Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-24
CALDWELL. PEN
IS DEFENDED BY
S. |. MERsHON
MontcIair Business Man Takes
Issue With Rev. DR..
Travis's Censures.

S. L. Mershon, Of Montclair, today
came to the defense of the Caldwell
penitentiary in a reply to the Rev.
DR.. Thomas Travis. He said:
MY profound regard for the Rev.
DR.. Thomas Travis, of Montclair, and
the personal friendship existing be-
tween us, together with my full APP
probation of his deep sincerity and
rugged championship OF truth. cause
me to unhesitatingly take issue with
him as to his views OF the manage
ment of the Caldwell p~enitentiary, as
reported in the columns of the STAR,
especially as they relate to reform in
that institution.
DR.. Travis is mistaken as to the
facts; and INSTRUMENTATION frequently
leads the best of men into wrong ex-
pressions of opinion which wound and
hurt. L speak from experience, as I
am something of "a muckrake' myself.
My good friend. DE-. Travis, is royal
hearted and is mentally big enough
TO quickly remedy an injustice when
convinced that he has been in auywise
a mlsinformed critic.
Il agree with the good doctor as to
the excellent management of that in
stitution SO far as health and physical
comfort are concerned.
Those who are we'll acquainted with
the present management of the Cald-
well ~penitentiary must accord to ats
warden. Samuel S. Martin, full credit
for firm, kind and conscientious at
tonfi0n r. HE IVti1-
to Mrs. Martin for her fidelity to the
exacting and difficult demands of the
woman's department.
In Touch with aPens MANY Years.
For over ten years /, @ business
man, have been in constant touch with
the Essex County Penitentiary re-
ferred to. My good clerical friend
DR.. Travis, is a profound student of
c~riminology, and is we'll versed in the
broad problems involved in that most
dift1cult subject, but his present chal-
lenge Is based on alleged conditions In
this one institution about which little
mas been written, but on which much
work and effort has been expended.
Il have probably visited that institu-
ton ten or twenty times. where my
friend. the doctor. has visited 1t once.
| have personally had heart-to heart
talks with thousands Of the unfortu-
mates who nave passed in and out of
its quarters. have visited in the home
made desolate by the arrest, conviction
and imprisonment OF q father. I have
seen heartbroken wives weeping In des-
pair because of those locked within its
walls. AS 1 write the vision of two
little girls is before me, as I saw them
after they had arisen from their
evening prayers for their father over
in Caldwell
Does Not Approve Suggestion.
L do not approve of the good doctors
suggestion that any three men re
CARELESS of their faith or creed,' may
pass on this question. Now. how would
this look-Atheism, Cynicism and Nor
manism, a Travis committee of investi-
CATION for moral reform
Would not such a committee repre-
sedition, sour milk and slime? I
think that the doctor would help us
take in three reefs in that sail.
Reformed convicts from Caldwell
penitentiary are all about us in the
honorable and Industrious walks of life.
I heard one of the doctors fellow
clergynen not far from his own church
say that n of the greatest blessings
that had ever come into his life had
been his fellowship with an ex-convict
from Caldwell. who reformed when
there under the religious influences ex-
erted within its walls.