The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-04-14
THE THIRD DEGREE: A
POETS PRISON DIARY
By DAVID GORDON.


HERE'S pretty tid-bit. Tony tells
"a me this story:
He and a certain cop were good
frienda. However, since Tony had
need of some money he double
crossed" his friend by attempting a
store robbery on his beat. The cop
was tipped off and Tony will. accom-
pany me to the reformatory the day
after tomorrow.
Said Tony: "He was my best frien'
but he said if I'd try anything on his
beat he'd ride me good. Boy, he sure
did wallop me on the head with his
club, He said he'd do everything if
I'd be caught robin ON annuder
cops beat but if | double-crossed
him he won't do anything for me"
This morning I harvested an excel
lent crop of mine. There was good
cheer from the American Civil Liber-
ties Union and from The DAILY
WORKER. A former teacher of mine
promises to get my old high school
teachers to sign letter to the court
in my behalf.
Before l could finish reading my
correspondence / was compelled to
be interviewed" He must be very
old man because his brains are very
rusty and his Incorporate temper is
disgustingly crusty. He asked me to
answer questions. When l tried to
answer them he stopped me. wished
to be exact since l do not trust the
future kindness of any court if I am
not exact. He testify denied me this
privilege and figuratively spat his
senility into my face, | tried to feel
humble, to spare his filthy impotence
but I guess my true feelings reflect
ed themselves in my eyes whenever
met his sneering gaze. In conse-
quence he ragged on until / was dis
missed, threatened with, 'I'll fix
you'll" I suppose this means an I'M
favorable report of myself.
Each time l look at the fellow
with the Jaw broken by the "bulls"
he is shaking his head bitterly at
he irreparable loss. When he dis
covered that I'm Jew he said, "Well,
I'm no fanatic myself"
Conversation about "bulls." Said
one future "reformatory boy" inter
1upting: "You got nothing on me.
See this" he said opening his mouth.
1t was filled with rubber Jaw. "The
bulls did that. 1 was about half
dead before they threw away the
pipe
"Listen to this" the first fellow
said. 'They once wanted to make
a fellow admit something. After
they beat him a while the poor suck
er ran up the stairs. Well, he met
another keeper at the head of it with
a pipe. He got slugged and ran down
the stairs like a rat and got slugged
by both until he dropped from
exhaustion"
No, I'm not sorry to leave this
place. Even tho the boys here are
not such bad bunch. 1t will con-
o,1,,, me NO Ionra1. how Y,,11ob tho ooclr
reaches scurry about the cell, nor
any longer of the killing air and
aunlessness of this grave for living
beings.
It's very late now. There is no use
waiting for word from home. The
keeper just passed on his hourly
round. l don't suppose they even had
the decency to telephone my parents.
wish the nickel is returned to me
The 1928 "Red Cartoons" edited by
Walt Cannon will be published in
time for May Day distribution, it has
just been announced. The volume,
which is the third to be published,
will contain the work of Ellis, Crop
per, Gellert, Burck, Siegel, Don
Brown, Suvanto and others published
during the past year.
THE SPEECH