CONTENTS
VOLUME IV, No. 4.APRIL, 1914
(FORMERLY THE REVIEW)
A MONTHLY PERIODICAL, PUBLISHED BY THE
NATIONAL PRISONERS’ AID ASSOCIATION
AT 135 EAST 15th STREET, NEW YORK CITY.
THIS COPY TEN CENTS.ONE DOLLAR A YEAR
T. F. Garver, President.
Wm. M. R. French, Vice-President.
O. F. Lewis, Secretary, Treasurer and Editor The Delinquent.
Edward Fielding, Chairman Ex. Committee.
F. Emory Lyon, Member Ex. Committee.
W. G. McLaren, Member Ex. Committee.
A. H. Votaw, Member Ex. Committee.
E. A. Fredenhagen, Member Ex. Committee.
Joseph P. Byers, Member Ex. Committee.
R. B. McCord, Member Ex. Committee.
Entered as second-class mail matter at New York.
What is a criminal? To-night Ipace the narrow confines of my steel-barredcell and ask myself for the hundredthtime—What is a criminal? Is he,as Lombroso claims, a moral degenerate?Is he the mental imbecile that metaphysiciansin learned verbiage assert? Is hethe hardened, desperate malefactor, thesinking, murderous beast that penologistswould have us believe? Is he the victimof adverse circumstances, unsavory environment,and changing social conditions?Or does he wage war on organized societyfor adventure’s sake? Why is he acriminal?
Garbed in the vestment of dishonorand disgrace, I myself am what the worldterms a criminal. Should I not know themeaning of the appellation far better thanthe casual observer? For many years mylife has been the life of an habitue of theunderworld. Criminals, so called, havebeen my associates and my friends. Ihave known them in the moments of theirsuccess, I have known them in the hoursof their failure. Failure that spells oblivion,the oblivion of cold gray walls andheart-breaking, monotonous, man-killingroutine. I have seen how recklessly theycan live, and I have also seen how gamelythey can die. I have known them intimately,and well, and never have I beenable to discover any difference betweenthem and their more fortunate brethren.They entertain in their hearts the sameideas, the same hopes, and the same ambitionsas do average men.