The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-10-19
AHEAD OF THE REST.
PeOpie's Church Anticipates the
Prison Sunday Services


Prison Sunday services were held at
the Peoples church last evening. The
observance was in the nature of a
platform meeting, which was addressed
by Rev. w. r. Lord and Warden
Wolfer. of the state penitentiary.
Mr Lord spoke upon the subject,
The Incipient Criminal and asserted
IN ms opening remarks that the only
manner in which this class could be
reached was by sympathy. This could
pc effectively done by the realization on
the part of more fortunately situated
individuals that they were of the same
class to which the speaker referred only
they were differently environed. Under
the same conditions those who were not
criminals might become so as readily
as those who were; and on the other
hand those who who fell if surrounded
by the favorable conditions of their
neighbors, might never begin the down
ward career which ended only behind
prison walls.
Ihere were two classes of incipient
CRIMINALS, the speaker said, the first
of which was composed of those reared
IN homes where crime and vice was not
only countenanced but was taught to
the children by the everyday lives of
the parents. The wonder to those who
had labored in the cause of humanity
III large cities was not that there
were so few. In this connection the
speaker referred to a recent incident
in the local police court, where the par
ents had been arrested for the theft of
number of doors of railroad cars for
fuel, and asked how it could be expect
ed that the children Of these parents
could be expected when they grew I'D
to have respect for the rights of proper
ty. The law was indentical in all cases
where any phase Of crime was instill-
ed into the mind of the child. The time
was coming, however when there
would be no need Of prison reform as
sociations, for the people were begin
ming to take hold upon a condition of
affairs to be righted with a zeal which
attested that the Importance of the re-
form movement was at last realized
The second division of incipient
crime existed among those who had
proper training, but who had fallen I'M
der temptation The components of
this class never intended to become
criminals and were not in reality such.
even after the commission of an unlaw-
ful act 1t was not consistent with re-
form to put such persons in confine-
ment with hardened criminals, as such
a course entirely circumVented any eff
fort at reformation by lowering the un-
fortunate and causing to attach to him
a stigma which could never be remov-
ed. Massachusetts had adopted a pro-
stationary system of dealing with in
cipient criminals which the speaker in
dorsed and recommended to the state
of Minnesota. 1t provided for the ap-
pointment by the different courts of
probationary officials whose duty it
was when a man was arraigned for the
committing of a crime to inquire into
his former life, ascertain his habits
also whether he had been previously
guilty Of any crime. and make a report
to the judges. Power was given the
courts to put a criminal on probation.
and If he was found to have been sim
ply one who had fallen for the first
time he was allowed his liberty. in
stead of-being sent to prison. The pro-
stationary officials, however still look
ed after the convicted person, even to
visiting his home, and made frequent
reports to the proper authorities. BY
the application of this system Mr. Lord
stated that 60 per cent of the criminals
OIL Massachusetts who had been sub
rjeeted to it had been reclaimed He
concluded his address with an appeal
that the meeting should not end in
sentiment, but that actual and mate
rial assistance should be given the
Ramsey County Prison association in
maintaining the one official whom 1t
had recently appointed to look to the
reformation of those. in the early stages
of criminality in ST Paul
Warden Wolfer read an interesting
paper upon THE Reformed Criminal"
Once q thief was not always a thief,
he said. and by the employment Of
proper methods many who had been
stamped as criminals could be re-
claimed as useful and honorable men,
berS of society. All who committed
crimes were not naturally criminals
Criminality could only be analysed in
so far as the character of the criminal
could be read. but 1t was beyond ques-
ton that many who committed crimes
were not at heart bad. but We're the
victims of irresistible temptation
When a. man entered prison to begin
the reformation hoped to be accom-
plished it was necessary to know some
thing of his former life. His habits
were studied and his Intellectual abiI-
ity observed in order that the most
effective method might be employed in
an effort to prepare him to resume
his place in society st the expiration
of his sentence. The convicted man.
as rule, was wholly out of gear with
society. He thought 1t all wrong he-
cause he had fallen under the law.
and Gron entering prison was a SUBJ
feet difficult to handle Ordinarily.
however. the convict was quick to take
ADVANTAGE of any system prevailing In
the prison which would accrue to his
hfne6ts and IN this way soon became
|egsA sobject of seif-discipline an imper-
stSzst factor IL his reformation. To