The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-01

Is an instance of the way In which she helps. About three weeks ago a young man was discharEed from Speigners and with number of others of the good people of Montgomery she went to the Union Railway station tO meet him. He was taken to the home of one of the best families of the city was provided with a complete outfit of neat clothes by a philanthropic Montgomery man and good situation was awaiting him. He has Joined one of the Montgomery churches since he came to the city and is filling the po- sition Mrs. Edwards secured for him with complete satisfaction to his em- ployes.
 Help fer COnvicts.
 What she did for this young man she proposes to do for every man who leaves the prison. Readers of The Ad- vertiser will recall the pardoning of an unfortunate young woman not long ago by the Governor. and the return ing of the young woman with her brother to Chicago. The real work in obtaining the pardon was done by Mrs. Edwards and her co-workers.
 There are only five white women at Speigners at this time and, sad 1t Is to relate, that they are all there serv- ing sentences for terrible crimes-the majority for murder-yet they are wo- men. and Mrs. Edwards and her CO., workers are especially kind in their treatment of them.
 The reception given Mrs. Edwards by the women Is always touchlng-some- thing bordering on the pltiful in the efforts which those women make to show appreciation for kindnesses
 What Mrs. Edwards has done. and is doing for the men, she proposes to do for the women. Her contention Is that when man or woman has served the ks ln... law has been satisfied, and the man or the woman should be made to feel that they are to be given another chance and that they have friends who will help them to hold their heads up; that they are not to live outcasts all their lives and go from bad to worse. Her idea of the punishment imposed by the law Is to make better men and bet ter women and when the serving of a sentence in prison fails to do that, it has failed in it's most vital or fun- damental principle.
 To turn thousands of men and women out into the world from the hundreds of prisons of this country worse than when they went there has been the de- plorable state of affairs in many in- stances. Mrs. Edwards and her CO., workers have secured the interest and cooperation of the warden. Mir. Fields, and his twelve deputies and guards. and great deal of the success of the undertaking lies in their hands.
 The Prison at Spefgners.
 The State prison at Speigners, com monty known as Camp No. 8, is Inter- esting within itself. The farm consists of {, 300 acres, 1.o0n of which is in a high state of cultivation. The inter- ests there are about equally divided between the farm and the cotton mills.
 From a talk with the Warden. Mir. IA AN.s a paying investment for the State, is rather doubtful, though everything in the way of bread stun Is raised for the prisoners and all vegetables and about half of the meat which is used came from the place.
 The cotton mill at Speigner was built during the administration Of Governor Oates. It did not prove 8 success ana was leased during the administration of Governor Sanford. During the first two years of the administration of Governor Jelks the min was shut down and during the past two years under the management of H. w. Clarke, has proved one Of the best paying institu- tions owned by the State. All the cot ton grown on the State farms is woven into cloth at the mill and Is afterwards manufactured into garments in the factory there and sent to all the pris> ons throughout the State--in fact, all the cotton garments worn by State convicts in Alabama are made at the Speignef mills. All women state pris- oners are sent to Speigners and work in the mills and the sewing room.
 Out of the number of white mon al Speigners all except about twenty five. who are kept for mill work, are old and decrepit men who are unfit for work in the saw mills or in the coal mines.
 MT. Fields has done great deal of work since he has had charge of the prison. The new dining hall, a sun stantfal building 30x200 feet, has been recently erected and he expects to build on to it a second story to be used as chapel
 A feature of the prison at speigner is the reformatory department for the small boy. There are now in the de- partment more than thirty negro boys from 8 to 1e years old and the greatest problem which MT. Fields has to solve Is what to do with them.
 Three Holidays a Year.
 The prisoners are given three whole holidays every year and on those occa- sions are allowed to come together, but at all other times there Is positively no intercourse between the prisoners
 Spelgners is next to the largest pris> on of the fifteen in the State, and IS one of the most healthful and best kept In the State. The location is splendid from a standpoint of hesathfulness. The prisoners are well treated and well fed.
 The advent of the Christian women of Montgomery Is a break in the mo. notony Of the otherwise hopeless and cheerless lives of the conVicts, and the gratitude depicted on the faces of some of the men and all of the women, for the interest which is being taken in them, was touching. The parting scene, as the convicts gathered aDout the gates and waved their farewells to the