The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-04-03
MRS. BOOTH VISITS
ANGOLA STATE FARM

farm, is part of West Feliciana, and
so near the charity-at-home people as
to be at their very doors, comparative.
! ly few have ever visited the big plan
tation, or know much about it's appear.
ance or management even from accu'
rate hearsay The contrary should be
the case, of course. These people sit
ting in darkness, SO near at hand,
should make very strong appeal to
home humanitarians of every type,
while the farm itself as one Of the
most important of the States proper
ties should be Of equal interest. These
considerations moved us in accepting
the invitation from Col. C. Harrison
Parker, president of the Board Of Con-
troll, to join the party, accompanying
Mrs. Maud Ballington Booth on her
annual visit to Angola We had not
been there in seven years, and were
struck at once. with the improvements
that had been made meanwhile, the
thrifty and neat appearance of fields
and buildings. and as a rule, the more
contented mien of the prisoners.
Arriving at Angola, Saturday night,
the party repaired to the residence,
only opened now when the farm is
visited by the officials and their guests
Warden W. H. Reynaud and Mrs. Rey-
maud acted as host and hostess in the
unavoidable absence of Col. and Mrs.
Parker and achieved delightful hos
.pitality, seemingly with little conscious
effort. An able staff of TRUSTEES pro-
duced culinary results of high quality.
Chaplain H. S. Johns was there on his
usual semi-monthly visitation and was
joined by Mrs. Johns. Others Of the
party were Mrs. Booth, Major and Mrs.
Fegley of Hope Hall, New Orleans;
Rev. ]. L. Sutton, former chaplain now
in charge of the Boys Refuge in New
Orleans; Mrs. C. G. Deyall of Baton
Rouge. director of the Prison Reform
Association and Mrs. Catherine Van
Meter of the mes-Picayune.
On Sunday morning, Mrs. Booth ad-
dressed the white men in the dining
hall of Camp E. AS time goes on, the
Little Mother of the Prisoners loses
none Of her earnestness and power
Gifted with oratorical talent of no
mean order, she has been carefully
trained in public speaking, and this
has been reinforced by her long ex-
perience in addressing souls in prison.
1t Is characteristic of Mrs. Booths
work that while she shows intense
sympathy and interest in the convicts,
she never enters into the particulars
of their crimes, nor does she, as 90
most prison-workers, fall into the error
of false sentimentality with regard
to individual sin. She palliates no
ioffense, and starts with the premise
that the men are there from no fault
of justice. From this point, she urges
them to begin before they leave the
prison to prepare for new life, to
determine to make good She shows
them that it is up to them, and to no
outside influences to raise them. Others
assist, they only can do. Her address
was very powerful and moved many
of the men to tears. There are already
many members Of the Volunteer Prison
League and others joined on this occa-
sion. A choir, composed of convicts
furnished good music.
She next addressed the women at
their camp, most of whom were ne
groes, there being only eight white
women. They had taken pains to deco
rate the hall with evergreens and
bright paper flowers. hanging light
fall Of gray moss over the windows as
il to conceal the bars. A placard
bore the inscription, welcome Little
Mother" and looked pathetic as we'll
as crude, with its Els larger than the
other letters, and it's uneven lining.
On some faces, pain and contrition
were deeply lined, and some were in
tears, as they moved up to speak to
the Little Mother" The negro women
for the most part did not look to be of
a criminal type, just the easy-going,
happy-go-lucky sort that infest (the
word is used advisedly) the white
DOMAINS kitchen" They were not so
deeply affected as the white women
convicts. The "axe woman" was point
ed out, the negress from Southwest
Louisiana, who had killed over twelve
people with an axe. Even she did not
look so very wicked, rather abject-
looking creature, indeed, and not one
framed for wild and desperate deeds.
This camp was visited again on Mon
day by Major and Mrs. Fegley and
Mrs Devall.
In the afternoon, Mrs. Booth ad.