The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-03-10
BEHIND PRISON BARS
Mrs. Burlington Booth Tells ofWork
Among Convicts.

The closing number Of the Union
Lecture Course was an extremely
interesting address by Mrs. Balling-
ton Booth The popularity of the
lady and the great work she is doing
drew forth an unusually large audi
ence, and every seat in the Masonic
opera house was filed Friday even
ing. The lady was introduced by
Mrs. Glover, Of the Ladies Auxiliary,
and after a cordial reception she
plunged at once into a discussion Of
her fayorite theme, the work among
convicts in the state prisons of
America. Mrs. Booth mas been en-
gagged in the work for about eight
years and has been very successful.
The men know that she is sincere in
her purpose to help them and have
bestowed upon her the title OF Lit
tie Mother" of which she is extreme
ly proud 1t is said that she Is
probably the most beloved woman in
the land and the most attractive OF
all women speakers. The money she
has received from her lectures has
been usd for the support of her Hope
halls, homes for paroled and dis
charged prisoners.
Regarding the word in the prisons
Mrs. Booth told Of the many success
full meetings held at which large num-
bers of the men expressed a desire to
lead better life which finally led to
the organizing of the Volunteer Prison
League The first league was organic
ed with about sixty members about
eight years ago and now $4,000 men
are enrolled and are leading earnest,
faithful Christian lives. That the
league has proved a great blessing to
the men and an aid to priso dicipline
has been repeatedly proven. Warmest
words of encouragement from prison
officials and letters without number
from the men themselves testify to
their earnest faithful efforts in the
new life.
Mrs. Booth said that one of the pris-
on reforms needed in most states was
laws similar to the one in Iowa which
removes the management of the pris-
on from politics Many times she said
man who had the best interests Of
the prisoners at heart was removed
to make room for another who cared
nothing for such work but had a po-
litical pull,
She paid glowing tribute to
Father" /. S. Coffin, of Fort Dodge,
who has done and is now doing a
grand good work for ex-convicts and
paroled prisoners.
Mrs. Booth was the daughter Of a
wealthy clergyman and was born
near London, England, in 1866. She
early became interested in the work
of the Salvation Army and when IL
years old in company with Miss Cath
crime Booth went to Paris where they
| organized a branch of the army.
After two years in Paris she accom-
panied a party to Switzerland, where
| after suffering many vicissitudes and
even Imprisonment she finally sue
ceeded in establishing Salvation
Army corps. After leaving Switzer-
land she went to Sweden and for the
past seventeen years she has been
| engaged in the work in the United
States.
In 1887 she was married to Balling-
ton Booth and at once according to
custom, assumed his rank Of marshal.
In 1896 she withdrew with her hus-
band from the Salvation Army and
founded the Volunteers of America,
and is still actively engaged in the
work of the order and carrying the
message of the love Of Christ to the
men in prison. Her Offices are in
New York Ciey and her home in the
Orange mountains at Montclafr, N. j.,
where she lives with her husband,
Commander Darlington Booth of the
Volunteers of America. They have
two children, Charles and Theidora