er their misfortunes, and after duly considering the matter, came
to the conclusion that out of crime there was no chance to get another
start. They planned a burglary for the following night. A residence some
distance from the central portion of the city was entered. They obtained
ten dollars and a silver watch, and concluded to continue their criminal
efforts the next evening. During the day, however, the "pal" was
arrested on another charge, and locked up in the city prison. He thought
it about time to fly, and so took his departure.

He spent the rest of his time in Kansas, tramping about and stealing.
When he had money he would live well; when his pocketbook was empty he
would beg and steal. There was one crime he committed for which he
could not be much blamed. The old farmer that went to so much trouble
to convey the intelligence to his brother granger that the hero of
our story was an ex-convict, was the sufferer. The ex-convict, to get
"even," one dark night entered the barn, rode away a beautiful riding
pony, sold him for fifty dollars in cash, and forgot to mention the
fact to the farmer. In stealing, tramping and begging the time had been
chiefly taken up from the day he had left the prison, to the morning he
came to my house for something to eat. He will doubtless continue this
course until caught in some criminal act, which will result in another
term in the penitentiary.

The great majority of the criminals in the penitentiary are young men.
One dose of prison life is all they desire. Did they but have the least
opportunity of living useful lives, and becoming respectable citizens
when out of prison, they would improve it, instead of committing crime
and being returned to hard labor without compensation. I am now pleading
for hundreds of young men who are in prison for the first time, and have
all the punishment along this line they desire, who would like to reform
and become useful citizens. But how can they accomplish this? Unaided
they will come out of the prison, drift about awhile, and then the
current of sin and crime will bear them back again to a felon's cell. In
an unguarded hour they succumbed to the tempter's power, and fell. The
dark mantle of disgrace has enveloped them. And if there were some kind
friend to lend a helping hand, how quickly would they tear it off and
put on the robe of useful citizenship. Will not the great State of
Missouri adopt some plan to afford aid to these men who woul