When this course was first tried on the Pacific Coast, it was found that at the end of three months, one-half of the men were able by their good conduct marks to secure a seat at the best table. At the end of six months two-thirds of the men sat at the first table. After a year’s experience nine men out of every ten were able to keep the law and behave like gentlemen, so as to sit at the best table. This change has wrought wonders in some of the prisons of California. I do not believe the criminal is the victim of an unavoidable destiny, or that there is any inexorable necessity for his continuing the life which makes him a social anarchist, or that he is beyond the reach of reform. I believe if you treat him kindly his better nature will respond to it and he will show himself a man. That crime is a moral disease that is transmitted, the same as depravity, I believe to be true. I believe further that early training, environments and cross-grained individuality will account for nearly all of our present day criminality. Some one has said: “The soul of all reformation is the reformation of the soul.” If such were the aim of the prison authorities, the prisoner’s transformation would only be a question of time. But this is not the case, and such an object is far from their mind. Yet the religion of Jesus Christ is the only thing that gives permanency to character. At the present moment the reformation of the criminal and his return to freedom again as a man among men, never enters the mind of the majority of our prison officials. All they care for is simply to hold their charges in safety until their term expires, then turn them loose again no better than they were before. The one great reason for this is that the heads of departments are politicians and are given office simply because they are a controlling power in their ward or county. They well know when they take office that their tenure is exceedingly brief, and they must make hay while the sun shines, by disappointing their enemies and rewarding their friends. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXXIV THE INFLICTION OF THE DEATH PENALTY IN THE TOMBS Friday has always been known as hanging day at the Tombs. It was the day set apart from time immemorial and the New World continued it in deference to Old World customs. Friday with few exceptions had been adhered to in New York County for over fifty years, and the spectacle brought together a large concourse of people, largely of the noisy class. In the early history of New York criminals were executed in vacant lots north of Canal Street and also on Blackwells Island.