The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1922-11-25
1.-THE PRISON POET"

sXXJHO wrote this poem!
w Judge John W. Willis o! o.
Paul. Mimi. turned to his secretary
one day early in 1910 and. pointing -
verse which appeared in an issue
of the paper published b. the prls'n
ers OF the ST. Paul penitentiary. Oaoe
the other read what he termed one
Of the best bits of poetry | nave co'n.
across In many day'-a 1ras'nen'
OF which ram
Haggard faces and trembling knees.
Eyes that shine with weaklings B@.o
Lips that mutter their biasphen'es'
Murderous hearts that darby wall
These were they who were men "a
Fit to hold a plough or q s"o:u'
II a nraver thi. wall will penetrate.
Have nity on these my comrades. Loro'
Interested in the psychology WHICH
could give birth to such lines written
behind the bars of penltenlary'
Judge Willis made point OF vlsltihs
the prison, where he found man
entered upon the prison books as
John Carter, age "a" but who admit
ted that both the name and age were
false When questioned as to MS true
name he would only reply: nave
too much pride to allow that 10 oe
known" and. with respect to MS ase'
he merely pointed to his gray halrs
and smiled.
Carter had been sentenced to ten
years in prison for burglary. but when
Judge Willis commenced to inveStl-
gate his case, he found that the man
had had nothing TO eat for two Gays
prior to his crime, and that he mao
broken into a railway restaurant with
the sole idea of obtaining enough fooo
to save himself from starvation. after
being thrown from a freight train
while trying to beat his way from
Winnipeg to ST. Paul.
Shortly after entering the prison
Garter" had commenced to play the
organ in a manner which attracted the
instant attention Of d music teacher In
St. Paul, who declared that he pos
sessed exceptional ability, and he also
contributed q number Of poems to the
prison paper-poems which had not
only led Judge Willis but number OF
editors throughout the country to an
appreciation of the genius of this con-
vict-author His Ballad Of Misery
and Iron," which was widely quoted
In various sections of the United
States and Canada at the time, and
Of which the verse above forms a
part, concludes with the remarkable
stanza:
Poets sing Of life at the lees
In tender verses and delicate
OF tears and manifold agonies.
Little they know Of what they pirate.
Out Of this silence passionate
Sounds a deeper. a wilder chord
II song be heard through the narrow
gate,
Have pity on these. my comrades. Lord!
But, as Judge Willis founud. "Jar.
ter" was not man who whined or
complained. He admitted lis crime
and declared that the law had SEN
fenced him. justly, and that he was
perfectly willing to work out the re-
naming half Of his term. A movement
for pardon was instituted, however,
and. within year. the prison gates
opened and "John Carter" was once
more free man. AS he stepped out
the warden asked II he would not
write something descriptive Of the
way he felt. "Carter" hesitated a mo.
ment and then replied:
LEAD me back to my cell. must
have the iron bars In front of me-"
A few moments later he stepped out,
a poem completed, the final lines of
which read:
Unrea' 1t seems,
Half ecstasy. half WEAKNESS and pain
For so fear this haven Of my dreams
Shall vanish and the storm come back
again."
"Who are you?" asked one of the
group of reporters who had gathered
to witness the release of the prison
poet. But Carter, his face grim, his
eyes fixed firmly on the world which
he was viewing for the first time in
five vars, answered.:
THAT is my secret. Possibly you
may hear from me in the future"
1t is more than possible that the
world has heard from him, COR genins
such as that OF Carter's cannot be hid.
den by pseudonym any more than II
can be confined by the walls of a