The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-12-22
SPEAKER BEFORE
LARGE AUDIENCE
Address At PIT. Associa
ton of Union School
AGAINST THE MOOSE
Thinks Hangings Have Bad Eff
feet On Other Prisoners;
Need More Convictions.

sin, sorrow and suffering. | hear
the intensely sympathetic stories
OF wives, mothers and children; and
l am here to tell you that the actual
suffering is not confined to the
prisoner sentenced to the peniten-
that are left behind" said F. A.
Whittier. state parole agent for the
penitentiary at Saltwater, formerly
superintendent of the boys training
school at Redwing, in an address
last evening before the Parent
Teachers association of the Union
school
Seeing as much as | do of the
sins and sorrows of the world
coming down here and telling you
people what / have seen and what
my duties are does me great deal
of good" he said. IL have watched
the delinquency and crime Of the
state of Minnesota for twenty
seven years and | have seen some
thing of human nature and prob
lens of delinquency and crime. Ny
work is that of the paroling; that is
looking after the history OF the
prisoners and their families and
thereby preparing information to be
submitted to the board of parole.
I will give you a few facts con-
corning the prisoners as man on
the inside looking out. You people
get your views from the outside
looking in and l can truthfully say
the two viewpoints are very far
apart
The Ordinary Criminal.
An ordinary criminal is a differ
emit being than most people think
him to be. He is not always a big
man; larger in size, rough In man
ners, etc, but he is below the aver
age in size and morals, very weak,
easy going, helpless. Or course
these are exceptions. =.
Most people have the impression
that the criminal comes from the
ignorant class of people. This is
not true. Statistics show that the
HIGHER the degree of intelligence
the higher the percentage Of crime.
Where we have the highest percen-
tage of intelligence it seems that
the people of this class want more
and the straggiers that try to gel
possession Of more are the ones
that get into the prisons. II is
found that there are more crimes
committed against property during
chastity predominant during the
summer months. r.-
'sThe causes OF crime are so mum
erous and varied that it would be
hard for me to define or name them.
MANY people wonder il the largest
newceutaxe of crime Is not due TO
hereiity causes. II has been my
exDerience to find that crimes are
always due to environment. Broken
homes. and divorces stand oul
among the numerous causes as
leaders. Another cause is found 10
the small cities and towns as the
modern pool room and unsuperVls,
ed dance halls, including the small
county barn dances. Heredity comes
at the end of the long list OF causes
for crime. | can quote you many
cases and it will be found that 1t Is
the after environment that controls
the child.
Lack of discipline is also one
of the causes of crime. speak oil
discipline not on conduct, but by
training to do things. If you can
teach the child tie use of his HANDS
what he should do with them.
that is discipline. The hands mus
work with the brain.
MT. w lOlu vi INV ~
followed in taking the prisoners
under their control. He explained
in full the grading process OF the
prisoners and what they had to &c
M until the time they are discharg,
cd from the prison. He said tha'
No prisoner was released until den.
mite employment had been found
for him. 1t is often found that bet
ter conditions are brought about II
homes where the prisoners come
from if We release them on parole
he said.
Another feature found to be
existing in the Minnesota state pms
on in the world is the payment OF
all men wages. The average "sss
raid is $40 per month When me1
have needy families this money
goes to them for their support An
other feature is special state aid &c
wives of prisoners. The mother If
given sufficient means whereby
She can educate the children, some
receiving as high as $50 per month
This system very often keeps lam
lilies together that would otherwise
be separated"
"The best reformer the world ey.
er discovered is good home SAID
Mr.. Whittier. The crime waves
that is covering Ln0 ioho 40 SA.J
a temporary affair, due, mostly tc
discomfort following the World war
During the years 1914, 1915 and 1917
juvenile crime developed to a great
er extend than In any other nve
years due to the fact that all energy
was exerted for war and our child
rem were neglected. We ind thai
the Juvenile criminals Of those days
are the adult criminals of today. we
rave also seen much of the effects Of
the war on the boys that are coming
in now. Young men were taught the
use of firearms while the Red Cross
Y. M. c. A. and other organizations
were out demanding money in/ths
drives they made-they did not ask
they demanded Now these young
men 90 out and demand.
Seriousness of Crime
"The seriousness Of crime is get
ting worse all the time where it viii
end cannot say. Prohibition does
its share and l believe the people Of
the land will see to it that the sale
of liquor of the past is of the past
forever.
"Crime is not eliminated by the
severity of punishment. Only by the
surety of punishment will we ever
gain control. What we need is more
convictions. TIE fellows that gel
away help to stimulate crime. l an
not in favor of capital punishment
CAPITAL punishment destroys the
disciple and good feeling in the pris