The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-08

4
| and years will necessarily destroy
many OF the active brain cells and
make. man an unfit subject for So
ciety. ! understand that it is impos-
| s,pte to eliminate all the worries, but
I lke double. worries can he prevented,
| All this experience has impressed on
| my mind the one. fact that the only
way TO deal with a man who has COM
mitted crime Is with kindness and
| take into consideration all the patho-
loglcai facts bearing upon the subject
Inc writer is forced to the conclu-
| SION that the less worries a man is
Under whilst in prison, the better il
WIN be for society after he has served
his prison term and has been set free
The Prisoners Relief society has
soived the problem by caring for the
families of imprisoned men II you
treat man as an enemy He will be-
come your enemy, 50 the tiny river
OF bitterness will flow down the hill
uhsis 1t becomes wide river OF bit
t'rness. Ae who is prone to hard feel
ings against man who has commit
Yea crime and is in prison, let him
hoid back judgment till he knows
every scrap of the other mans side of
the story as he knows the fingers on
ms own hand. He must not only
hoid back words, but he must hold
rack Judging his thoughts Let no
bitterness enter on some free and easy
iiearSay Let us alt learn to be kind
ana generous to those who have fallen
In llfe's battles and look on the human
side of every question.
Ii was about the middle OF January
while was going across Pennsylvania
avenue In somewhat of hurry on
prlef errand. saw young man stand
ing on a corner thiniy clad. and he
seemed to be disinterested about the
movements of Things around him. II
was one of those cold January morn
ing, when the thermometer was down
To about twenty, and everybody on the
street was stepping lively | was so
impressed with the worn out look on
the young mans face that I went to
the opposite street corner and stopped
where | could observe him without
beng detected. He seemed to be I'M
conscious of the moving throng abou.
MN. Street cars, automobiles and
delivery wagons were passing, but
they did not seem to attract his at
tention.
After some ten or fifteen minutes
waiting | went over TO where the
Dung man was standing His actions
reminded me Of myself after ! had
been released from the penitentiary
'Haiy a shert while. was soon over
to where he was standing and babe
him good morning He seemed
stunned at first. as if re had been sud
denly aroused from "a sleep, quite
cold this morning" i remarked. His
answer was Yes DO you live
here | inquired. Yes. | am here,
not living much" How long have
you been out of prison ?" was the next
question | put to him. His face
flushed and he inquired of me in
spirited tone; What is your name"
My reply was budding Are YOU
budding, of the Prisoners Relief so
cietyT | have been looking for you
but | confess that am so bewildered
that / did not know how to get into
mat building to find your Office" Il
I'm going down the street to attend to
a business matter. and l would like
Tor you to come to my office about
o'clock, and | will see what I can
DO for you. said to him. He said
III very unconcerned way, Il may
come ! saw by this that his con-
dltion was desperate. turned
around and took him by the arm and
said: Come along and go TO my of
fee and we will talk il over now
After we were comforta bly, seated
in my private Office heard his story
of how he had at ono time held A
good position with the street car
company and bad company and drink
had caused him to take the down
ward path and that he had beerf~c con-
victed of robbery. had served long
term at occoquan, and that his body
had not stood the confinement any
too well. therefore his body was frail
and he had not been able 10 do or
get much work OF any kind THAT he
had lost several positions where he
might have worked himself up. but I
as soon AZ they learned he had been
IN prison for robbery he soon lost out.
The gas company had shut the gas
off. He had picked coal on the rail- \
road the night before to make a fire. 4
and he added, ."If | had. been caught
IN the railroad yards with the coal in Il
the basket. | would have been in Jail i
this morning How would you like
TO have your old position back ?" His 4
eyes frightened He simply added: Il
That there was no chance. a. he had II
tried to get on again. but there were
no vacancies AT this point / said:
~ Dung man, we have an arrangement
with the company whereby I believe
We can get your position back His
lips quivered and he did not utter an
other word | hade him come back
to the Office next day, giving him
small check 70 pay his gas bill and
to buy some necessities. and assuring
him that we would stand by him and
get him a position: help him eight his
way back to his former standing
The next morning at the appointed
hour / found him in the waiting room
of our offices. The early morning
mail had brought reply TO my let
ter stating that they would be glad
to take the young man back and for
us to send him up right away. When
read the letter to him he could do
nothing but weep with Joy. Yester-
day I saw him on the street and ] /
don't believe there is a happier man
in the world. How are you making
it. scout?" I said to him. II am back
at my old job. Whiskey and bad com
pany will never get me- in their
clutches again. / feel my obligations
TO you and your society Depend
upon 1t am going to make good"