The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-28
CRIMINALS REFORMATION,
MEETING or THE VIRGINIA
PRISON ASSOCIATION.


snterestfne Addresses ny Major Robsr,
STILES, Ma, or Eilyscn and Dr. Moses II.
HeKe-Much Interest Manifested by IN.
Large Audience.
The hall Of the Young Mems Christian
Association building was filled last night
by those interested in prison reform. Tho
audience was composed of many OF the
most prominent people OF the city. and
great enthusiasm was shown. The meeting
was held under the auspices OF the Prison
Reform Association Of Virginia, and was
for the purpose Of creating more interest in
the work which has been so nobly begun In
this city.
On the platforra were DR.. Hoge. Mayor
Eiiyson and Mtior Stiles. Major stiles
rose at $3.50 O'clock and said that no was
sorry 10 begin tho evening with an apology !.
He aid tina. the statement that Lieutenant.
Governor Tyler would address the meeting
was without foundation, and there was no
authority Tor H. lie said, however, that
they were looking for Governor Mckinney
every minute. lie then presented DR.
uoge, whom he said would open the meet.
ing.
DR.. uooE.
DIR. Hoge made a short ana stirring talk
lie said that be was glad he bad been called
on 20 open the meeting, as that was about
all that he could do. His speech. he said
would only be the tuning of the instru.
menfs. and that the music woull come
af,eg be had flushed. lie said be thought
that the world was making progress in
prison reform work. He compared the
work IN pretty language 10 the waves Of the
sea, which come and 70 the tide comes
an. but each time reaching further and
further. In speaking OF the history of pris.
ons, he said that until recent years it had
always been history Of horrors. He de-
scribed several ancient prisons and vividlv
showed their horrors 10 his audience. In
speaking OF Newgate he told how John
Howard and Elizabeth Fry had done much
80 relieve its horrors. he compared the
prisons 10 the bridge of signs, which. ne
thought. would sooner or later be trana-
formed TO bridge of hope, by such endeay-
ors as those being made by this
association, and " this connection
be spoke In glowing terms Of the men who
are pushing forward their work .sWhen
We look back TO the splendid civilizations of
the past, and see no sign OF this class of
work, we must come 10 the conclusion that
IL lisa natural outcome of Christianity.
LITTLE CHILDREN.
''The world never appreciated little chill d
rem until the babe OF Bethlehem was born. .
The Doctor said il was hard to give an
the old ideas OF severe and cruel punish.
ment for crime but that IL was gradually
being overcome, and the crimes that were
years ago punished by death are BOW pun
isbed by few mouths Imprisonment.
The speaker said the first thing was &c
punish the criminal, the second was Il
reform him, brit that be thought the best
thing 10 do was ~ prevent the man from
being a criminal. He likened crime to q
well ON the campus Of Princeton College
which contained the germs of typhoid
fever. When the wei, was filled up the
fever among the students was stopped
TIE only way, he said, to prevent crime
was TO stop its source. He spoke favorably
Of the kindergarten Hysiem of training.
MAJOR STILES.
Major Stiles then SAIL: When our friend
and father has spoken \ makes little differ
ence who speaks after him. The Major said
ne wanted TO second what DIR. Hoge had said
ABOUT Ills being a Christian movement. He
said the original theory WAS that society
was everything and the prisoner was nothing
The first reform, he said, was merely senti
ment. 1t attempted only 10 reform the pris
oDef. This, be said, fell far short: for the
great object, ne said, was 10 protect society
Virginia and Richmond, he said. had q
the criminal class. He did not
want TO have his audience think
he had too much sentiment in this move, fol
he said he vas working more for society
than for the criminal He describes the
criminal as the man who attempts 10 live
without working. The Major became very
enthusiastic In describing the criminal, anC
spoke with much earnestness.
ACCIDENTAL CRIMINALS.
He said that there were many accidental
criminals. but the majority of them, he said
were the outcome OF social laws which had
robbed them OF what was righttully theiI
own. Many, be said, were hereditary crimi
nails.
He said there were men who would never
be Gu cd; that they had the curse Of Goo
upon them, and that society had a right tC
suppress them. The first step towards re-
form was 20 separate the two classes. IKE
formation is merely putting man bach
from where he has iallen." He spoke glow.
ingly Of the Reformatory at Elmyra, n. Y,
and described the law under which 1t is con
Quoted, going fully into details and
showing its many advantages. lie also
made a strong argument TO show that such
a law would be great financial benefit, az
it would relieve the state OF much expense
lie showed figures 70 prove that from the
year 1881 10 1889 crime nNirginia had almost
doubled, and that in every State in Ia,
Union, with one exception, crime Is in
creasing much more rapidly thanis the pop
-ulation. While in England and Ireland
where prison reform is well established, II
Is rapidly decreasing.
The only way possible to reform the criml.
nal class was to take the little child and
train him up as be should go. 'Form," he
said. ''raiher than REFORM"
APPEALED FOR INTEREST.
He spoke Of the school and the reforma-
tory already established and beseeched his
hearers TO take interest. The Major said
the Richmond people were the best IN the
world, but that they had less cohesion or
ideas Of organization than any people be
had ever met and for that reason II is hard
TO start any great move here.
lie urged the audience 10 take hold OF
this work and lend il their aid. The com
munity he knew was able TO build this re-
formatory and be believed 1t would be done.
Al 10 o'clock Major STILES ceased speak
ing and introduced Mayor Ellyson, who
said he took great interest in this movement
because he loved Richmond. He cited sew
eral interesting cases which had fallen
under his notice recently, and showed that
the best way 10 obliterate crime was TO save
the chi dren. He only spoke for short
while, but showed great earnestness ID 1ls
talk. The meeting wac not dismissed unul
quite late hour.
BRICK AND MORTAR WALLS.
Ir..ll a ~,