La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1904-12-21
AIDS PRISONERS



Discharges Prisoners Assisted in Get
ting Werk-heipin0 Hand hsid
Out 70 Those in Trouble
-Fifty-nve OF the boys from the pen
itentiary NJ Canon City. the resoe2a-
tory AZ Buena Vista. the United
States penitentiary at Leayenworth-
Kansas. and the county jail Of Denver.
have called on US at our once At the
state house or at our homes. or both
said Mr.. Collett. the state superin-
tendent OF the Colorado Society for
the Ffiendless. the prison association
OF this state. yesterday morning. says
the Denver Republican
I'VE have done all We could to help
them hnd employment and take hold
Of . new chance in life: and want to :
say that as large q proportion OF them
proved worthy Of the trust reposed In
them as one would nnd with any class
Of men In any walk Of life O course
we get to meet only that class of men
who believe that q wrong course in
life does not pay. and they would like
to get away from the past The pro
fessional CRIMINAL belongs to the
gang and wheH he gets out OF prison
he simply goes back TO the gang
again"
"AAt w tOo w "AAh Oss ~
and unsortunates who appeal to you
for assistance, Do you ever have
suche" Mr.. Collett was asked.
why. We do all we can for them. or
course. Need. discouIAE ement and de-
spondency make offenders Of the very
class OF men whom We assist, and you
know 1t il an old adAge that An ounce
Of prevention is worth . pound of cure
better save your man than neglect
him and try to cure him afterward'
That OILS why Judge Lindsey's work II
SO commepdable-it saves the boy who
has made . misstep from becoming
What Denver ne0is more than any
one thing just now. in addition TO her
many excellent charities, Is Tor the
Associated charities to organize free
employment bureau and so equip II
that every worthy outof-work can be
made respectfully self-sustaining at
once and kept SO Till better work. out
side the association. can be found. l
think all Of us felt this when We heard
Mr.. johnson at the meetings Of the
charities at Trinity church on q recent
Sunday evening. We have helped
about a dozen out-of,works who have
come to US.
"Of course. you understand ocr so
ciety is really not . new thing In this
state. We sre only the successors to
the Colorado Prisoners Aid Society.
that began its excellent work nearly
seven years ago and in four years
cared for from 800 to 400 OF this states
discharged prisoners. The friends OF
that society are our friends and ON
GERS. We were incorporates under the
laws OF this state on the 11th OF last
March,
,,rt -. 10 vv,x- nrfvata homA
and with my family for days At time
Till they and can find their employ.
ment. We have Just moved into larger
quarters in order that We might have
more room for them this winter: and
one man who helped US was from the
county jail. another from the reform
atory and the third from the peniten-
tiary.
.in almost one year that We have
been working with this class OF men
We have never missed SO much as tho
value Of one pin. But even II one
among SO many had proven untrust-
worthy-would that be any more than
the experience OF commercial houses
with their clerks? or the experience or
the government with its oficiais!
"One of our hrst boys has saved his
earnings this past summer. and Is the
happy owner Of \ fine team OF horses.
and is filing on a quarter section OF
land in Routt county as home ior
himself and father. Another In . din
ing car employe. and is saving money
with which to buy an acre Of ground
near Denver and build home on. An
other is nov q band master Of cadet
high school band Another. profes-
sioual holdup, has had but two posi-
tions in over four months. 10 sober.
Trustworthy and industrious. economt-
cal. a favorite with his employers. and
when he calls at our home or once. no
is as well dressed as you would ex-
rect to meet among the laboring class
He In allowing his wages TO accumu-
late with his employer. And could
tell you stories like that Of our men
for hours. In truth. only three men
have had to be returned to the state
penal Institutions from among all those
who have come to us.
"You spoke Of having moved into
new home; has some one given the so
ciety = home for its work."
mo; and We would not desire . per
manent home for these men; we only
hold them up till they get . start: but
we do greatly need Temporary home
for this work. No. thus far the friend
to do this thing has not appeared. Ny
good wife and I have mortsaged what
little OF this worlds goods we have, In
order to make provision for this Tea
ture Of the mission OF this society I'LL
that good friend makes his or her ap-
pearance. We are at 705 East Twenty-
eighth avenue. and have two small
rooms that some of the merchants OF
the city have very kindly furnished.
the furniture to belong to this society
and for this work perpetualv. InSse
rooms are the sleeping quarters o. une
men. In the morning and evening ~
are IN the library. parlor and other
general living rooms with the feouy.
We urxe them to feel that cur none -
their home, and can tell you tney sH