The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-09-13
'PRISQN REFORM
At REBNIONTALE
Other Interesting Details
Of the Gathering Of
the Hoults

HoULT, w. Va, Sept. 12.-The
long expected reunion OF the four
related families Of Hoults, Nc,
Elfreshs, Pricketts and Merediths
took plaza at Aurora grove, near
here Sunday. Although it threat
ened at times during the day to rain
yet the day was fine and the rain
held off till late in the evening.
Several hundred persons were pres
elt.
|, The music for the dey was fur.
ntshed by Haydeu's orchestra OF
Faarmont, the Billy Sunday male
quartet and q choir selected from
the Hoalt Sunday school. Good
recitatIons were delivered by Miss
Gladys Watkins, Miss Florence.
WiIes epd Miss Daisy Watkins. In
the forenoon an address of welcome
was made by the president Of the
association, Rev. 6. H. Meredith.
Replies were made by Rev. G. B.
Meredith and Rev, Liston, the blind
minister, who ls related. to the
Hoults. After the appointment OF
committees "a recess was taken for
dinner. The committees were com.
posed as follows: On nominations
Golden NJ. Hoult. ]. NJ. Prickett, T.
G.. Meredith, Miss Daisy Watkins
and Mrs. Irene Curry. On resofu
tons, Jas. D. Bowman, F. E. Wiles,
Mrs. Anna Hess, Miss Ruth Prick
EFT and Miss Evelyn Prickett.
Tho dinner was not the least in
tereEtipg part OF the days doings
and no one could have told, by the
dinners spread Oh the ground IN
der the trees and Oh temporary ia
blss, that these were in 3py way
hard times. II any vent away hun
cry It was surely not the fault nor
intention OF the good women Who
did the hard work that goes With
theh preparation Of such, bopntIful
spreeds.
tpre was an address by Hon.
Howard Holt, Of AiOundsville
Judge Holt, after referring to his
pleasure at being among persons
who were related to him by ties
of blood and marriage, held the at
tentiop OF the big audience while
he spoke on his seyorite theme and
in his interesting way, OF prison re,
form. AS a resident OF the town
holding the state prison and one
time officer OF that Institution anc
one who had made Rp intimate
study Of the subject, he spoke from
first hand knowledge Of his sub
ject carrying conviction. 10 his
hearers. HIS subject, while not Q
new idea, was presented IL way
new to many OF his hearers, claim
ing that Imprisonment, II made az
a punishment, served no good pur
pose to society and II made With
the idea Of In any way reforming
those incarcerated in our prisons
1t was a complete failure. He took
the stand that men put In pr ION
for the first time and for a crime,
perhaps the result OF mistake OF
thoughtlessness and not at all OF
criminal instincts were thrown into
contact with the most hardened
criminals and that instead OF a re
formatory institution our prison,
as administered under our present
laws waa q propaSating place for
criminals. on the other hand, he
claimed, IL our prisons were to be
really reRormatory in character,
men in prison should be definite
ly taught morals and ethics; the
mild and less hardened criminals
should be kept separated from the
case-hardened criminals. Also men.
should be given indeterminatee sen
fences, the length of which would
be determined by their conduct and
those who seemed reformed would
be released on probation and thei1
conduct carefully scFutiniZed for
time. Altogether, though Judge
Holt may not have converted his
audience, he undoubtedly impressed
them very much.
Another splendid speaker on the
program was Attorney James. A.
Meredith, Of Fairmont, who Is
known to FaIrmonters as an inter
esting talker.
The old Hoult burying ground,
near Hoult, in which is buried John
Hoult, the original ancestor Of the
Hoults and Hollis Of this state and