The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-10-10
Peter Miller Tells
Star Man Why He Is
Still Able to Smile


Editors Note: This Is the
third of series Of articles DIES.
Criblng the life Of Peter Miller,
widely known Seattle eontis,
Who Is serving sentence Of
rs 10 20 Acar AZ Malla " ala,
Miller was convicted on two
charges u burglary aud one Of
perjury Few cases Of criminal
Jurisprudence in the Northwest
have attracted the attention that
the Miller case has, due TO the
Interesting personality Of Peter
Miller. THE unusual length Of his
sentence and the prominence Of
those Who have briricnded him
IN hts effort 20 obtain a pardon,
BN JACK HALL
WHEN the city editor sent me 10
w walh Walla TO interview Peter
Miller ho told me. you remember.
that Pete must have something on
the bah" 30 frequently had he al.
tmcted the attention OF an manner
OF men.
After talking 10 Miller there IN
the prison libay-his library. 10,
L was he who established I'll
was convinced tho city editor was
right
Here was a man with mental
aitHininuls sufficient 10 place
him In the front rank among
the lniellrciuals Of the coun,
Try. a student, teacher. a phil
osophcr. physioEnomist,
Psychologist with tho dearest
thing Ia life taken from him
his liberty. And set he had
found happiness.
How DO you DO it7' I asked
u have tried 20 forget myself.
hs answered Il have sought "a
develop my soul which IN mine and
they cannot take u from me. th1
I am a captive slave IN body
4 have mental freedom which
lrW people. even on the outside. en-
juy am LIVING IN the realm Of
thought IN tho realm ~ the spirit
where dwell most OF tho time
there are no locks. no barr. u,
walls. no policemen nothing 10 ob
struct or hinder me from rrh
thinking,
4 do not know which j. the
more detrimental TO an orderly
state Of socieiy-to be- incarerr-
ated behind walls Of stone o.
wall, Of rank ignorance.
MY chief mission here behind
these wallis is 20 make men ttink
decently. Eensihly. wisely, consiruc
lively. l hold good BOOTS, clean and
instructive thouEhtlnspirlug liter
allure. TO bs Imprisoned humanity
best companions"
Here Miller pointed 10 the pride 81
his lifc-thc library containing NOR
than 10000 volumes. covering "a wid'
range Of the very best authors IL
fiction. biography. science and phil
osophy history. travel and adyen
ture. religion. agriculture. nrt5or.cul
turr. horticulture and mechanics
everything. nearly, 20 be found Il
any first class city library
II have helped teach men 20
think and they have been com.
forted and so have I, he said.
Besides serving az tho prison u
hmrihn. Miller now - conducting
prison night school with the RHHisi
ance Of T.. T. Mahoney. the war
denis secretary. administering ih
inmates relief fund. which he -
tabllshed aud performing the dutis
oi prison chaplain. Tho Institution
has no regularly appointed chaplain
at the present time.
! The night school consists OF eiEh
grades. a commercial class teaching
s,enoEraphy and bookkeeping and
class in pcnmanshlp. STANDARD tex
books arc used. Attendance Is pure
~ voluntary Miller told INC nbou
20 per cent Of the inmate population
are awaiting themselves Of the priy
ilogc. school " held in the prisol
dining room and many OF the 50
prisoners arc fitting themselves 70
useful occupations when they shall
have once more regaincd their IN
erty and their citizenship.
was interested in the inmates
relief fund.
THE state" said Miller,
spends thousands Of dollars for
the discovery OF crime and tho
apprehension OF the offender and
still more money for punish.
mcnt. keep and care Of the con.
yicted felons, but not cent for
their rehabilitation. Here is
where the inmates relief work
comes In and serves In practical
way to help keep a man straight
after he Is sent on his way
Money Is raised for the fund bot
inside and out. Miller, while spenl.
ing with extreme charity OF hi
prosecutors. expressed disploasure II
no uncertain way. when he told o
an appeal he had made 10 the min
listers OF the state FOR help for tn
inmates relief work
II sent letters TO 30 ministers II
this state. explaining how badly IN,
fund needed aid from tho outside an,
siresslng the fact that here was al
opportunity for some real home mis-
sonary work and "A practical demon
stration Of the Christian spirit" h
said. How many replies do yor
suppose / received Fivc-juat five
Two OF them contained money: IN
other three turned tho boys down
The inmates relief fund Is man
aged by Miller and three other In
mates a pnrolcd man who wishc
n loan from tho fund must go befor
this committee and satisfy itg mem