Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-24
SHE AIDS CRIMINALS.
MISS LINDA GILBERT AND Her
UNSELFlSH LABOR OF LOVE.

Woman Who Is Well Known and Re-
sPected in Every Criminal Court in the
Great City of New York-A Remark
able Work That Bears Excellent Fruit.
Miss Linda Gilbera. the woman who
wears the title Of THE Convicts' Friend"
and whose unselfsh efforts in behalf of the
criminal class have won for her the admir-
alton and respect Of every philanthropic
minded citizen in the country uraided and
alone has for years devoted herself and her
fortune TO amelorating the condition of
the outlawed classes. Many a criminal has
she brought back to his better self and re-
stored othe respectable society from which
he had fallen.
So well has she become known to these
outcast people, too, that her simple name is
power among them, and neither bolt nor
bar is so eiIectual protection to a dwelling
as the mere fact that she is one of its occu-
pants. They reverence her as they do
nothing else on earth or heaven. and it is
not strange that they do, for plunging
down into the depths, as she has to effect
their rescue from their evil ways, she has
seemed to them in her white robes Of a
spotless womanhood a ray from the divine
love
She was born in New York city. Of a
family which has won considerable dis
tinctiOn in the field of invention, the ele-
waited railroads now SC widely in use in our
large cities having originated with one of
her near relatives At an early age she
was taken by her parents TO Chicago, where
she was given an excellent education in the
convent Of St Mary's and she was but
seven years old when on a visit to the Jail
Of that city her sympathies were first ex-
cited for the unhappy tenants Of our large
prisons. She at once secured permission to
take to them books and little delicacies.
and as she grew older she continually, in
unobtrusive ways, ministered to their com
fort, until on attaining to womanhood
she devoted herself entirely to the work of
lettering their condition on wider field
and wherever her influence could be made
to extend
HER EARLY WORK
Her plan was "tO remove the conditions
that produce crime by a wholesome sys-
TEN Of industry and culture" and her first
step was to reach the prisoner in his prison
by giving him Co read good books that
would lift him above his wrctched sur
roundings and inspire him with a desire
for better life when his term Of impris-
OnmenJ should be over To do this she
sought to place Libraries in every jail and
prison in the country. Care for the pris-
Oner's family was also included in her plan,
and the securing Of respectable employ
ment for him on his release from prison
Up to this time, working almost entirely
alone and relying well nigh altogether
upon her own resources, she has placed
more than $1,000 volumes in various
prisons and restored hundreds, even thou
ands, Of criminals TO be respected and use
ful members Of society.
On one occasion as she was r0 sing along
Broadway she was accostcd by a young
man whose face she did not at first remem-
Der. She passed him. but she noticed that
he turned about and followed her She
paused and asked his name, when she re
called him as an ex-convict whom she had
once known in prison. He told her that
since his release be had tried 10 do honest
work, but as none would employ him when
they learned Of his former life he had been
obliged TO resort to his old criminal ways
for a livelihood. He had, he said, just com
mitted a robbery, but the sight Of her had
brought back his desire for an honest life, ]
and he wished 10 restore his plumber.
She went TO the man who had been
robbed with his property, which was Of
the value Of 800. He was glad TO get it, /
but at first was obdurate in insisting that
the criminal should be punished At last,
however, he yielded to her questions if he .
would not think it hard should one Of his .
own sons be thus treated when coming
back TO right ways like the returning
prodigal; and he not only forgave the con /
vict, but added $50 to a like amount Of |
Miss Gilbert's own funds with which she I.
proposed to set the penitent thief in a small .
L.
and now, with a wife and two interesting
children, he is respected and trusted by all .
who know him
INTERVIEWS A BURGLAR.
Another interesting case is that Of a
manly young fellow for whom she secured /
work after he had served a term in prison
for burglary. She sent him to a farmer in
Illinois, whose daughter became devotedly I.
attached to him. Her parents were will .
ing he should marry the young woman,
but before he asked her TO do so he wrote /
TO Miss Gilbert, asking if he should not
disclose his history She told him 10 do so, I
and they were married with the full ap.
prevail Of the young girls parents lie
was prosperous, and is now a prominent F.
member Of a Baptist church in the neigh
borhood.
Her chief instrument in dealing with the /.
criminal is kindness With the most hard F.
ened she never uses a harsh word, and so /.
potent has been her method Of treatment F.
that she approaches the worst cases with I
absolute fearlessness. An instance Of her /.
power and her self possession was given in /.
1882. when her house in New York was en- /.
tered by a burglar. At dead Of night she .
was awakened by noise in her chamber, I
and raising herself upon her elbow she saw
atalyyart man raulark inc her lon rpgu
drawer He was I'm the act Of appropriat- .
ing valuable gold watch, when, rising .
from her bed and approaching him noise .
lessy she laid her hand upon his shoulder, I
saying: do you know that you are robbing .
your best friend2 | am Linda Gilbert"
The man crouched upon the floor speech. /.
log rvhiln she afruck a linht and mint |