The San Francisco call., 1896-06-06
McFEE WILL AID
THE EX-CONY|CTS,
The Salvationist Is Look
ing for a State
Position.
NO SALARY TO BE ASKED
Wants Free Access to Prisoners
Before They Are Re-
leased.
POSITIONS TO BE PROVIDED
On Gaining Their Liberty They Will
Be at Once Shipped to Distant
Points.
POSITIONS TO BE PROVIDED

Within few days Adjutant McFee of
the Salvation Army, backed by some of
the wealthiest and most influential citi-
zens of San Francisco. will ask Governor
Budd for an appointment that will enable
him to do more for the ex-tonvicts that
leave the State prisons of California than
any plan that has yet been tried.
The Salvation Army has long tried to
aid the unfortunates whose evil ways have
brought them within the ban of the law.
They have been met on their arrival in
this City from San Quentin and Folsom
and begged to mend their ways, but the
hopelessness of fighting their way through
the world with the brand of convict on
them and the evil associates with whom
they fell in before they could be provided
with means of making livelihood made
their reformation difficult, and many con-
tinued their criminal career.
Now Captain McFee has evolved a
scheme by which he hopes to change all
this. He is circulating petition that has
already been signed by Mayor Sutro, Chief
of Police Crowley, President Dohrmann Of
the Merchants Association and others,
asking that he be appointed State agent
for the aid of ex-convicts. No salary is
attached to the Office and the position is to
be strictly non.political and non-sectarian.
1Hc PctiIlON Is do 1OIlOWSs
TO has Exce9ency Governor Budd: We, the
undersigned, are pc rsonally acquainted with
Joseph r. MeFee, and We most um bly, petition
your Excellency to appoint him to the posi-
tion of State agent to aid ex-convicts, which
work he is willing to do without renumera-
ton. We are confident that he will fulfill the
Office with credit and honor to you and to him
self.
Attached to the petition is a prospectus
of Captain McFee's plans.
In addition to asking for a position with
full authority from the State to deal with
ex-convicts Captain McFee asks free ac-
cess to the State institutions at all times
and to be allowed free access to all pris-
oners for thirty days before they are re-
leased from prison.
~ have every hope that this petition
will be speedily granted by the Governor"
said Captain McFee, ''for he has already
said that he believes the office would be
the means of doing much good and has
evinced much interest In the work.
"The main idea is to get an official
standing go that can gain more attention
from the men before they leave the prison.
by being allowed to visit them as a
State official for thirty days before they
are released / can learn all about them,
where they have lived, where and by
whom they were led into evil ways and
how best to keep them from returning to
their old haunts. If a man was sent to
prison from Southern California l will
send him to work in Oregon, and so on.
'..There will be no lodging them in idle
ness while situations are being secured.
The man will be told that he is to be given
chance to begin life anew with as good
wages as other men get, and with no less
of respect should he prove worthy. If he
seems willing his Job will be ready by the
day his term expires. and the first train or
boat thereafter will take him to his des-
nation.
''If there is anything in the man this
treatment will bring it out and prove him
worthy. Otherwise he will prove hope
less case and one that could not have been
reformed under any circumstances"