Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-03

ny IrItEDi:nIC =. IiASI<IS

as gently as possible for there Is no,h.
ihS thcy resent so much as the feel
ing mat they are only free on the end
OF string. liable To be jerkcd nm a,
any moment. Regular reports, how
ever arc absolutely necessary Tho
other day one paroied' man, who had
oisa appeared from view and failed m
report Tor soine time, was reported as
OUT on the war-path and breathing Dc.
lance through tho medium OF Il two
r c". 'ean pipe lie WASH, going To
report ana he WAS not going to sur
render TO ANYTHING less than a s1uad
OF police. He was going to get al
i'"h' three or that squad before they
TOOK him lie had it all figured out.
one Young probation officer nut tho
,,, IA ms pocket with grin. and
went after the .tire-catcr At a suv.
Fes,ion OF danger Mr.. Reid onIy
smiled "Earkin dogs do moi bitn',
he said I've had them swear Ia rc,
.hy within twenty-four hours before
,nN. III man is really dangerous,
ne doesn't talk much"
different Kind OF Wort; Is also cav
RED on By the association. ono which
mas grown IN Importance until II seems
|" "vcrshadow the original idea o,
hc'p'nr DISCHARGED prisoners, which is,
however, still Of large nroportion,
me new limo is that OF handling III.
men who arc out on probation
There Is n fundamental difference
between propatinner ana a man who
mas been raroled. The parolcd indi-
Nldua rs convict. While the proha-
toner has never hc-n Ia prison ard
need never 20 so long a. he lives ,p
To the standard set for him To han.
ole pr"ha TONERS, an Efficient system
OF Keeping in touch with them is
needed Such systems differ in diff
fercnt localities. mos, of them being
state or municipal ORGANIZATIONS In
Baltimore the work Is done by the
versatile association OF which Mr.. Reid
is secretary Ill" is particularly proud
OF what has been accomplished along
these lines.
Nonsurport Chief Charge.
Most OF the probation cases come
under the head of nonsupport \ man
spends his money for drink and lets
his family starve. Putting him IN
prison may set warning example.
but IL does not help his family much.
On the other hand. IL he is sentenced
and the sentence suspended so long AZ
he pays over a certain amount weekly.
experience proves that in nnr cases
out OF ten. he viii pay. lie has 10
have proper supcrvs!on lie has 10
have help in finding work. and gen
orally some one who has more In
nucncc over him than his wife has TO
see that the money is collected
+ The association acts as clearing
house between the two sides OF sum
dered families In 1910 il was col
Letting $50 a year from Grant nus
bands and paying II to their wives.
Last year il handled in this way $780,
. 600.
An unexpected development in TIL.
! line is the moral effect on the husband
and father when he has TO support his
! family. They seem suddenly to acquire
/ a new value IN his eyes When he pays
! for a hearth and home. he feels new
al.
Reid can point To over 100 families
happily reunited through the system
| OF probation and supervision.
, II does not always work out just
that way In dealing with individuals.
! not theories, the personal equation has
10 be reckoncd with. There are cases
where n man cannot get along with
| family. or he may be "A chronic wan
/ dcrluster." who cannot stay long in
| one place. In such cases. 1t is better
! TO let him support his family by mall
! than to lock him up and throw them
| on charity. One man Of this sort is
| at present baker in Brooklyn. He
/ hasn't been in ia imore in years, but
| his checks come TO the Office OF the
! association with the regularity OF the
interest on government bond
! Pralseworthy regularity, III fact. 10
! the rule. Occa sionally untoward cir
cumstances arise to break it. While
Mr.. Reid was telling OF his work. in
/ the Baltimore Courthouse across the
! corridor a murder trial was In prog
ress. One man, out on probation for
nonsupport, had killed another man,
also nOnSupport prOhationer. One of
| the unsupported wives figured In the
case. Both men had been making their
payments with exemplary faithfulncss,
| but now one chain OF rerittanccs has
! been permanently interrupted and the
! other is liable to bc in the near future
| In spite OF dishcartcninG exceptions
! in spite OF the discouragcments which
are bound 10 arise In dealing with the
| most troublesome and dangerous oC
| classes. the work OF tho associut ion
! stands firm on It's record OF accom-
| plishmcnt. From its old status as Il
strictly private enterprise, II has now
become combined State. municipal
and private institution. Its various
functions run smoothly side by side
because every ono from the board OF
! trustees down to the last stcnoSraph-
er works for tho same single object.
O