Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-03-25
SHE AIDS CRIMINALS.
MISS LINDA GILBERT AND HER
I UNSELFISH LABOR OF LOVE,

n woman Who Is Wen Known and Pc
spected in Every Criminal Court in the
Great City of NoU YorIS-A Remark
able Work That Bears Excellent Frni,
Miss Linda Gilberd 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 philantbronic
minded citizen in the country. uraided and
alone has for years devoted herself and her
fortune to amehorating the condition If
the outlawed classes Many a criminal has
she brought back to his better self and re
stored to the respectable society from which
he had fallen.
So well has she become known to these
outcast people, too, that her simple name is
a power among them, and neither bolt nor
bar IS 50 eiiectual protection to a dwelling
as the mere fact that she is one of its occu-
pants. They reverence her rs they do
nothing else on earth or heaven, and it is
not strange that they do, for plungipp
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 Yidelyin use i'm our
large cities having originated with one Of
her near relatives. At an early age she
was taken by erparents 60 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 10 the iai
OF that city her sympathies were first ex
cited for the unhappy tenants of our large
prisons. She at once secured permission Ia .
take to them books and little delicacies
and as she grew older she continually I'm .
unobtrusive ways ministered to their com.
fort, until, on attaining TO womanbooJ
she devoted herself entirely to the work Of
lettering their condition on a wider field
and wherever her influence could be made
to extend
HER EARLY WOEK.
Her plan was so remove the conditions
that produce crime by a wholesome eyg
TEN Of industry and culture" and her first
step was TO reach the prisoner in his prison
by giving him TO read good books that
would lift him above his wrctcbed sur
roundings and inspire him with a desire
for better life when his term Of impris-
onment should be over To do this She
sought 70 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 Tor him on his release from prison
Up 70 this time, working almost entirely
alone and relying well nigh altogether
upon her own resources, she has placed {
more than 5000 volumes ia yarious !
prisons and restored hundreds. even tbou.
ands, Of criminals to be respected and use.
ful members Of society.
On one occasion as she was raa-iul, ALONG '
Broadway she was acc0sted lv % vouDg a
man whose face she did not at first rcuerp- :
Der. She passed him, but she noticed that c
ne turned about and followed her She ;
paused and asked his name when she re- a
called him as an ex-cOnvict whom she had r
once known in prison. He told her that a
since his release he had tried TO do honest Il
work, but as none would employ him when v
they learned Of his former life he had been 0
obliged TO resort TO his old criminal ways b
for livelihood. He had he said. lust com. p
mitted a robbery, but the sight Of her had s
brought back his desire for an honest life.
and he wished 20 restore his plumber. G
She went TO the man who had been g
robbed with his property, which was Of o
inc value OF 800 He was glad TO get it. d
he criminal should be punished. At last G
however, be yielded TO her questions. If he 81
would not think it hard should one Of his Fl
1wn sons be thus treated when coming 81
back 70 right ways like the returning -
'rodigal and he not only forgave the con
net, but added $50 to a like amount Of
Mss Gilbert's own funds with which she
proposed 70 set the penitent thief in a small T.
agar business. He has been prosperous "
md now, with a wife and two interesting h.
hildren, he is respected and trusted by ali m
Who know him b,
INTERVIEWS A BURGLAR pa
Another interesting case is that If a ti
manly young fellow for whom she secured yc
FORK after he bad served a term in prison 81
Or burglary She sent him to a farmer ip ''t
llino~, whose daughter became devotedly
dached to him. Her parents were will co
" ne should marry the young woman. tr
ut before he asked her to do SO he wrote a
, Miss Gilbert, asking if be sbould not hi
lsclose his history. She told him TO do 50. az
nd they were married with the full an so
roval Of the young girls parents. lie an
as prosperous, and il now prominent Of
lember Of Baptist church in the neigh. gu
orhoOd II
Her chief instrument in dealing with the
-iminal is kindness With the most hard.
red she never uses harsh word, and 80
tent has been her method Of treatment tin
lat she approaches the worst cases with tw
lsolute fearlessness. An instance Of her is
'wer and her self possession was given in co,
81. when her house In New York wa. On. ma
red by a burglar. At dead d night she Tn
as awakened by a noise ia her chamber. TAI
I'd raising herself upon her elbow she saw tn,
stalwart man ransacking her bureau thi
aver. He was in the act of appropriat- are
g valuable gold watch, when. rising isl
om her bed and approaching him noise ate
SLY, she laid her hand upon his shoulder. Of
ying' DO you know that you are robbing pal
ur best friend2 | am Linda Gilbert" aid
The man crouched upon the floor speech
", while she struck light, and. point
Ia q rLuir t.II l. IN. [