The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-15
MRS. BOOTH SPEAKS.
She Tells About Her Work in
the Prisons in the Pres
byterian Church.

Mrs. Darlington Booth lectured in the
First Presbyterian Church last night in
the interests of the local post of the
Volunteers. The local post is in debt and
it was to raise money to liquidate the in
d%ebtedness thai Mrs. Booth came to
Jersey City. She was accompanied by
Colonel Pattie Watkins Lindsay and her
husband, Colonel Fred Lindsay.
Mrs. Booth spoke at length on her work
in the prisons. She devotes all her time
to that part of the Volunteer work. She
gave an interesting description of the
work, detailing a number of her ex-
periences in State prisons and telling
many stories Of the men who have been
converted and a joined the Volunteer
Prisoners League, and on leaving the
prisons nave reformed and led honest
lives. Mrs. Booth gained the sympathy
Of her audience, which was a large one,
and she was listened to with rapt atten-
ton for nearly an hour.
1.-THE men in our prisons she said.
want something more than to be told
| that God is Love- They lave heard that
again and again. What they want is a
| practical illustration of it from the fol-
overs of Christ. The Volunteers are try
| ing, by practical methods, to reform
| these men and cause them to lead better
| lives. We are in touch with 10000 men
in the various State Prisons. We CORE
| spond with them, come into personal
| touch with them, learn something of
| their families, their hope and their am
| billions and strive to be of service to
them.
7 ~,xv T1na6 hni1 fn haar manila
talk about the criminal class. Are they
a different species? Are they of differ
emit clay and do they come from another
part of the world? We know that they
4 come from every class. When ] talk to
an audience inside prison walls / re-
member that the men composing 1t were
once outside, and when I talk to an au-
dience outside I do not forget that 1t Is
a very easy matter to get inside and
that some day I may address some of
them on the inside. Some of the per-
sons who criticized us most for going to
the prisons have managed to get in.
eve have a Volunteer Prisoners
League, with a membership of over 5000
men, who are living consistent lives. In
Joliet we have enrolled nearly half the
prison population. and since we. entered
that prison with our work the behavior
Of the men has improved so per cent.
II believe the time will come when the
4 United States will give an example to tho
world in the method of treating prison
ers. / believe the time will come when
the punishment will not be for revenge
on the criminal for a wrong done society
but will be for his reformations Illinois
has aiken step in that direction. There
when a mar in prison proves himself fiji
to be sent out he is set free. II he does
not behave himself he returns to prison
Mrs. Booth concluded by speaking OF
the work in the New Jersey State Prison
at Trenton, where the warden, the chap
lain and ali connected with the prison co
4 oDerate with the Volunteers in their worl
among the prisoners and appreciate tina
work.
a collection was taken for the Vol
anteers. Colonel Pattie Watkins-Lindsay
sang and the meeting closed. Mrs. Bootf
left as soon as she finished her address.