Administracion educativo

A retrieved reformation

Today, an expert safe-cracker is still called a Jimmy Valentine, after the hero of this story. When you have finished reading the story you will realize why jimmy valentine´s burglarizing activity has gone down into history.

A guard came to the prison shoe shop, where jimmy valentine was assiduously stitching uppers, and escorted him to the front office. There thewarden handed jimmy his pardon, which had been signed that morning by the governor. Jimmy took it in a tired kind of way. He had served nearly ten months of a four-year sentence, he had expected to stay only about three months, at the longest. When a man with as many friends on the outside as jimmy valentine had is received in the “stir”, it is hardly worth while to cut his hair.

“Now,valentine,” said the warden, “you´ll go out in the morning, brace up, and make a man of yourself. You´re not a bad fellow at hear. Stop cracking safes, and live straight”. “me? Said Jimmy in surprise. “why, I never cracked a safe in my life”. “Oh no” , laughed the warden. “Of curse no, Let´s see, now. How was it you happened to get sent up on that Springfield job? Was it because you wouldn´t prove analibi for fear of compromising somebody in extremely high-toned society? Or was it simply a case of a mean old jury that had it in for you? It´s always one or the other with you innocent victims.”

“Me” said Jimmy still blankly virtuous. “Why, warden, I never was in Springfield in my life!”. “Take him back, Cronin,” smiled the warden, “and fix him up with outgoing clothes. Unlock him at seven inthe morning, and let him come to the bull-pen. Better think over my advice, Valentine”. At a quart past seven on the next morning Jimmy stood in the warden´s outer office, he had on a suit of the villainously fitting, ready-made clothes and a pair of the stiff, squeaky shoes that the state furnishes to its discharged compulsory guests. The clerk hands him a railroad ticket and the five dollar billwith which the law expects him to rehabilitate himself into good citizenship and prosperity. The warden gave him a cigar, and shook hands. Valentine 9762, was chronicled on the books “Pardoned by governor,” and Mr. James valentine walked out into the sunshine. Disregarding the song of the birds, the waving green trees, and the smell of the flowers, jimmy headed straight for a restaurant. There hetasted the first sweet joys of liberty in the shape of a broiled chicken and a bottle of white wine-followed by a cigar a grade better than the one the warden had given him. From there the proceeded leisurely to the depot. He tossed a quarter into the hat of a blind man sitting by the door, and boards his train. Three hours set him down in a little town near the state line. He went to the café ofone Mike Dolan and shook hands with Mike, who was alone behind the bar. “Sorry we couldn´t make it sooner, Jimmy me boy” said Mike. “But we had the protest from Springfield to buck against, and the governor nearly balked. Feeling all right?”.

“Fine,” said Jimmy “Got my Key” he got his key and went upstairs unlocking the door of a room at the rear. Everything was just as he had left it, there onthe floor was still Ben Price´s collar-button that had been torn from that eminent detective´s shirt-band when they had overpowered Jimmy to arrest him. Pulling out front the wall a folding bed, Jimmy slid back a panel in the wall and dragged out a dust-covered suitcase. He opened this and gazed fondly at the finest set of burglar´s stools in the East. It was a complete set, made of speciallytempered steel, the lasted designs in drills, punches, braces and bits, jimmies, clamps, and augers, with two or three novelties, invented by Jimmy himself, in which he took pride. Over nine hundred dollars they had cost him to have made at, a place where they made such things for the profession.

In half an hour Jimmy went downstairs and through the café. He was now dressed in tasteful and...