The Omaha morning bee., 1924-12-04
New York
DAY by Day.
Rx % M,INTYRE.

New York. Dec 3.-The other day
I visited Sing Sing prison to see a
man who once went swimming with
our gang in the old swimmin' hole.
He is in the seventh year of life
term. Prison had already bleached
him gray.
lie seemed as devoid of red cor
puscles as one of those wriggly
things one finds under a mouldy
board in the cellar. He was stoop-
shouldered. hollow chested and his
limp hand had the chill of death. His
is the old story-whiskey, loose COM
panions and murder.
- lie was in middle years lonely old
manipulating desperate game
AGAINST loneliness and despair. He
picked with monotony at the cuff of
one sleeve and asked me of those
we had known when We were boys.
/ had been his only visitor since he
went up the river.
The conversation zigzagged from
the creek banks, to the hills beyond.
He was living over again the fleeting
days of youth. Not once was there
cynicism at the deadly commonplace
ness of his existence. There was only
regret that he had muffed happiness.
When | left | asked if there might
be something he wanted outside. He
shook his head but there was a long
ing in his eye. So l persisted. And he
said you may think it a strange
request. But there il something
would like to have-something Of
which you would never dream.
Back home. you remember, my
mother, sister and / lived in little
cottage near the creek. 1t was the
only place Of which / have happy
memories. IT may not be there now
but IL it is and you ever go back
take a picture of 1t and send 1t to
me-"
The photograph has been taken
and no doubt by now has reached
him. ! left him with sinister some.
thing gripping me like ice. Here was
a murderer pining for only one thing
in life-an emblem of purity.
Not once in the prison or prison
yard did l see a smile. Keepers, IL
seems to me, are touched by this
|, irab melancholy. Souls appear to
have turned to clinkers--dry and
ashy. Nothing stirs listlessness into
interest. Life goes on-grim days and
grim nights.
There are very few places left in
the White Light Zone for profession
al dancers. Those who cannot find
enga gements in vaudeville are turn
ing to other work Or going to Paris
and London where the demand !.
heavy. An agency reports there are
only six dancing couples now work
ing in first class places. Three years
ago there were more than 200 coup
les.
There is a man In the 40s who Is
making a living removing gin stains
from furniture. In his little shop win
dow is a placard reading: No mat
ter how rough the party, can re
pair the damage in jiffy."
Just one more little observation
about prisons-and you may all &c
home but don't loiter in the aisles-
] believe the greatest need Of men in
prison today is a friendly faith In
their reformation. Many OF then
don't go straight when released sim
ply because nobody cares.
II was REVEALED in a bankruptcy
petition of a young high flyer thai
he had left unpaid a bill for $500 tc
the press agent. lie had employed
the press agent to brut II about he
was first nighter."
A recent book OF mine was for
some time listed among the six besi
sellers. But whatever conceit fhi,
may have engendered was knocked
into a cooked hat by a review in =
paper in Scotland which said: 1T II
the sort OF book that achieves the es
Unable norm of being neither sub
lime or ridiculous. II might have beer
written by cab driver or greer
grocers clerk"
copyright. is2t)