The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-16
Rev. J. .. Perkins Of Sioux City 10 TO
Take Place Of J. C. Sanders at
Iowa State Prison at
Fort Madison.
QUIT PULPIT FOR PRISON
New Official Was Once Paddock Boy
at st, louis-Has Seen the
seamy SIDE Of the
World.

There is considerable interest in
Keokuk In the successor to Warden
J. c. Sanders of the Iowa state PRISON
at Fort Madison. especially since
local man was talked OF by nls
friends, at least. as possibility TOT
the place. The Rev. j. r. Perkins
of Sioux City was appointed to the
position of warden. The Sioux CITY
Journal has the following sketch OF
the new warden:
Rev. j. R. Perkins. five years pas
tor of the First Christian church ana
prominent in civic movements OF
Sioux City, has accepted an offer to
become the warden of the state penl-
Tertiary at Fort Madison. The offer
was made to him by the board OF
control of state institutions. Rev Mr..
Perkins on Sunday, August 5, resign
ed the pastorate of the church before
the official church board. his resig-
nation being accepted. He will sue
coed Warden James c. Sanders. who
instituted the honor system at Fort
Madison.
The offer Of the appointment came
rs q distinct surprise to Rev. MT.
Perkins, he said He was called to
Des Moines recently to meet with
the board of control and there was
offered the place, which he did not
accept until considering the matter.
He believes that he will be pleased
with his new position, and does not
think 1t strange that a minister
should become a warden Of peni'
Tertiary.
Student Of PenoIogy.
"I have been a close student OF
penology and sociology for some
years" he said. "My own philosophy
OF life concerning men who have com
mitted offenses against society Is to
make them into useful members OF
society again / never have consid'
cred any man, either as religious
sinner or as a social outcast. hope
| less being. AS to the change In my
| Iife's work, l do not consider 1t a
radical step. but rather in keeping
with my aim in life to serve broadly
| and assist even the worst sort OF a
man to a more noble living, whether
he be a convert in the church or q
convict in the penitentfary.
IT consider such work not only an
opportunity, but the greatest possible
challenge to any man who fnterprets
his life In terms of human sympathy
and service l believe that l have
an opportunity to help my fellow men
and 1 am glad to serve"
Once Was Paddock Boy.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins has been re.
spectively wanderer, student. preach
er, lecturer, author and finally war
den. His parents died when he was
only boy and he became stroll.
err" travelling here and there as the
fancy seized him. He worked In
large wagon and carriage factory
and once was a paddock boy at the
old south side race track in St Louis.
In the early COS, when the labor
| troubles and strikes were at their
heights, he travelled extensively over
! the middle west, and one year In DC
tober found himself in Chicago almost
penniless He slept at night on the
| lake front.
| In this manner he unconsciously
| laid a foundation for sympathetic
interest with the human and humane
viewpoint. He gained his knowledge
of the seamy side Of life from actual
contact. Later he became student
and attended Drake university at Des
Moines and religious seminary.
Best Known as Rotarian.
He perhaps is best known in Rotary
circles. He has held various local
and international Offices so that wher-
ever Rotarians meet, the name Of
Rev. J. r. Perkins is known. He has
been active in all Of the campaigns
which have been pushed by the local
Rotary club, the most recent of which
was the army Y. NJ. c. A. campaign.
Rev. Mr.. Perkins came to Sioux
City in October, 1912, from the pas
torate of the West Side Christian
church in San Francisco. Prior to
that time he had heard little Of the
Rotary club movement and was dis
interested A short time after COM
ing here he was called on by the
local club to speak at an annual m eet-
ing. He became very much interest
ed In the movement and since that
time has been closely connected with
all of its activities.
He was the first international
chairman OF the section for ministers
In Rotary. Last year he was a mem
Der of the international committee on
boys' work. He assisted in drafting
the international Rotary code of
ethics and read this code the first
time II was ever heard before the
International convention at Houston,
Texas, in 1914 He was the chief
speaker at the international conven-
ton held in 1915 at the Palace hotel
In San Francisco. He was chairman
of the program committee Of the
tenth district convention in Rotary,
which met In Sioux City last Febru-
airy, and was one of the speakers at
the celebration in honor of the tenth
anniversary of Rotary held in 1915
in Chicago.
Held Numerous Offices.
Locally Rev. Mr.. Perkins has held