Logan Republican | 1907-04-13 | Page 2 | Awed by Convict Audience

AWED BY CONVICT AUDIENCE Speaker Unable to Address Inmates of the Penltentjary. As an Illustration of the embarrassment embarrass-ment that sometimes confronts public speakers lleprcscntatlvo Charles T. Towno told of tho experience of an Irishman who was a member of tho Michigan stnto senate The Irishman accepted an urgent Invitation to deliver deliv-er an oddtcss to tho convicts In tho Mlchlgnn penitentiary on Washington's Washing-ton's blrthdny. Tho unusual situation had not occurred to tho orator until ho faced his audlcnco of hard-faced men In stripes. Ho surveyed them hesitatingly for a moment boforo ho whored a word, nnd then said: "I confess that I do not know how to begin. be-gin. I cannot say 'Gentlemen,' be-causo be-causo nono of you Is a gentleman or you wouldn't bo hero In stripes. I can't call you 'follow citizens' becauso tho laws of this Btnto havo taken your citizenship away. I cannot call you 'friends' becnuso If I did I would bo suspected of being ono of you, So I think I can't s mak to you at all, though may God havo mercy on your souls."