The Washington times., 1906-01-24

Probably there is not another man in
the District Of Columbia who daily
comes in contact with crime, misery.
and poverty in such widely divergent
form as he city missionary,
Everyone whose busiu, SIS or curl
osity has ever taken them to the Police
Court. the Jail. or any of the many hos
pitfalls OF charitable institutions. has
seen an elderly gentleman with whI',
hair and whiskers, VINO is comforting
and helping some poor unfortunate.
This man is the city missionary. the
Rev. Henry G. Amos
Few. If any. OF the general public OF
Washington know much about Mr.
Amos. for. besides coming in contact
with these he succoTs he meets few
others except the officials of the va
riOus places 10 which he makes his reg
ular visits. The plan laid down for his
labors by the Auxiliary Missionary So
oiety. under the direction Of the Epis-
copaI Deaconry of Washington. under
whose auspices he labors. is for Mr..
Amos 10 regularly visit the District
Jail, the vOrkhouse, asylum, almshouse,
and all penal institutions, all of the hos
pitfalls, home institutions. needy fam
!lies that have come under his notice.
and all OF the Rescue Missions.
Must Interview Officials.
Besides these visits he must interview
officials of the Associated Charities
Police Headquarters, police aid depart
Inent. the Clergy. and also look out for
positions to be obtained for the unfor-
Inmates that he daily pulls from the
ranks of the fallen.
The total number of visits made By
2 he % &c
and the number OF persons helped Was
quite over that figure.
Besides these regular duties. Mr.. Amos
IS subject TO call at any time, and
many time at the hour OF midnight
he mas been called from his bed TO
see some person in trouble and in urgent
need Of advice and help.
Not very Ions ago he received a letter
from the port chaplain of New York.
stating that a family had landed from
England and would soon arrive in this
city, and asking that they be cared for
and stating that if they were taken in
that they could be made into good citi-
zens and Christians. Acting on this
advice, DIR. Amos looked up the family
who. he found was in destitute cir
cumstances, and provided temporary
shelter for them. In a short time the
and the family is now in good circum-
stances and respected members of one
OF the churches here.
Saved Trained Nurse.
This is only one of the many cases
where this large-hearted man has helped
people thai otherwise would most like
~ have fall n a case that Is well re-
membered IS all of the officials of the
Jail and of the Police Court is that of
A trained Nurse. OF good family, who
had fallen into evil ways and was al
rested and convicted of stealing a
watch. Mr.. Amos met her during one
Of his visits to the Jail and found many
eXtenuating circumstances.
He then went TO the owner of the
watch, tut she having strong personal
feeling in the matter refused TO com
promise in the matter. and so the dis
tricI attorney was sought He was
convinced OF the truth OF the girls
story, and rehearing was granted, ut
which time the judge released the
woman and turned her over to Mr.
Amos. making him responsible for her,
with the proviso that she leave the
city within a stated time Mr.. Amos
2<ocured a position for her in New
York, and she is stin there doing we'll
one of the living monuments to the
work of the city missionary.
A number of young men have been
befriended by this man and several in
stances might be cited where. after
the boys and girls had been disoUned
by their parents, Mr.. Amos has ar
ranged TO have the parents take them
back again.
Georgia Man Grateful.
Only today Mr.. Amos received a let
ter from a man in Georgia who was
helped by him when he was in this
city. penniless and disheartened. The
man left his family in Georgia to go
10 New York. where he was promised
a position. He went but the position
failed to materiallze, and he started for
home. He got as far as Washington
and then was unable to go any farther
He was found i'm a cheap lodging house
and when questioned. said that he had
a well-off relative in this city. The
story was Investigated and it was found
that one of the leading bankers of
Washington was related TO him ana
through Mir Amos was persuaded to
send him on 10 his home.