Evening star., 1914-02-08
THE GOOD WORK OF
PRISONERS AID SOCIETY

THOSE vino have little faith in human
| nature might more hopefuly phi
iosopnlze upon IL after talk with the
voluntary probation officer at Police
Court. who is also known as agent of
| the Prisoners Aid Society. They would
| learn that 81 per cent of the thousands
! OF Offenders assisted during the thirteen
wears service of the society have repaid
| the money expended for railroad fares
| payment OF fines and other means of aid
| There is very little money resting as a
| funo Tor this work. and long experience
ana gooc Judgment accomplish q great
deal of good with small sums
BY using between $1,000 and $1,000 over
and over again lI,@00 persons have been
helped at the trifiing cost OF Jo cents II
Is nrst Offenders whom the society tries
to reach first, basing this on the fact
| that. though tried and acquitted a pub
lie trial is considered q disgrace, and 4
nisht III jail is often the initial step 10
/ merited disgrace. About 20 per cent, 1t is
sad. are absolutely innocent OF amy mis-
demeanor whatever but have been taken
| up through some misunderstandfn of the
| situation III which they figured as guilty
| SUCH was the case OF young Finn who
came to the United States 10 study to-
bacco growing in the interests OF his ia
thef. VINO would soon inherit estate
given over to that industry and was ig-
norant OF its ways and means. The
young man was ignorant of Americans
| Landing i'll Washington he was struck
with the loneliness OF the city. The build
! lngs belonging TO the government partic-
marry impressed him. AS he went along
| 18th street and PENNSYLVANIA avenue he
! stared at the Treasury building rising
out of the heart of one of the busiest
| thoroughfares of the capital Perhaps
some fiery thought OF subiugated Finland
| crossed his mind, and that never again
would his countrymen call the old land
| marks OF tn ancient race their own.
Whatever the wonder at the big gray
| building. suddenly he threw up h s hands
| rushed 10 e Young lady turning into the
Avenue and commenced rafting off jar
| son OF words NOBODY but n Finn could
! glimpse q meaning OF. That he was ar
rested goes without saying. That he was
| taken to tne Russian embassy ny the
PRISONERS Md also went without saying,
! for nobody knew il outside OF th,. court
| The embassy clerks understand Finnish
and Firms, 50 the boy s parents were
written to a, once. explaining the cir
cufnstSnce. Meantime lie was asked TO
become a guest in the home of the agent
of the society. There were several mes
saEes from anxious but grateful parents,
then money Tor a passage home was for
Warded, and now there are many letters
that lie on the probation officers desk
which have a Finnish postmark.
! There is not country on the globe TO
which have not been returned, during the
thirteen years of the life oi the society,
some native son or daughter more or less
guilty Sometimes there is gu 1t that les
back iii the old home in the hands oi
some schening petty official. Syrians. II
Is alleged are most frequently the dupes
OF some OF their own countrymen and
one story portrays the immigrat on of a
man OF middle age who had followed his
daughters TO America in the hope of set
| ting anew, as they had. and as he put
IT,, having something in his old age.
1t appears that there Is objection to
the women of Syria coming, but there is
serious objection to the men leaving their
native land This man upon reaching
| EHis Island found he Was preceded by a
lettef from SYRIA saying that he was af-
hietvd with trachoma. How. after being
detained in the Syrian colony and com
lnul'ivating wah his daughter here in
Washington. he was assisted by the Pfis-
oIiers Aid Society and relie.cd of the ia lse
bar. against his entrance 10 the United
states S interesting, but is too long IL
y. told in detail. Ii only shows how far
= rearhinS the work is.