The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-08-26
WORK FOR EX-COGWCTS
Mrs. Ballington Booths Efforts
to Reclaim Men.
HER EXPERIENCES IN PRISONS

/ Stories of Those Who Reformed Told
at Meeting ID Interest o. the un-
dertaling = oThe Little Mother"
Does Not Believe THAT . Per Cent
Of Prisoners Have Returned TO Evil
ways.
In the rooms Of the board Of trade
and transportation, in New York, a
meeting in the interest of prison work
was addressed by Mrs. Ballington
Booth and Mrs. b. A. AlcAlpin, says
the New York Times. W J. schieffe-
lin introduced Mrs. Booth, who said:
There is a great responsibility to be
faced BY the state or the Christian
church ia the fact that there are ST.,
600 prisoners in our state prisons.
believe, after seven years work. that
the enormous expense TO the state
could be lessened largely and that the
problem Of the prisons can be solved
By closely looking into the lives Of the
prisoners and particularly their strug-
giles when they get out again into the
world. It is my joy that there are hun
dreds who have been hopeless who are
now beyond the reach Of temptation,
good citizens who are splendid exam
pies to the others who feel that, having
been prisoners, they are beyond hope.
Il have seen them Swallowed, drawn
back and railroaded to Jail simply be-
cause they were ex-conyicts. We don't
60 to governors for pardons and solicit
names begging for pardons. We be-
lieye that those sentenced must suffer
for their crimes. We do believe, how
ever, that the man punished need not
necessarily be punished again after he
is free.
In the state prison at Trenton there
was a prisoner who was a man Of edu-
cation. He was 4 noted forger, and
one day he believed in Jesus Christ,
and from the worst he became the
humblest and the best Of the prisoners.
The warden, who was not a Christian
after watching the man for q year. told
me that all work would be sufficiently
if / really changed the
man. lie was sure that the man would
be back soon after serving his SEN
tence. We took him to one Of our
homes Of hope, and he is today an hon
cred and trusted man He has a rec 4
ord of five years faithful service, and
/ think that enough to prove his real
There was a man in Sing Sing prls
On, and when ! asked to see him the
warden said that he was the worst
nan there, treacherous even to his fell
ows. He had tried twice to burn tho
prison and was guilty Of two assaults
with a knife. When saw him, tried
to get under the mass of damaging tes-
imony against the man and at him
self he glared and told me his rec
ord. lie said that he was sick Of him
self Some time later he told me that
be was going to try He tried and he
He has been reunited to
his family and SO changed for the bet
Ter that he proudly boosted to me not
ong ago he had talked to the detective
who arrested him twice and that the
detective did not recognize him.
u know that the strongest man, with |
he best purpose on leaving prison,
eyen If at once given a position, is al |
most sure to break down in few days. |
he doesn't get over the prison nights |
md days, the agony Of conscience and |
weary brain until he has been cheered |
ind reassured. Of the 5000 men who I
rave been out Of prison for some time /
ind whom we interested and pledged to
better lives | don't believe that ) per
'ent have gone back to the old ways
Mrs McAlpin told Of the need Of help /
or the work and how Mrs. Booth was
In her work because she
lould not give her time exclusively to
he prisons, but had to travel lecturing
the country, to gather
unds for the support DC her work
Mrs. McAlpin. who deYotes the great
r part Of her time to prison work, told
be story Of three boys who had in
childhood beCp sent to a protectory
where they had met bad companions.
Afterward they started on careers Of
rhine
"rhey had wonderful affection and
oyalty to one another said Mrs. Nc
Alpin. Zone was lazy hopelessly lazy;
be second was delicate and apparently
ying. When one was in prison, the
Tiers woula aid him, using of their i'll
often means. II came about that the
azy man and the delicate man saw the
Ight, and the lazy man went to work
nd the delicate one regained his
trength for the Lord of miracles is
ot gone. The third man said that it
Fas too late TO turn back, and lac is
ow in Sing Sing prison waiting for
he day Of his electrocution."
Mrs. Booth 'the Little Mother" made
ne Of the men the driver Of a wagon
i Hope home, and when he would
rive through his old Aaunts some
you'd yell at him.
Hello, Halleluia Bille Guess you're
n the way to glorygs
You're dead right sure, and II you
wasn't I'd get Off dis wagon and smash
. your facesw
An Easter Hymn.