The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-06-16
HUNDREDS LISTEN
GRAPHIC LECTURE
TRAGIC STORY OF PRISON LIFE
AND METHODS; PLEADS
FOR REFORM

An audience estimated at 55U peO
pie gave the closest attention for ar
hour and fifty minutes at The Coli
scum last evening while Kate Rich
ards O'Hare talked on "Crime and
Criminals"
A few came, perhaps to make sure
that Mrs. O'Hare's lecture was as
black as it had been painted. A few
came to make sure that it was not.
But the great majority came because
they were confident she had mes
sage they should hear. A large part
of those present were working men
and their families.
Her train was late and the speaker
did not arrive at the hall until few
minutes before nine O'Clock. The
chairman of the meeting, Steve Tay-
lor, made brief opening remarks
that were well put and appropriate.
While Mrs. O'Hare took a few
minutes rest after long trip by
auto and train, the little twin sons
of Mr.. and Mrs. J. E. Mcdonald
gave a cornet and violin duet and
Mrs. Bert Jones played violin solo.
Both numbers were much appreciat-
ed and warmly encored by the aud
ience.
plantations, by way of getting IN
touch with her hearers, she went di-
rectly to the burden of her message
and the heart of her appeal. In her
opening remarks she handed lawyers
and judges few blunt but good ma
tured jolts and at several points In
her lecture made unpleasant revela-
tions bearing on war and prison con-
tract profits but there was not sen
tence that could be construed as con-
veying disrespect to the government. |
She is fervently and wholeheartedly
in her work of education for refor-
nation in prison methods. Quite nat
urally she does not view this and I
kindred subjects from the same angle
as those who have had no opportunity
to study them.
1t is quite we'll know that Mrs.
O'Hare was sentenced to five years In
the penitentiary, under the espion-
age act, as the result of lecture de-
livered at Bowman, N. D. about four
years ago. Following an investiga-
ton of the affair that proved, so far
did not use the language attrlbut-
er to her, President Wilson ordered
her release after she had served IA S
months in the Missouri state prison
at Jefferson City.
Her experience there forms the s
the basis of a graphic story and hu- ]
manitarian appeal that cannot fail to {
deeply move anyone with heart in $
his breast. Such terrible brutality
in handling prisoners and such I'M
speakable conditions of disease ]
spreading filth the speaker declared
we're beyond her power adequately to
describe. The evils of convict con-
tract labor were laid bare.
1t was charged that in conducting Q
its penal institutions society commit .
ted all the crimes for which it pun 5
shed individuals.
The speaker said that statistics q
showed crime on the increase as COM
pared to pre-war times and that there II
we're more people in our Institutions u
If punishment than there were stu u
lents in our colleges. A constant a
stream of ex-convicts pours back in u
% the stream of society and prison IL
Methods, said the lecturer, make it a.
tream of pollution.
When we have purged society of
is crimes against these individuals D.
hat it seeks to reform, said Mrs. y
)'Hare, a long step will have been p'
aiken toward prison reform and the IN
of crime. al
Mrs. O'Hare's home is at Girard, Is
lansas, and she is the mother of four sy
hildren. tr