| Show man who pays supreme F penalty urges T u T roes youth guidance in letter to J C co C head so many inquires have come for the full text of the letter written to kenneth isbell president of the richfield junior chamber of commerce by john W deering whose execution took place monday at the utah state prison that mr air isbell is releasing it for publication in the reaper with the statement that any paper that wishes to republish it or any organization that wishes to use it on programs for youth guidance is welcome to do so it might be of interest first to quote mr air isbella Is bells letter of october 22 requesting information biorn doering Dc ering Is bells letter e are times when each of us has an opportunity port unity to do his little share of good there are few men who under the laws of society must pay the extreme penalty for violation of its laws and orders and who can be of a tremendous value to his fellow men if he so desires because of the situation under which lie he is placed fi aiom om your pictures and statements made in the newspapers I 1 feel that you are one of a few condemned men who might be willing to offer a hand in the battle of keeping the youth in the straight and narrow path having a deep interest in major crime and hoping to do some little good toward the proper guidance of your children and youth I 1 fully submit the following questions if YO you u would be kind enough to answer any or all of them I 1 assure you that the information will be used to make this a better world for a few persons at least it will be used as a yardstick to guide the lives of a few of us in this district do you smoke do you use liquor do you use dope I 1 what nhat is your advice to the youth in these matters whitt what part do you think a good home plays in the lives of our young people what part did the school play in your life do you think it best for boys and girls to attend school if you had your life to live over would you take part in sunday school and church activities what do you think was the main reason for your being where you are today Is there any relation between friends sex and crime does crime pay any other suggestions or remarks will be appreciated I 1 truly trust that for your services you may be compensated in the thought that you may have helped someone to be better Dec Dee rings letter I 1 am in receipt of your letter of the I 1 have no objection in answering your questions as I 1 am in deepest sympathy with youth especially underprivileged under privileged youth do I 1 smoke yes and I 1 find it a very useless and expensive habit and of the 25 or more cigarettes a day I 1 smoke I 1 really enjoy about three of them the rest I 1 find are just so much restlessness gone up in smoke where the same restlessness could be put into some worthy study which would soon interest me enough to forget I 1 want to smoke do I 1 use liquor yes but not to excess I 1 find no undue craving for liquor of any kind most of my drinking has been in a social way I 1 have become drunk to be a good fellow when if I 1 had only known it I 1 was just becoming a fool do I 1 use dope dobe no I 1 dont and it is very fortunate for those who sell it that I 1 have not the power to do as I 1 saw fit to the purveyors of this loathsome habit forming disease for it soon becomes a disease that rots the mind worse than any form of cancer my advice to any youth is this every time he wishes to buy a pack of cigarettes let him put the price of said pack in a small bank he will be gratified as well as surprised at the end of a month at his savings and will generally start to think that just a felmore few more months savings will get him that desired something that every youth wishes for A good home is what every youth should have the boy or girl with a good home naturally has a vast advantage over the youth that has not the trouble lies in the fact that though there is a good home the patents of most children neglect the duties of a parent A father should make a pal of his children and not be just a provider most people today think that if they buy their children chil dien good clothes and give them plenty to eat cat that the schools will look out for the education part of it and that their duties are over this is not so A faient should take time off and show his children that he fie is their pal and go places with them and help them with advice that most parents are backward about giving their children the parent should know that in this day children will aleain things they so why not teach them to beware of these pitfalls in a clean sensible way lather than have them learn in the wrong way be biank with them and be a real companion companion it will do N onders As regards my schooling I 1 am coiry to say that it was harder harden to keep me in school than to make green cheese from the moon I 1 just would not stay I 1 finally had to be tent sent to a beform school which was a mistake defoi reform m schools are nothing but universities of dime if I 1 had attended school as I 1 should have I 1 dont believe I 1 would be where I 1 am today I 1 believe that children should go to school not only for the education they receive but forthe companionship that children should have with each other yes beg if I 1 had my life to live over again I 1 would take pait in sunday school and church activities I 1 believe them to be a social necessity if a child is to be worth while without a religious background a child has far moie chance 0 of f going giong I 1 have no religion myself but I 1 believe the world would be a very sad place were it not for religion the reason for my being here today a question that is hard to answer I 1 feel at times time s as though I 1 had a dual personality I 1 have wanted to be a good man but never seemed to be able to get started right this question I 1 will have to leave unanswered for I 1 really dont know how to answer it relationships between fi lends sex and crime are entirely up to environment and caily education heie is where a parents frank common sense advice comes in there are no two natures alike and I 1 feel that this question is to be answered ciji by common sense advice and proper environment if the sex urge is predominant a man will commit crime came I 1 could write a thousand answers to this question and none would bring us any nearer to a solution of the problem the question is as old as time and the cure willero vill probably be an eternity from now does crime pay I 1 can say yes and no if you have no conscience conaci ence and care not for the feelings of others and are lucky enough to get away with a sufficient amount of money and to escape the penalty for your crime in the eyes of a great many people crime pays but if you have a good will 11 feeling toward your fellow man and can appreciate the value of friendship and have a true love of what is good in life I 1 would say that crime does not pay some of my answers may seem peculiar to you but I 1 have the ability to look at both sides of things and my answers may seem confusing am I 1 to be sympathized with with a week to live and in good health myself I 1 dont think so im getting my just deserts and im not kicking hicking dont waste time on the convicted criminal but stop him beffie he gets that way how here is one way have your stores and theatre theartres the atres buy a plot of ground build an athletic field on it every week have a field meet the stores and theatres theartres the atres to put up prizes such as aa boys and girls would need skates bicycles a weeks pass to the show if a child lost this week instead of hanging around corners and petty stealing ile he would be out trying to condition himself s so a as to be a winner the next week this could be done with the aid of your chamber of commerce im sorry I 1 have to be so brief in my answers but I 1 have a lot of last letters to write and not much time to write them my most sincere good wishes for your work for youth sincerely signed JOHN W DEERING |
