jail
with a lot OF old time criminals. The
criminals talk nothing but crime. how
they pulled their last job, how they got
away. how they beat case. The frst
offenders mind is filled with schemes TO
make easy money and get away with II.
Segregation OF first offenders. ! think. Is
tn ething that is needed most, particu-
larry in county jails."
Need OF Segregation.
The NTH witness. man prematurely
gray and sentenced for a whisky rob-
berry. said his life Of crime began after
he was sentenced TO the Br'dewell back
IN 1895 for trivial offence OF which he
was not guilty. He fell in with criminals
and has been with them since.
"Ninety-nine per cent of prohibition |
officers are crooked. he said. Il would |
not be here now had 1t not been coula |
get whisky easily had few drinks !
and was roped in on a whisky robbery
The last man to testify told OF being I
"fram by an attorney Judge kava-
naugh of Chicago made notes and said
he would personally investigate the |
matter.
The burglar who lacked the $3.50 is |
middle aged man. old in prison ways |
and criminal activities /
Association and environment cause |
crime" he said. You see il Is like this |
when young man reaches the age OF
Is to 20 he begins to realize there are l
women In the world, He go out with /
some OF them and makes a friend who |
Is fast
III Il time in his life when he is |
rot making much money and in order |
Il, take the girl 20 cabarets and step /
around with her he has to get that
money. IL Is an easy step to stealing. I
He finds there are organized sets or
gangs of thieves. They have their law
yers. professional bondsmen and wit |
nesses He finds the gang pools its pro-
ceedure: that when he belongs to the \
gang that his chances OF beating case
are good and he can go on stealing. He
observes that the man who works alone
easily gets caught and is put away.
Lack Good Home Life.
''that majority Of men would not go |
wrong II they had good home life.
some do. Of course but ] had none |
myself. Ny people died when | was
little. and / came UP In the underworld.
had to educate myself In the peni-
Tertiary"
"How is it when YOU get out &
the pentitentlary?" Judge Kavanaugh \
asked.
1T is hard to 20 straight then.
Some one comes along. thes. always I
do. and tells you how you can make |
easy money. know you Judge Kav-
anaugh. In 1914 you sent me to NIL |
waukee."
The next 10 testify was first
timer" lie was 81 al | q college grad |
uate under sentence from one 10 five
years for conspiracy to 10 II
zone OF the biggest things that make
crime is the mixing of the young fell
low with the hardened criminal" he !
said. I'm my case II ought | was wise
enough TO beat the game had a
queer kink in my m,Ed after the war
I went wrong. / think history will
show that a crime wave follows all
wars. They teach you things in war
they wont let you practice later"
"Eliminatc fixers, ard shyster lawyers
and show the crook he can't get out
ci a cAihM btI1 #t1H nf Nhli IdflPt
and there win be less crime. I would
urge that the parol,d man be given
a chance. The way il IL now. every
paroled man Is watched and picked
up on the slightest offense.r
No 2, was one or Chicago's best known
con men. lie said he had tried TO beat
other crooks during his time
II was sent down because I turned
the trick on one Of the worst kind
Of crooks he sad. "and II hurts
me 70 think that I'm serving time and
this fellow Is free"
The Committee consisted Of Judge
Marcus kavsnaugh Of Chicago: Judge
Swaney OF Chattanooga: Charles w.
Farnhan Of St Paul. and Wade Ellis
OF Washington. Ex-Governor Charles s
Whitmcn Of New York. another men,
Der Of the Committee. was called to
New York today.
PREFERS ESCAPE no HANGING.
Fayetteville. Ga, Aprn 13.--Genus
COfcld, the negro who eafd ha rrofarr.1