I am 36 years old and have been a criminal all my life. I have 11 felony convictions against me. I have served time in jails, reform schools and prisons. I know why I’m a criminal, others may have different theories but I have no theory about it. I know the facts. In my life time I have broken every law that was ever made by both man and God. If either had made any more, I should very cheerfully have broken them also. I have murdered 21 human beings, I have committed thousands of burglaries, robberies, larcenies, arsons and last but not least I have comitted sodomy on more than 1.000 male human beings. For all these things I am not the least bit sorry. The mere fact that I have done these things is quite sufficient for the average person. Very few people even consider it worthwhile to wonder why I am what I am and do what I do. All that they think is necessary to do is to catch me, try me, convict me and send me to prison for a few years, make life miserable for me while in prison and then turn me loose again. That is the system that is in practice today in this country. The consequences are that anyone and everyone can see crime and lots of it. I would not reform even if the front gate was opened now and I was given a million dollars when I stepped out. I have no desire to do good or become good. I don’t believe in man, God nor Devil. I hate every human being including myself.
“A journal of murder”. Carl Panzram, 1928.
(el retrato y los recuerdos, obra de Joe Coleman)
