New Britain herald., 1925-07-07
BEST WAY ID WARD OFF
 LAWLESS FACTION
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much Of the present curative en. deavor was deleterious in its fna result.
 Movies Were Harmful
 "I have in mind" he said, "the exhibition of an elaborate movie in the prisons, designed to show the evils of drugs. Over my better judg- ment I permitted 1t to be shown in the Tombs where there were about 200 young people, say under 25. rambled through the audience dur ing the show and was struck with the number of instance where the prisoner missed the point entirely and got only the bizarre early ef- fects of the use of narcotics. We must try that sometime l heard whispered. Every one of those in the audience felt certain he would be the exception who could stop when ever he liked.
 Host" 10 Chapman
 In his stewardship, Hanley acted as "host" to some notorious figures Among them were Harry K. Thaw, Hans Schmidt, Roland MolineauX Albert Patrick and Gerald Chap man.
 Despite his two score years of close association with the seamy side of the social fabric, however, the sencschal of the Tombs retains an emphatic optimism regarding the progress of civilization.
 He was found on the shady porch of his Brooklyn cottage, preparing for a fishing trip to nearby Jamaica Bay. Instead of the iron and con crete corridors of the prison and the famous Bridge of Signs" a burdened cherry tree could be seen through the open door The place of the uniformed keepers, who until a week ago carried out his orders for the care of 500 prisoners, was taken by the two eager-eyed tots of the third Hanley generation.
 The worlds Better
 Sure, the worlds better" he in- sisted, with glance to make sure his tackle box was safe from the baby hands. City and state govern ments and well-to-do individuals are taking more concern over the needs of the less fortunate. Look at your clinics and summer camps and neighborhood councils and all
 "I haven't heard of any one who has solved the secret of how a sense l of morality is instiled in an individ- ual, but it must be ascertainable to degree. To the Tombs came pris- oners from every walk of life; in many cases the family records had heretofore been stainless. At some point the natural desire 10 be and do good was warped, distorted, to be finally atrophied, perhaps, in what we consider habitual criminal How that metomorphosis occurred is societys problem"
 Cause For Suicide
 Instances had come to his atten- tion, hcsaid, where the progressive moral deterioration had been sensed | by the individual who often battled strenuously against a further descent. He recited cases fin which suicides had been traced to fear of future transgression against social | laws.
 These are the most pathetic of our potential criminal" he con- tinued. "Basically they are of un- usual value to society because of that finer moral sense. and proper encouragement would prevent their self-dcstruction or the first step to- ward the underworld"
 Six Degrees of Crime
 The progress of the average crim- inal could be summed up, he said, in the title of d play popular 40 years ago. "The six degrees of crime wine, women, gambling, theft, mur- der, the galloNs."
 'It was a rather f1amboyant ser mon," he recalled, "but I'd like tc sec it revived by good talent. Al. most without exception the crim. inals who have come under my supervision have walked just that road"
 Opposes Whippings
 He was emphatic in his opposi. ton to the proposal that the use oi the whipping post be revived. say ing that if anything in the man were worth saving, a public flashing must leave a permanent soul-hurt expressed usually in a bitter sulki. ness against his fellowman.
 Hanley would not express himself specifically as to capital punish, mcnt. beyond declaring it apparent ly had not served it's purpose as q deterrent. The amount of crime, pei unit of population, remained the same today as it did two decades ago, he said. and only the mechan, ica had changed with the advent oi the automobile and the development of electrical devices.
 The outstanding change noted bS him was in the age of persons ar. rested for the more serious oTenses This had been steadily reduced, ht said, especially since the war, unti the average prisoner in the TombS now hardly had definitely attained physical maturity.
 Observations