The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-04

to believe it, Many an honest man
has not the right to any credit for it.
believe many a man has made drawer
fight to get back TO an honest life than
many an honest man mas made to stay
80.
Then there is the work problem.
People ask us If we expect them to re-
celve these men when they come OUT
and trust them. They say let them go
to work and prove that they in-end TO
lead an honest Life and then they may
be received. How easy TO say and how
hard to do. Many man has been
driven back to a life OF crime, who
honestly wished to do well, by just this
spirit, and on the souls of the people
who drove them back. lies burden 80
heavy that only the grace Of Coo can
remove 1t.
l am such an habitue Of prisons that
the men say l come under the habitual
criminal act, I am there so often. But
my work is not prison reform; that may
be left to the legislatures We seek to
change not the prison, but to touch the
prisoners. Correspondence with them
is one great phase, and we have to
answer between 300 and 400 letters from
them every week. Then / strive to
meet those with whom we correspond.
The solution of the problem lies not
with the philanthropist outside, but in
work within the walls. We organize
leagues in every prison which we enter,
and the members OF them promise to
refrain from profane and obscene lam
guage, and to obey the prison rules.
The effect of this has been so marked
that the wardens of all the prisons have
commented on the manner in which
1t has lightened their cares and i'm
proved to- discipline Of the prison. The
motto of the league is Look up All
hope"
Mrs Booth then told of a case that
came to her notice wnere a prisoner,
who had been a habitual criminal for
many years, was converted, and, one
day requested the warden to do him a
favor. He wsMled to have the sum Of
$500, which was his own property, and
on deposit with the warden, distributed
among the men whom he injured by his
crimes, as far as it would go. He had
| 10 years to serve, and this money was
all he had in the world to purchase for
himself the little comforts that the
prisoners are allowed to have, and
which are all that make their hard lot
trihe more easy. He declared he did
| not want to have 1t thought that he
should thus use this deed as a means
to aid him in getting pardon. for the
circumstances were known only to the
warden, and told by him to Mrs.
Booth He did it merely that he might
start right with God. That is the kind
of religion that disproves the hopeless
ness of the prison problem.
! The speaker continued: I'VE have
in New York home, not an institu-
ton, that we call Hope Hall. We
don't use the word ex-convict. 1t is a
cruel word that ought to be stricken
out of the vocabulary and buried in the
deepest grave that can be provided for
Home
who has not served term in state
prison. The richest banker in New
| York could not get a nights lodging
| there, because we should say to him
No; you have not been in prison-yet.
No detective can enter, so our boys are
safe from prying eyes there Ever
| the reporters seem to miss us Ill oul
quiet farm home. We speak of the
graduates Of Charlestown or of Au-
burn and Of Sing Sing, but not of dis
charged prisoners. The men come there
as soon as they get out of prison, ano
| they have a chance to work in the
usual pursuits of farm labor till they
obtain positions where they can build
up their lives anew. Just here is where
| the business men of every city ought
| to be willing to help us. l have fur
nished many men to those In need of
workmen, and they have always proved
honest and reliable. We need this sort
of help and also donations Of every
kind Of food and clothing, for we can
use them all.
| Mrs Booth closed her remarks by
relating several more incidents of her
experience and by appealing to persons
in the audience to help the Volunteers
cause by joining their Defenders
League, made up of church people who
wish to be auxiliaries of the cause. but
who can not be active workers. They
pay S. yearly as membership fee, and
the proceeds are devoted to the benefit
of the order
The benediction was given by DR..
Conrad. Mrs. Booth stopped q few
hours at the home of Capt Heard Of
the local post, and left for New York on
tho ynidniohf train