The Washington herald., 1918-03-03

Latest photo of e. Il. DuddinE,
founder of Prisoners' Relief
Society.
the released convict. no matter what
his crime may have been, to 60
straight when he got out Of jail.
Out OF the ten thousand persons
addressed just one gave an un-
eqhivocal Yes. I'll help you to help
others" He was Daniel Willard,
president of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. and now president
Of the nations advisory council.
Using this letter as a lever, the
society continued to persevere.
Today 10000 employers of labor
throughout the country are willing
to take the word Of the Prisoners
Relief Society as bond for any re-
leased convict who is trying to get
on the road to right and respecta-
bility.
Among these helping firms are
the Carnegie Steel Company, Ar
mour and Company, Standard Oil
Company, Cadillac Motor Car Com
pany, the Pullman Company. Max
well Motor Car Company, F. P. COL
lier and Sons, American Telephone
and Telegraph Company, the More
land Coke Company and the Pitts
burgh Dispatch There are thou
sands Of others of equal repute.
But of course the road to this
success was as rocky as that to
Dublin.
In one particular instance, the
president of a great railroad sys-
tenn refused to give employment to
man who had committed murder.
He said, Il could never feel safe
il ! knew there was a murderer
in the Office" Mr.. budding asked
him il he had felt uncomfortable
during the last forty-five minutes.
The railroad president replied that
he had never passed a pleasanter
forty-fiye minutes in his life"
Well" said budding, you spent
that forty-five minutes with a mur-
derer."
The great executive was nom
plussed. He had no more argu-
ments to make. The man got the
job and made good.
Thanks to the energetic Miss
Watts. the society developed a
splendid system OF dealing with its
work.
Have Thorough System.
Men about to be released from
prison are given blanks to be filled
out, one by themselves and the other
by the warden. Following the re-
ceipt Of these blanks, thorough in
vestgation is made to assure the
society that the man is "on the
level" Then arrangements are made
for placing the prisoner in some
position for which his qualifications
fit him.
Thus man goes directly to en-
ployment after his release from pris-
on. There is no chance for him
to be blackmailed. as so many pris-
oners are by men who know their
record and extort money from them
under the constant threat Of expo
sure. There is nothing to expose.
The office knows all about and doesn't
care.
No charge is made to the prisoners
for. this service. The society is SUD-
ported entirely by voluntary contrj.
buttons. Sometimes our treasury
has been more than empty" said
budding, but Providence has al
ways filled it again"
Small expenses help the society
materially in its progress. There
are no fancy salaries, the office staff
working either for nothing or for
very nominal compensation.
Death Calls Worker.
Very lately. however, the Prisoners
Relief Society has met with a great
misfortune in the death of Miss Letha
Watts, as a direct result Of long con-
tinued overwork
For years this girl got down to the
oniee at a. m. She planned the
days work for the corps of stenog-
rapheTs and typewriters. Her day was
a steady drive of both Office and
executive work for she soon outgrew
the routine work of office manager.
Her lunch was a pint OF milk.
Ever enthusiastic, humorous and
Elmtul she was known to the office
force by the ineuphonious but de-
llghtsome name of "Petey." But even
the redoubtable little "Petey" couldn't
keep up this for ever. Presently she
had to go to a doctor who told her
several dispiriting scientific facts
about her blood count
She was suffering from pernicious
anemia and she was too Tar gone 10
rally In the words of the Psalmist
Petey's days were numbered" On
February 1s. 1917. she died in her
nome at Huntington. W. Va.
Miss Watts was the brains of our
organization" said budding. with
out her energy and unflagging enthu-
slasm We could never have succeed
ed
But little "Petey's", work is done.
The society is now on its feet. Within
few more years it hopes to place
every one of the hundreds of thou
sands OF men who come annually
from the prisons of the country in
good positions where they will have
a fair chance to make good.
In Dudding's words, I'VE want TO
salvage the man power of the country,
we DON'T preach to the men. We lust
save them"
CHILD WELFARE WORK