Evening star., 1932-05-03
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
!. C. NJ.

THE STORY OF MY LIFE. BY Clar-
ence Darrow illustrate from pho
tographS. New York: Charles
Scribner's Sons.
most interesting man, Clarence
Darrow. ArreSting and generally COM
pelling, it seems to me, by virtue of his
compassionate soul. BY way of his un-
derstanding of men and women who,
saint and sinner alike, are so deeply
bewildered, SO frequently lost in the
jungle of today, of tomorrow.
However, this is no way to begin men
ton of Clarence Darrow's story about
himself. Certainly he is not going to
pin that sort of medal upon his own
coat. This Is a modest man. No one
ever heard him give even hint of self
laudation.
An old fashioned man, too. Not for
him the new manner of telling his own
story-the one employed by Bradford
and Strachy and Maurois and others Of
the group that out of biographic mate
rial create, in effect, the novel. Its CEN
tral figure, in each case, depended upon
to connect the plot, to set the action,
to move steadfastly toward the climax,
to explode this, then to retire, not
greatly different from any accepted hero
of romance. Yet Mr.. Darrow eludes
the earlier way of marking time, the
purely chronological method, the cradle
to-grave plan He was BORN to be sure.
But of this he makes little, dwelling
chiefly upon Adam as an indisputable
ancestor. Very soon he moves into
things around him. A boy at school
with McGuffeys Readers as source OF
some pleasure and some perpleXity. An
opportunity to say a few things about
the quality of education and training
served out to youngsters by partner
ship of home, church and school. The
charge, If such it may be called, against
these formative forces of youth is their
common timidity and fear. 1t is, how
ever. a very kindly Unlocking as whole.
It would be a feat. indeed, to catch
Clarence Darrow with gall in his heart
or with rue upon his lips.
Then. young Darrow is called to the
bar" as he Smilingly puts it. Many
things catch him all along the way OF
life. Henry George, the single tax, So
cialism, and many another ism, all more
or less temporary in influence ana ell
feet Growing pains that give way 10
growth itself. Just a man in the max
ing. One, too, who is wide open TO
every ameliorative theory or practlce 10
IDe Case Ol lIlG iluIIldIA VI 4OSs
crime and criminology become, final
". the chief engrossment of Clarence
Darrow. His sedulous concern is man
in trouble In trouble from his own
nature somewhat, but in equal measure
to Embellishments in the social Whole.
Many famous cases are cited here.
Cases in which Mr.. Darrow had active
part. Picturesque names are given 10
events of law with which the most are
familiar. Science Against Fundament-
alism," 1.-The Loeb-Leopold Trial, the
Eighteenth Amendment" The After
math of the War" and on through ia
miliar list, whose items, half forgotten
are here revived in ar engaging SIM
licity which is, in reality, eloquence
itself, poetic eloquence at that.
Perhaps Mr.. Darrow Is known pest
today by his stanch stand against
capital punishment. And he came 10 ~
by way of the most intimate study OF
the criminal on the one hand, OF So
ciety on the other A strain Of lawless
blood. no training either at home or
by the organized measures set up py
society for such work. Capital punish
ment cannot be cited as h1ndrance
to criminal acts. It can be asserted as
such. It cannot be demonstrated. 1t IS
one of the chief arraignments OF society
itself for ignorance, indifference ana
deeply culpable in neglect Of its own
safety, its own wellbeing. No, not eX-
actlv the words of Clarence DarroW,
but in substance, a definition OF the
point at which he has arrived after a
life spent in the study of crime and It's
unintelligent treatment. great story
simply given as part CT every day WORK iz
by a man who not only has compassion
for his fellow man. but who knows him
in a deep understanding as well.
x y
10000 YEARS IN SING SING. By
Lewis E. Lawes, warden OF Sing
Sing Prison. New York: Ray Long
and Richard r. Smith, Inc.
Another most interesting" man.
These two. it seems to me, have
achieved greatly by way CT straight
honest, independent TIM ing End prac-
tice concerning a moIlen.cuS element
in everybody's business, crime and the
criminal.
This is the life story. up to date, OF
Warden LaweS. 1t is also an authentlc
chapter in the history of prison reform.
Sing Sing Prison as it stands TO-DAY,
world renowned, is pretty much the 1oo
of Lewis E. Lawes, warden for the past
dozen years in that institution.
Beginning with his boyhood In Ell
mira. N. Y, merely as background tor
an interest in the life Of prisoners,
Warden LaWes moves quickly into his
work with the inmates Of Sing Sing.
While the record is personal one, nav
ing to do with days and nights Of duty
in this institution, it moves In part,
however, by way of changes in criminal
procedure, changes in the general attl-
tude toward the subject that have mace
possible certain of the measures so ar
IDENTIFY advocated by Mr.. Lawes and SO
courageously supported by MN.
Hard to realize that only Few years
ago silence was rigidly imposed. Not
word at mess. The uplifted finger for
this, two fingers for that, and so on.
Idleness, too, an imposed idleneSS, an
other curse of prison life. Other un-
bearable regulations are given mere In
evidence OF the truly criminal agency
of the prison itself. But there Is bet
ter story coming from this DOCK. Free
dom to talk, to read, to have games ana
other easements. A book worm any
ones reading for the pleasure OF H.
book for every ones readlng ior tne
obligation to read it in country ike
this one.
And Warden Lawes, too is against
capital punishment as serving any IN
teIligent or humane purpose in the
scheme of collective life. So there are
two of them at least, both entitled to
speak sanely and understandngly on
the subject.
X X
SHOULD PRISONERS WORK. BY
Louis N. Robinson. Phllaoelpnla:
John c. Winston Co.
A fairly new question as time runs.
Not so long ago criminology, such as II
was, counted idleneSs as the most cum
ningly devised, the most cruelty et-
fective measure of punishment for I'M
prisoned law breakers. AND even yet
the question is largely academic. A
theme for discussion rather than a
practice established TO any general ex-
tent or with any full seizure OF the re-
conStrutive value of systematic ana
regular labor.
DR.. Robinsons study is not discus
1r al W En