The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-13
At Religious Services Sun
day, Local Church Worker
Unlocks the Door to Past
in an Address.
PRISONERS GREATLY
IMPRESSED BY HIM
Illustrates for Their Benefit.
by His Own Life, that a
Man Can Brace Up and
Start Over.

To the prisoners at the county jail
Sunday a local man, one of the most
active workers in one of the Friends
churches in this city, frankly confessed
in an address that he had served
time" in a penitentiary and he feeling
ly told them of his successful efforts
to live down his past" which. it is
understood. his most intimate friends.
prior to Sunday, had been in ignorance
Of, The speaker, who is now on pa
role from the Ohio state prison. accom-
panied the Rev. Mr.. Trueblood, pastor
of the Whitewater Friends church. to
the Jail and assisted that minister in
conducting his services there. 1t is
needless to say that an address deliv-
cred by an ex-convict, who did not re-
veal the nature of the offcnse he COM
mitted, made profound impression on
the Jail inmates.
The man, whose name is withheld
because of tho injustice which publici-
ty might give him. told the prison
ers he could readily appreciate and
sympathize with their situation, but he
declared that they We're not beyond
| either moral or spiritual redemption.
He told them that he, in his own past
had been under arrest as frequently
as any of them and perhaps Oh more
| serious charges but that he now re-
garded himself the equal of any good
citizen. He told them that while 1t
may not be easy to begin life over,
that it was possible. and that after
they had done SO. they would realize
the absurdity of living evil lives.
Had Great Effect.
| His remarks had more real effect,
apparently on the prisoners than evil
denced by religious services conducted
by ministers at the Jail from time to
time This speaker knew and could
understand" as one prisoner put 1t.
That the men were interested was
shown by the attention they paid to
the speaker.
The Rev. Trueblood, pastor Of the
Whitewater Friends church, who also
addressed the prisoners and led them
!; in prayer. told the sheriff he was as
much surprised by his parishiOncrs
confession as anyone could have been.
lie has been most intimate with the
man, but never had suspected he had
an unsavory past. The man also spoke
to Sheriff Steen and declared that he
knew it was hard to truly appreciate
! the condition of those whom the Sher-
if has in his charge. unless one had
lived their lives" He said in addi-
tion to being in Jail innumerable times
he had been sentenced to the Ohio
penitentiary for term of two to fif-
teen years and that later the sentence
was changed to life Imprisonment. but
that the state board of pardons had be-
come interested In him and had re-
leased him on good behavior. He did
not say what It was he had done which
had made him convict, and the sher-
if did not ask
He is now past fifty years Of age
and works in a local factory, the sher-
iff understands. While living In this
city all who have come in contact with
him have declared he has conducted
himself in the most exemplary man
ner.
A song service was held in connec-
tion with the religious service, the
choir of the church being present.