The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1911-07-01
BRANDED MAN
help HIN UP
Once Punished for Crime Con
victs Should Receive En-
couragement in Trying
to Live Right.

The address Sunday evening at the
Congregational church by Rev. George
B. Newcomb, secretary, and superintend-
ent of the Society for. the Friendless, :"
on THE Branded Man., was highly
interesting and instructive and we'll
calculated to set the people Of the city
thinking.
Criminoloey is one of the leading top
les OF the day throughout the world and
our state is falling into line in consider
ing and assisting that unfortunate class
who, having paid the penalty of their
crimes, are anxious to 60 into the world
again, upright and square and earning
an honest living.
The state is working through the Or
ganization known as tie Society for
the Friendless. which is national
organization. represented in ten states
west of the Missouri river. North Da-
kota made beginning five years ago by
organizing a Y. P. S. C. E. in the peni-
tentiary and one in the reform school,
both of which are kept up and are a
great source of good to the inmates of
these institutions.
We have regular state organization
officered by prominent men of the state
and many more leading men of our COM
mon wealth.. including Gov. Burke, are
in hearty accord and giving their assist
ance to the movement. DR.. V. H. Stick
ney of our own city is director of the
state organization and heart and soul
interested in the work.
People may not realize it, but North
Dakota is making more criminals than
she cures and there is need for more activ-
ity in reclaining those who have. gone
wrong. Il. 80. =. - -
Until January 1. 1911. there was no
salaried officer connected with the
society's work in North Dakota.y 1t was
then. decided best TO have Nj, Newcomh
who. has had several years experience
in prison work. give his entire time to
going over the state and letting people
known how great is the need, not so
much for money, although that is neces-
sary, but for sympathy and assistance
to the ex-convicts in giving them help
ing hand and chance to be self re-
spective and respected men again.
Mr.. Newcomb based his address upon
two PASSAGES of scripture. ''The Way OF
The Transgressor is Hard: - and ''Then
Will Teach Transeressors Thy Way. =
The society works along Eve lines,
prevention and cure, the educational
side: prison reform, securing needed
legislation; personal Jail and prison
work, the effort to reform and Christian
ize the inmates: finding employment
for discharged or paroled men; finding
temporary homes for ex-convicts whose
nerves are shattered and who need time
to recuperate. The society aims to be 8
big brother to the man who is down.
Mr.. Newcomb facetiously commented or
the fact that there are 203 men in the
penitentiary and one woman and said
the ratio was the other way when i,
came to church attendance; there are S.
boys in the reform school and but foul
girls; the girls are in Sunday school.
North Dakota has not all the prison leg
islation she needs. There should be
some arrangemment, either by separate
institutions or by segregation, to keeI
the casual, accidental criminal from
association with the old crook who ha.
no intention of reforming and no will
power left to do it if he would.
Most of the men in our prison are
young men under IS and 70 per cent o1
them got there through booze. The,
had gay time, got drunk and while
drunk committed crime which lodget
them in the penitentiary. Mr. New
comb, while on the booze question, sale
Uncle Sam is to blame he could stop
the whole booze business if he would,
but he s drunk.
Going back to the matter of seerega
tion, the speaker said, although ther,
are strict rules prohibiting conversation.
the convicts have three ways of convey
ing news to each other and no warder
can stop it; by SIGNS, by lip languae,
and by raps. The old crook whose tim,
is nearly ontis sure to single cut som,
younger man, young also in crime. HI
tells him he'll stand no show at homes
living when he is out and So work upol
his mind as to break down his good in
tent, telling him every mans hand viii
be against him. And it will. So he Sc
cures the young man as tool and the!
60 out to work together, the young man il
the open where he is likely caught a
gain, the old crook in hiding. reapinl