Schlesinger Library

I received the low grade of 87 because I was racing the clock. Had I been given more time, I could have avoided several mistakes. I had to write one camposition along with the rest of it.

I do not beleive Dad will marry. If [or?] ever, he has my permission to marry Mrs. Kerrison. But he isn't earning enough money to support her or anyone else. Of course, they might live on love, but who thinks of love when the stomach is empty?

The last writing day Oct. 16, I wrote to Miss Binford. Sure enough she was in the hospital. I received a nice letter from her Wednesday the 2nd, and she told me all about it. She is all right now and has promised to visit me very soon. I hope she does. Because of my letter to her, you didn't hear from me for more than a month. I am sorry about this, Doctor. I wish I were permitted to write more often. I quit going to the movies, because for some unknown reason I find them so very tiresome.

Ths is Saturday night; the mail man gave me a letter from home. Dad and Mary are getting along all right. I hoped for a letter from you but none came. Perhaps fortune will honor me next week with a nice plump one.

A rough old tom cat of creat size pounced on poor Patsy and administered a barrage of rights and lefts with such vim an vigor that Patsy cried for help. She lost the fight and much of her self-importance. However, the sympathy she received did much to soothe her injured feelings. Sympathy does help matters, don't you think?

In previous letters you have mentioned a "Youths' Commission." What is it anyway? What have you to do with it?

Now to mix my paragraphs - Miss Binford read in the "Readers Digest" that a number of copies of that magazine would be given free. (I should have said subscriptions) She wrote a letter asking them to give me one, so they are sending it each month. I have one copy already, and I think it is a very good magazine. What do you think?

How is Miss Kelly? I hope she is completely well by this time. Give her my extra special regards. Your cook bakes such wonderful cakes! Perhaps you had better give her my regards, too. One should always be on good terms with the cook.

My account is still in good condition. [?] I expect a visit from my sisters Saturday.

I hope you are in good health. You never complain, even if you are ill. Don't postpone writing too long. I shall write again on the twentieth.

Yours always, - Servabo fidem. Russell McWilliams 5661-E

CENSORED 3

TO: NAME Dr. Miriam Van Waters STREET & NUMBER Box 99 CITY Framingham, STATE Mass.

REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN NOV 23 1938 FRAMINGHAM

BOX 1112 Joliet, Illinois November 20, 1938

Dear Dr. Van Waters,

Your interesting letter of November eight pleased me very much indeed. I know your delay in writing was not intentional. The approaching election probably gave you little time for other things. It is very apparent that we lost in your state; I won't know how much we lost until I year from you. I do hope Mr. Saltenstall is friendly. I think every thing went pretty well in Illinois and in New Jersey.

Like you, I too am eager to know what Miss Rice had to say about me. She was a very fine visitor. Perhaps she will come again.

How did Sarah like the airplane trip? I suppose it is exciting to look down and see nothing but an ocean of billowy clouds. You surely cover a lot of miles in a hurry once you get started. You have been all over this country haven't you? Were you ever in Europe? I hope you will tell me about your travels sometime. You must have seen many interesting places.

My two sisters, Fay and Mary Bell, were here one week ago. We had a good visit. Fay is worried about her plump waist line. I odn't think Mary has any ideas. She has only one boy friend, and she doesn't like him very much. She said dad and Mrs. Kerrison are planning to visit me before Christmas.

What difference could amother cat have made? Aren't tom-cats supposed to fight better than the lady-cats? The minx might gobble up Desdemona, the heroine, in short order, but on the other hand, she might not!

You misspelled one word in your letter, but I shall be big-hearted this week and say nothing about it, because the rare quality of the letter was more than enough to make up for one careless mistake.

Do not mail currency-Money Orders and Checks accepted. Foodstuffs and Packages are not accepted at any time.

Visits every two weeks by relatives only.

The day following your letter came a note from Miss Kelly which briefly, but thoroughly, explained our not so good luck with Columbia. Apparently, they do no wish to carry any dead weight. I believe trying elsewhere would be a waste of your time. We shall have to reach our goal by the hard way. I am glad Columbia teaches such a good course tho, because we can always use one or two of their honor graduates for our hard work around the greenhouse.

How did you discover the meaning of Sernabo fidem? You must tell me. I found it while looking through your dictionary and thought it would be a nice ending for my letter. I found several more nice things but hesitate to use them because you may not know what they mean.

I have completed the first two lessons of my new English course and received grades of 92 - [90?], respectively. This is a pretty good beginning. It is a good course.

Miss Binford has not visited me yet. Her intentions are really very good, but somehow she is never quite able to carry them out. She is getting along in years, and I suppose that has something to do with it. I haven't heard from Judge Holly for a whole year. He wrote a nice letter Christmas and sent three dollars, and I have never been able to answer him. No wonder he has not written. He has a pretty secretary Miss Okane, who once visited me.

Next Thursday is Thanksgiving; for you, your lasting friendship, and for the hope you have given me I am very thankfull. Of course there are a very few others for which I am thankful - I wonder how many there are. Miss Binford says "you have so many friends; I know of no one who has more friends than you." While I don't doubt her word, I do wonder why those friends are so secretive about it? She is so serious I haven't the heart to tell her anything different.

I had a lot of fun playing handball today. I am in pretty good shape these cool days. This game is good for the lungs, and it calls upon each and every muscle.

Write and tell me how the election is going to effect you. I hope everything will be all right. [Paragraph symbol] I am glad your cook was pleased with my regards.

My best wishes and thoughts for all good things for you are always yours. Faithfully, Russell McWilliams 5661-E

CENSORED 2

TO: NAME Dr. Miriam Van Waters STREET & NUMBER Box 99 CITY Framingham, STATE Mass.

REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN DEC 10 1938 FRAMINGHAM

BOX 1112 Joliet, Illinois December 4, 1938

EMB file -

Dear Dr. Van Waters;

Your letter arrived on Thanksgiving Day. I was very glad to hear from you. So far as I was concerned the day was "just another day" until your welltimed letter came. It filled me with many pleasant thoughts of you. Have I even told you what a swell doctor you are? I think I have, at least I have tried to. You were kind and thoughtful to send me $5.00. The branch treasury wasn't in bad shape. There was enough money left to take you ice-skating (of all things) and to stuff you with hamburgers. Your many kind deeds are greatly appreciated, Doctor. I wish with all heart that I could do something in a material way for you in return, but I have nothing but words. I hope something happens before much longer that will give me an opportunity -

Yes, you have me guessing! I don't know what you told Miss Rice. There is no way of finding out unless you tell me. I am very anxious to know. Mrs. Thompson said some very nice things about you when she visited me. Shall we exchange? I am glad she spent Thanksgiving with you. I should have come in time for dinner, but as you know, my job with the state curbs my social activities, as it were.

I certainly do hope you can visit me this coming year. I couldn't ask for more. I enjoy a visit from almost any friendly person, but when it comes to a visit with you, it is entirely different. A visit from ou is like a loved one's coming from after being away for years. We shall have a splendid visit - if you can come.

Miss Binord hasn't visited me yet. I doubt she will come, but I hope she will. We always had good visits when she came. I understand very well why nobody wants to come down here, and in a way I don't blame anyone for not coming.

When you were vacationing in Trouville, you wrote about writing a new book. WHat is the book about, or have you completed it? You write good books.

Do not mail currency-Money Orders an Checks are accepted. Foodstuffs and Packages are not accepted at any time.

Visits every two weeks by relatives only.

I suppose you would like to hear how Thanksgiving Day was celebrated at the institution. We had chicken for dinner. I was ready to burst from food - not chicken though. Boxing matches were held during the afternoon. We shall have another good dinner Christmas. This one will be my eighth Christmas in here. Some say, "oh the years pass quickly in prison," but in my case this isn't true.

A fellow downstairs just sent me thirty empty tobacco sacks. You could never guess what they are to be used for, so I will tell you - a bed spread to be used as a sheet. Still another fellow will sew them together for me. More of than three hundred bags are needed. There is no charge of course, but to show proper appreciation will cost around thirty-five cents.

My next letter will be written Dec. 18th. I would like very much to write you the, as it would arrive before Christmas and serve in a very small way as a present. If Dad visits me before that date, I will write to you; if he doesn't come, I must write to him. In other words, if he doesn't com eto me, I must go to him because he probably wont have much of a Christmas. I think you will understand. Let's hope he comes because I want to write to you as often as I possibly can.

How is Mrs. Thompson's daughter getting along in Arizona? Is Miss Kelly over her grouch yet? You haven't spoken of Miss Gladding for a long time. I musn't give you a wrong impression. Miss Kelly wasn't grouchy. Her letter, if it can be classed as such, was a brief, almost blunt. I thought she hadn't recovered from her recent illness. My goodness! I am getting in deeper all the time. I had better quit before my other foot gets caught.

This is not a very good letter. I seen unable to get into the spirit of writing today. I am somewhat peeved at my English instructor. He gave me 85 for the lesson that I spent two weeks trying to get perfect. The instructor is right, but I am still a little mad.

Don't send me a present for Christmas; I wouldn't be permitted to have it. A book is permissible at times. However, I already have a book. As for money, I won't need any. Perhaps a nice thick letter would be your best gift. I would be well satisfied.

Our Parole system will undoubtedly be abolished within a few months. Well, they wont give any paroles as it is now, so whatever system is used wont be worse.

Your snaps are doing remarkably well - perhaps you shall be richa nad famous yet! You shall have a better letter next time, so until then take good care of our Doctor.

Love and all my good wishes to you, Russell McWilliams 5661-E

Russell file

1744 - [Ousking?] Road Rockford, Ill. Dec. 7, 1939

My Dear Dr. Van Waters:

I received your nice letter this evening. Thank you very much.

Concerning the kitten, thank you very much. If you don't mind, I would like the Angora kitten. I have always cared a great deal for animals. At this time, we have a dog named "Butch." He is about 10 months old, and we have had him for nine mo. As yet we have not been able to teach him a thing. In other words, he is quite un-ruly.

The high school I attend

is a small one. I went to Rockford High before, but I didn't like it there. Here at New Milford, our work is enjoyable, and therefore, I get very good grades.

In the past week, the school has been threatened with closing its doors. There is no money to keep the school going. The County Superintendant of the school says it can't close, but we aren't so sure of it.

Regardless of this, we seniors are going to graduate [?] on the date set. I can graduate in January, but I am going to go until June. I will receive more credits that will help me in the future. Furthermore, I will learn more.

Upon my graduation

[7 December 1938]

from High School I plan to go to a Business College.

I have just begun to realize that such a small part of our lives are lived in school. After that, possibly marriage and then comes worries.

Thanks again for the kitten. Dad says you can send it by express. He said he sent two dogs that way.

I tried to find a picture of myself to send to you, but I couldn't find one. Dad told me I could send you one of my graduation pictures if you would care for one.

However, if I send you one, you will not receive it until May. The reason is, I wont receive my diploma until June or possibly in May. I have enough credits to leave school in January; many of the students are taking this opportunity, but I have decided against it, because I will miss the celebration. I can still drop out of school after January, and graduate in June. Regardless of what I do, I can't get my diploma until June.

A friend, Mary B. McWilliams

P.S. Can you think of any advice you can give a girl of my age? If you can, please give it to me.

December 9, 1938

Tory Row Bookshop, 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, Mass.

Gentlemen:

Please send to: Prof. P. J. Fitzgibbons, Supt. of Education, State Penitentiary, Joliet, Illinois, (marked for Russell McWilliams)

One (1) copy of The Garden Dictionary, by Norman Taylor, $7.50. Check for 47.50 is enclosed. If there is additional charge for postage please advise me. This is inteded for a Christmas present, and I am in hopes it can be mailed fairly promptly.

Very truly yours, Superintendent.

MVW/K