Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1898-11-21
CRIMES AND CRIMINALS.

A sermon delivered by Rev. J. K. Fuller at
Barton Landing Nov. 13, 1898.
Through the courtesy of friends in
the Vermont Legislature, I recently
had the opportunity of visiting and
inspecting three of our penal and re-
formatory institutions, viz, the State
Prison at Windsor, the House of Cor
rection at Rutland and the Industrial
School at Vergennes. By the kind
ness of the trustees and officers of
these institutions Learned something
of crime and criminals in our state.
At Windsor we found several hun
dred prisoners, neat and cleanly in
appearance, comparatively, though to
be dressed from top to toe in clothing,
half of which is of one color and half
of another, makes gruesome picture.
These criminals had, as rule, pale
and haggard features and hardened
expressions. They were bent and
broken and aged, in the last awful
stages of their sin and misfortune.
Yet everything was neat and clean,
and prison discipline seemed wise and
Christian.
At Rutland one hundred and fifty
lesser criminals are cared for by the
state on the same humane and Chris
tian principle. These were younger
criminals yet bearing the marks of
dissipation and misfortune. At Ver-
gennes was a large company of little
folks just budding into crime, yet
bright and happy in such a home as
the state has provided. But the con-
trast with those who had found them
selves behind prison bars at last, was
something to stir the heart of the
coldest. Here were three grades of
criminals-bad, worse, worst. All
grades appealed to our sympathies.
The downward momentum of wrong
doing could be realized as we gazed
first on the finished criminal, then at
the criminal in the halfway house of
correction, and then on the little law
breakers just beginning the awful de-
scent. Yet the state will save many
soul from the awful despair of fell
on's cell through these institutions
which are conducted upon the Chris
tian principle, and are a credit and
honor to the state. What is needed
most is that the people of the state
should become informed of the good
work going on in these institutions
and the opportunity there is for re-
forming criminals and preventing
crime. And while I might suggest
some lines along which the state and
the individual might work, as prison
reform society such as they have in
other states, with general superin-
tendent and secretary; home clubs
looking after discharged criminals,
helping them to overcome the odium
of prison life, and to find work, such
as Governor Grout recommended in
his retiring message-but I shall give
myself today to simply suggesting
the gospel principle for the repression
of crime and the reform of the crimi-
na1-a problem of more Importance
to the state and nation than high tar
if or low tariff, than Cuba, the Phil
ippines, greater than any question we
to have heard discussed by
political aspirants in the heat of po-
litical controversy. Here is a theme
worthy of the brightest intellect, the
most gifted speech, the warmest heart.
Inside and outside prison walls, in
the person of the criminal, we have
the greatest problem of ancient or
modern times. Their infirmities, their
struggle, the fall,
The guilt, the 'sorrow-their redemp-
lion.
All that I can do this morning is to
barely outline some principles of
truth and action which may prove
useful in the solutions of the ques-
lions inv olved.
First then we remark that all re-
ormers, through the press, on the
Blatform, in the pulpit, legislative,
xecutive, or judicial must recognize
w 5 fundamental to all form the divine
aw, which declares, "Of one blood are
n nations;" all peoples, whether it