The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-09-13
", H. TillinShaSt, D. D. S,
22O WESTMINSTER ST.,
PROVIDENCE. X. ],
REFORM OF CRIMINALS.
The Subject Discussed by tho District At
tornoy for Kings County, N. Y.

! 'othsy Tor hings county, NJ NJ
From my experience ] should say
that many criminals have been re-
formed, and for this reason: II you
convict thousand people In n year. In
ten years the convictions would aggro-
gate ten thousand; you will not have
ten per cent Of those people come back
TO you, so that they either ccaso 10
commit crimes or they go To some
other part OF tho country. l think a
great many people who arc arrested,
and justly convicted Of crime feel. af-
ter they get TO prison. that they have
| done wrong, that there Is something
! else 10 live fO' and TO work for, and
| they become better men when they
! como out
Society docs not always treat tho
criminal right. When a man comes
out OF prison and shows disposition
t0 do right, II society would take hold
Of him, try and do something for him,
encourage him and not constantly show
that IL is suspicious Of him because he
once went wrong. there would bc more
criminals reformed than there arc mt
present. When n man comes from
prison and Is constantly reminded Of
the fact that hc was once convicted OF n
crime and served "A term in prison, ho
becomes discouraged and there Is moth
ing loft for him 10 do but 10 find osnso-
lation In the society OF the law-break-
ing classes.
/ approve Of long terms Of imprison-
ment for incorrigiblo offenders; do
not think long sentences reform tho
mSn, bnt society can only protect itself
against such offenders by locking them
up.
Many criminals can bo reformed; but
the reformation depends on the man
himself A great many people can not
make any distinction between right
and wrong; when they do wrong they
do not feel that they arc breaking a
moral law; they feel that there Is some
punishment but they do not think that
.hcy have done wrong. You can never
do any thing toward reforming such n
person. Take man whose early
teachings and surroundings have been
good he yields 20 temptation and does
wrong; any punishment. no matter
how small, Is severe 10 him and the
disgrace he feels il poignant Such
man, think, can be reformed.
do not believe very much In the
conversions" made In prison. When
an offender leaves prison after having
experienced religion In prison, gets
smell Of tho fresh air. takes "A few
drinks and meets some of his old
cronics. the reaction Is too much for
him. Tho efforts OF religious and
philanthropic persons In and out OF
prison certainly do no harm, and they
may do some good.
The question as 20 how the criminal
can b. reformed IL very difficult one
~ answer. a man may come out Of
prison who might, by acts Of kindness
and the assistance Of honest people DO
kept straight. But the trouble IL, so
cicty doesn't like 10 take hold c/ crimi-
nails; "A man doesn't want 10 Invite
them % his residence, and merchant
doesn't icol like employing AN eE-con-
yict 10 his counting-house, because tho
clerks there would not feel like asso-
ciaung with him. believe that so
cicty ought % be more leniont and
liberal t0word the criminal that Il tho
only way of accomplishing any thing
for him.-Jamcs w. Ridgcway, Ia N.
Y Independent
ncngiOus jealousy IN India between
IlindOOs and Mohammcdans IL said 10
be- &c ~ involve tho entire country In
war the moment the British authority
should b. Withdrawn. Lately Mus
sulman procession 30 celebrate n con-
vert was attacked with great fury, and
some fatalities was the result