The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-01-28

today but snow has so blocked the
country roads that there is not a
large attendance. Messrs. Mcconnell
and Adams arethe Speakers. The coun-
try roads are drifted in some places
! to a depth of twelve to fifteen feet.
From Mondays Daily.
Rev. James Parsons. superintendent
of the Society for, the Friendless for
Minnesota, spoke at the Centenary
Methodist Episcopal church last, night
on the subject "How Criminals Are
Made and How Saved" Mr.. Parsons
did not disappoint his large audience
as shown by their earnest attention
4, from his opening sentence to his clos
ing word, and also by the many express
sions Of commentator by those present.
The universal expression was "a timely
message, effectively presented"
/ Mr.. Parsons said in part: 1.-The So
ciety for the Friendless was organized
about ten years ago at Topeka, Kan,
by Rev. f. \. Fredenhagen, a young
man whose heart had been touched by
charged prisoners. The need of the
work was so great and the methods en-
ployed by this society so effective that
the movement has spread until at
|present work is being carried on in
twelve western states. During the
present month the society has complet-
ed its national organization with a
board of directors representing every
Estate, composed of some of the lead
ing Judges, educators and business men
of these states. The work in each state
is carried on under the direction of a
local board.
The Methods Employed.
| The methods of work employed are
prison evangelism. This is carried on
in county jails, city prisons, work houses
and in all penal institutions where pos.
sible. 1t consists in both holding prison
services and doing personal work with
the prisoner in his cell. ByB this work
linen are stimulated TO better lives and
la desire to lead new life is created in
some. 1t opens the way for the sec
ond line OF work which is that of prac-
|tical relief. A Temporary home is sup
piled to any friendless man,, work is
secured and aftercarc given. In this
way the man who is willing to work
and desires to do right is given a
chance. As the work of the society be-
comes known larger numbers of men
look to it for the assistance needed and
find it true helping hand to the bet
ter life.
THE third department of work is
educational in it's character. 1t con-
sists in first creating better public
sentiment We are too apt to think of
every man who has been in Jail or
prison as a dangerous man. Such is
not the case. A large part of the men
who have suffered the penalty of. the
law are truly DESTROYS of leading a
new life and many of them are no
good citizens in every community
Numerous illustrations were given TO
) prove this point" The second educa-
tional feature relates to better laws
& The last legislature passed law
!, which allows the presiding judge in GER
tain cases to suspend sentence This
has been done by your own judge in
one case as the man who received the
), benefit of the suspended sentence i:
2 making good and showing that he has
profited by his lesson. The indefinite
sentence applying TO all penitentiary
D cases is also one of the things most
D needed at the present time This
thought was elaborated showing that
. the three great reasons for putting
men into prison. viz: punishment, pro
lection for society and reformation OF
the prisoner are not accomplished by
} our present method of handling prison
} ers
THE third educational method is by
+ showing the public the forces at work
} to develop criminals. \ larg part OF
our criminals are caught in the large
cities but many Of them are made il
2 the homes all over the state. The first
) force at work is disobedience in the
} home. There was time when child
rem were expected to obey now in
a large part of our so called best
homes. They are given such latitude
that they soon discover they can dc
as they please numerous illustrations
f The natural outcome of disobedience in
the home is a troublesome scholar at
school, and an anarchist as a citizen.
Idleness Is Bad Thing.
, "a second force at work to make q
, criminal is idleness. The testimony
of sorrowful parents all over the state
; and the boys and girls who have gone
= wrong prove this. The third force is
bad companions. BY this 1 mean not
only the boys and girls they associate
, with but the books they read and the
( pictures they see. DO you as parents
|, know what your boy is reading? There
e are always plenty OF books called 'hot
. stuff offered to the boy and unless
, guarded carefully he is likely to be,
! come demoralized by such reading
, The GIRLS also are in danger and mothers