The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-02-03
CONVICT GETS $4,000
MEN TELL OF HOW
FORD SAVED CRIMINAL.
Remarkable Career of One Man Who
Was Trusted Despite Stigma of
Prison Revealed.

Was Trusted Despite Stigma O
Prison Revealed.
Men in the automobile trade O.
New York have added interesting de
tails to Henry. Ford's modest state
ment concerning the aid he has giyer
to conyicts. One of the $50 EN-
ployees of the Ford Motor Car com
pany VINO have been in prison, a:
testified by Mr.. Ford before the Unit
ed States commission on industria
relations, who have been restored t
self-respect with adequate compen
sation, is said to have earned $50,
600 last. year under the Ford prof,
sharing agreement with his work
men.
Mr.. Ford referred to this man, it is
believed, when he said that once the
prison graduates is employed in 3
place of trust and has carte blanche
to employ any man he chooses for the
Ford establishment ITO many men in
the automobile industry the remark
able history of this man is vel
known.
They agree with Mr.. Ford's state.
ment that this employee has made q
good showing, gaining self-respect
and strength of character under the
liberal treatment of the Detroit man
ufacturer, and that he has become a
right hand man in the largest busi-
ness of it's kind in the world. In ad-
dition, he has become an active fig.
ure in the movement to aid discharg-
ed convicts.
Briefly told, the man now earning
$4,000 year was at one time a
bookkeeper, it was said, for Stand
ard Oil corporation. In that place
social connections and diversions
tempted him to live beyond his
means. He finally yielded to the
temptation to use some of his en-
ployers' money, expecting to replace
it. This intention he was unable to
fulfill, and fearing detection ainne
ed to false entries in his books to
conceal the defalcation. For time
the device succeeded in covering his
theft, but finally by an accident it
was uncovered.
The bookkeper was prosecuted,
convicted and sentenced to the peni-
tentiary. There he became a model
prisoner. He saw the folly of his con-
duct and determined to do something
while in prison toward his own re-
demption and that of others.
The prisoner evolved the theory
that many men had fallen because of
temptation thrown in their way by
lack of proper precautions in the way
of checks in accounting. He spent all
his spare time in trying to find a
remedy for this condition and finally
evolved system that he believed to
be as nearly perfect as human inge-
nuity backed by the experience of a
defaulter could make it. =
The prison officers became interest
ed in the convict accountants theo-
ries and in turn brought them to the
attention of men active in prison vel
fare work. Through these channels
Henry Ford heard of the man. The
result was shortening of the pris-
oner's term and employment by the
automobile builder, who adopted
many of his ideas on bookkeeping in
the elaborate system of accounts
which grew up with the big Ford
business. This one-time convict, re-
spected by all his associates, grew
with the business until he reached a
place of importance, which Mr.: Ford
describes as lone of trust" with pay
commensurate with his services.