"I am 36 years old and I have been a criminal all of my life. I have 11 felony convictions against me. I have served 20 years of my life in Jails, Reform Schools and prisons. I know why I am a criminal. Others may have different theories as to my life but I have no theory about it. I know the facts. If any man ever was a habitual criminal. I am one. In my lifetime I have broken every law that was ever made by both Man and God. If either had made more, I should cheerfully have broken them also. The mere fact that I have done these things is quite sufficient for the average person. Very few peopel ever consider it worth while to wonder why I am what I am and do what I do. All that they think it 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 such that any one and every one can see. crime and lots of it. Those who are sincere in thier desire to put down crime, are to be pitied for all of thier efforts which accomplish so little in the desired direction. They are the ones who are decieved by thier own ignorance and by the trickery and greed of others who profit the most by crime. [sic]"
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PrisonersExecuted peopleMemoirists from the United StatesAutobiographers from the United StatesPeople from Minnesota
Original Language: English
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Sources
Lustmord: The Writings and Artifacts of Murderers, p. 187, (1997), Brian King, ed.
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Panzram
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Carl Panzram
Carl Panzram (June 28, 1891 – September 5, 1930) was an American serial killer, rapist, arsonist and burglar. He is known for his confession to prison guard and only friend, Henry Lesser. In graphic detail, Panzram confessed to 21 murders and to having sodomized over 1,000 males. He stole William Howard Taft's pistol and lured American sailors to his yacht and rape and kill them. In 1938, Karl Menninger wrote Man Against Himself, including writing about Panzram using the pen name of "John
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