The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1917-07-30
MEN, WOMEN
AND THINGS

AAAe~@1-Ae~
to me over the wire on Friday after
noon.
Am interested in prison reform?
should say that I am and that for 90
years Il have been studying the question
both from theoretical and practical
standpoint.
I took an active part in getting re-
formatories for young people established
in Georgia and in Tennessee. and while
have not been to the front in the move
ment in this state. 1 have kept in close
and sympathetic touch with all that has
been done.
l used to attend charitological, sociologi-
cal and penal conferences and take
part in them. but of late years have not
been so active personally, but have kept
up with the literature of the subject.
One of the things which caused me to
give UP the law and to enter the min
istry was the great moral change that
came to me while in Atlanta because of
d SeiIes VI pubic lectures ueliNereQ
at the request of a number of prison re-
formers on crime
I had become deeply interested in
sociology and penology while abroad
through friend of mine, one of the
worlds foremost investigators and think
ers, and with him made studies in some
M DO eli ietr Of
was with him in London during the
Jack the Ripper" outrages.
He was an agnostic, and in those days
I was also without God and without
hope" and thought all you had to do was
to wash mans face, put on him new
suit of clothes, and get him a job, and
you could make a new man of him. Wei
worked along scientific lines. At last VI
found that we were mistaken, and then
when 1 made up my mind to do some real
practical work in Georgia I had a Grange
of heart; in other words, was converted,
and made up my mind to be minister
This much to show my interest in pris- |
on reform, for as a lawyer from the old
days in the sos here when had part
in a number Of prominent criminal cases
which came to me through my connection
with the famous Halves trial I was in
touch with criminals and frequently Wis
tied them in jails.
And then when I entered the newspaper
game l used to cover the courthouse, the
city and county jails, and in this way
was daily in touch with the underworld
and the men who handled them after
they got into the clutches of the law. |
[ remember one famous Saturday night
when there were IL bodies in the various |
establishments, all having
died violent deaths.
And so, when Tsadore Shapiro, the presi- |
lent of the Alabama Prison association, |
and a number of interested men and wom-
the county farm, went with pleasure |
for I wanted to see the place and judge
1t for myself. I was glad that Judge |
Abernethy was in the party.
l do not know the names of the men |
n charge out there. / met them for |
he first time Friday afternoon. think |
We saw it just as it is from day to day
without any stage setting for visitors. |
Dr.. Vines of the board of revenue was |
llong, but more as a guest than a guide. |
We rode through the farm and the |
number, variety and amount of foodstuff |
or man and beast being grown was en-
I was glad to see number |
If scuppernong arbors and that they We're
aden with green scuppernongs. I saw |
many apple and peach trees in fruit and |
he smell of mashed grapes was pleasing |
Is we came into the kitchen, where great |
ubs of them had been mashed to made |
nto jelly.
I was struck with the new cannery |
md its equipment. Just before going into |
he building 1 had to jump across a |
crimson stream that looked like the out
ct of slaughter pen, but when 1 got
IN the inside I knew that neither man or
animal had been killed, but that it was
he red juice from the beets that were
being peeled and put into cans. The idea
S to put up enough stuff to feed the in
mates during the winter and also have
enough left over to go to other county |
l went through the machine shop and |
was genuinely surprised at the equip
nent and how the superintendent was
able to care for the many things de-
handed from him by tnuse who made de-
hands upon him to keep the county's ma
,hinery of all kinds in repair The wood |
ship was equally as we'll pro-
yided and the laundry was modern and |
sufficiently large to wash for the camp.
A visit to the wards where the pris- |
oners We're kept revealed the fact that |
hey were well lighted that proper sani-
.ary arrangements We're provided and
hat the separate rooms for the white and
Very much better than I had dared to
nope.
! saw the cooks at work and then saw
he food placed on the tables 1t was
prison fare, but the amount seemed suf-
,icient and varied enough to be appetiz- /
ng The corn bread was particularly I
Well cooked There were meat and vege-
ables and syrup I believe that even
Dr.. Scale Harris who is writing such
and practical articles on diet
n The Age-Herald, would say that they
are feeding a balanced ration to the
prisoners.
The prisoners are made up of the