Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-11
|TEST|NGBOY'S WORD
Commissioners Experiment
With Parole System.
- ------
GRANTS OLD FATHERS PLEA
Son Released From Occoquan to At
tend Mothers Funeral.
PRISONER KEEPS FAITH
Returns to His Confinement as He
Had Promised That
He Would.

chance few days ago to find out wheth-
er or not there is any good in the parole
system and the new idea in treating
prisoners like men rather than like prs
oners; and incidentally to find out wheth-
err or not there Is any good in human
nature The experiment occupied three
days. 1t ended yesterday. Whether it
was successful experiment is left to
those. who read about it to decide.
An old colored man came into the
District building Wednesday afternoon.
He seemed faded. as if the winters that
had beaten over him had all been too
hard and too long for his slight frame
Commissioner Rudolphs anteroom was
full of waiting visitors; applicants for
jobs, interviewers and the usual crowd
of men and women who have business
with the Commissioners. Into this group
the old. colored man seemed TO appear as
II py magic from the air of the ROOM
NO one saw him come in, but every one
noticed that his overcoat was OF that
hopeless Weatherbeaten color and shape
that can be found only on very. very
Old coats that have had many owners.
~ was not buttoned at the neck, but
was pinned together with brass pin.
Inc Old mans eyes were trimmed with
white. and he blinked continually. Yet
In spite of his poor appearance one might
see he had been once an old family serv-
ant There was something about the
way he stepped into the middle of the
room that reminded one of the d-time
colored waiter in some big white-pillared
southern hotel OF vanished glory.
The Old Fathers Story.
When Waldo Hibbs, secretary to the
Commissioner and human buffer be-
tween the Commissioner and the never
ebbing tide of visitors who think they
have business with the Commissioner
stepped up to the old man. the old man
asked:
Kin All see Commish'ner Rudolph"
Hibbs. i
The white-rimmed eyes turned full on
the private secretary:
Yes, chile. Yo' know, All got boy
iom. Nah name David. so AAh call dat
p poS Aosolom All sot right smart store
did his ma. An now she daid"
Mr. HiDDs thought he knew what was
coming. Requests for money are right
frequent at the District building.
"Yassir, she daid. She lowed she lax
to see Absolom fore she daid. But he
want there. She died las night
ana the boy, where was he?" asked
The old man was quick to answer
that the boy was down at Occoquan,
at the workhouse farm. Mr.. Hibbs
found that all he could reply was a
slight expression Of sorrow. It was
| rather difficult conversation.
Why is he down there?" he asked
| finally.
Booze" answered David. "Jes' booze.
He couldn't stop drinkin' save hissef.
He ain q bad boy; he jes' get drunk.
He ain no regular criminal. He done
got drunk He jes' low he gwine err
have gran time; so dey done lock
him up. 1t ain de fust time. He look
at de jedge, an say. 'Mawnin', jedge'
ledge. he. say, 'Absolom. yo' here
again! and he done sent him down to-
a long time He been down Occoquan
| did grieve bout dat boy O. hern. She
| done worry and worry. An now she
daid.
"When she TUX sick she cry and cry
come ter see her. She done clean TO-
got he in de wukhouse. One day she
got calm and say. wouldn' All go see
de Commish'ner an say how she LAX
ter see her boy 10 she pass away.
But All couldn't go way an leave her
SO long.
AN so she died"
| The old man was crying. Mr.. Hfbbs
asked him what there was now that could
why. ali jes' wan ask Commissh' ner
Rudolph eff Absolom can't come home to
see his po' ma To- she laid away"
| And that was the odd request that had
| precedence over all the other requests
Mr. Hibbs took It in brief form to him.
Before Mr., Hibbs was entirely finished
the Commissioner said:
Commissioner Grants Request.
Il wish had known Old nanny was
dying. Say. Hibbs. why wouldn't this be
q good chance to try our-I wonder ii
Judge Pugh would object. I don't believe
he would. Tell the superintendent at Oc-
coquan to let that boy off to come to his
mothers funeral. and put him on his
honor to return to the workhouse RICH,
| after the funeral"
had any other fault but drinking. Hon.
est now? And the old man said surely
that was the one fault. He told the
truth. he did not steal. He simply would
get noisy when he had gin bottle.
AN Ah'll jes' mex him go back, boss.
Eff Commish'ner Rudolph jes' trus' him
| dis once, Ah'll mex him 60 back
| And so Absolom. the hayward son,
| working on muddy road at Occoquan
| was beckoned to by the guard in c:arse
tendent wanted to see him. The super
| tntendent said: -
| boy. your mother has died. You can
go to her. funeral. That is. if you prom
| Use to come back"
Absolom had not known his mother had
been ILL., and two great tears fell with
a little splash On the Office table Def re
he could find the voice to promise.
! So he went to the little funeral. No
| one escorted him to the train. And yes
! terday afternoon the superintendent at
Occoquan called upsthe District building.
commissioner Rudolph he asked.
| "Ofl. just wanted to tell you that Alb
solom came back this morning Tn the
| first train