The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-19
PRISON SUNDAY SERMONS
NEXT SUNDAY WILL BE OBSERVED
By MINISTER'S OF INDIANA.
An Attempt to Arouse Interest I'm Dis
charged Prisoners Charity
Boards Pamphlet.

Next Sunday will be celebrated as Prison
Sunday" by the churches of Indiana and
on that day pastors will endeavor to arouse
an interest in the condition OF men dis
charged from prison. The State Board of
Charities is taking an active interest in
the matters and Secretary Butler is
sending out literature to perhaps a
thousand ministers. pamphlet entitled
Thoughts on Prison Sunday is being gen.
erously scattered by the board.
Among other things the pamphlet con-
tains extracts from report read by Sec
rotary Butler at meeting of the National
Prison Association THE subject with
which we have to DEAL" said Mr.. Butler
lis that of the discharged or released pris-
oner. Who is he? That Is the question
that comes TO us. What relation does he
bear to other prisoners and to other men?
In a certain sense the question of the dis
charged prisoner Is akin to that of the
convalescent patient and to the after care
OF the insane. The discharged prisoner
represents one the phases of the history
OF the criminal. He is a man who needs
the help and encouragement of other men.
His treatment is simply one Of the impor-
tant parts of the larger subject OF the treat
ment of the criminal
Another thought from the report: The
work is an enormous one. The workers are
few. Organizations are fewer. Our
churches are beginning to atone for past
neglect by an awakening interest. They
are coming to realize that the work to be
done is not only that of saving men after
death, but also saving men during Hfe-
RESCUE MISSION WORK.
The pamphlet refers to the work of SUI
perintendent Wheeler, Of the Rescue Mis-
sion, this city. Mr.. Wheeler has many in
teresting instances to give-men, appar-
emily confirmed criminals who, through the
o%FO 1f Al tha
course of their lives and are becoming re-
spected citizens. One man for whom Mr..
Wheeler obtained employment about two
years ago had been considered a desperate
character by the police and prison authori-
ties. His father was member OF the
Jesse James gang and he himself had a
different eh prison n He is noW Working
faithfully, 1t is said, and getting along
nicely. A man came to the mission about
year ago from the State prison 70 follow
up an acquaintance begun through cor
respondence with Mr.. Wheeler year be-
fore the expiration of his sentence. For
twenty-seven years he had been known all
over the United States, England and Scot
land as a crook and dangerous man, yet
through the influence of a sympathetic and
helpful interest in his welfare, he is now
an industrious man, working faithfully and
saving two dollars every week out of his
eight dollar salary. He had perhaps never
done an honest days work in his life. From
Mr.. Wheeler he says he received his first
word of encouragement and that was one
of the first things needed to start him on
the right track.
A story is told of how nearly five years
ago young man about thirty years of age
came to the mission, after having served a
three-year term at the State prison. He
came determined to live a Christian life
and he received every possible encourage
ment In the course of time he left the
city, studied for the ministry and few
days ago letter came to the mission stat
ing that he had received an appointment as
a Christian minister.
Thoughts for Prison Sunday" takes up
the Juvenile courts and quotes from a
speech made by Judge George w. Stubs
at the recent conference Of charities at Ft