Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-12-26
SHOW
THEIR APPRECIATION
Adopt Minute on Death OF War
den PIummer Which Speaks
for Itself.


adopted. at a meeting OF the prisoners
OF tho workhousc. following tho death
OF Warden M. s. Plummer. shows the
appreciation in which tho warden wa
held by the men committed to his caro-:
Twenty odd years ago there came
ITO Wilmington n young man connect
ed with the postal service of tho
United States government, n man 81
soldierly carriage and affable and
courtly manner. who quickly made
friends that learned TO appreciate. not
only the human side of him. but his
attention to the duties to which hs
had been assigned. that OF postal in
spector for this district. A dangerous
and trying position to MI at It's best.
the success which met his efforts. tho
courage which he displayed In break
ing UP the gangs OF 'yeggrffcn.' post
office thieves. safe blowers. etc, IL a
matter Of public knowledge. and IL
'attested by his twcnty-thrce years Of
, service under both Democratic and
Republican administrations.
"In 1920 the trustees OF Now Castle
County workhouse decided to change
entirely both tho force and mot h DDS
employed at this institution. They
cast about for a man big enough.
broad minded enough. and with ex-
periencc I'm handling criminals neces-
sary for theslaunchinR OF such a pro
gram for tho uplift and regeneration
OF tho mvn committed to their care,
which Judge Bail and hts hsfociates
had contemplated and discussed for
some time. The task was a most dif-
fcult one; methods had been tried
and dropped in many penal ins,itu-
tons throughout the country: those
approached halted at the suggestion J..
but there was brought 20 them tho
suggestion that there lived I'm Will
minston such n man as they sought.
a man Of big heart. one who under
stood his brother man.
I'm tho darkness Of our lives hero.
a darkness We dare not dwell upon,
for no penncd description Of our con
diuon could possibly be understood by
those on tho outside, nor by any save
those who have served through and
under 81. thus came 10 Ms. through the
grace Of God. Mordecai =. plummer.
After his inspection Of the build
Ahk anu l' hab S'luhliAfu Ilfllp.lI
with the rules and regulations, his
first order WAS turn the men out into
the yard give them Gods sunlight and
treat them as though they were hu-
man beings. From that beginning ha.
arisen the Honor system OF this IN
stitution, put in force by him on May
20. 1920.
Where others had venturrd and
failed this man with only genera
knowledge Of the conduct OF a pens
institution, sensing the csues OF ths
failure OF others. cons, rJcted fab
re that has stood every test--and to-
day tho New Castle County Work.
house stands as the only institution
Of i;s kind in tho world with q record
of mon saved from themselves. re-.
generated. who do not come back. un.
cqualed anywhere. 4 monument q
tho memory OF a mans man. a monu
mont yes, hut great as lt r. q can.
not compare with the monument isft
N the hearts ~ those who toda,
are respectable citizens. saved BY thu
man who preached the Calvary cure
And we men yet remaining here
What can we say N this hour % our
gr.ef? We know, as no one else car
know. that he save Us respect 10,
ourselves. that he alone stood he,weer
US and the scofiing. the ieers. the re
ordinations that are the portion o
tho man who has sinned and paid IN.
price. The love that Is IN our heart,
Is only equaled by our crushing cor
row, the untold loss that IS oyr~ on,
, prayers are that someone may u
, given us 20 continue the work OF thii
beloved Warden. We are a h-ereave,
. community. for We. who have wor<.,
, for him and with him. who have bene
+ htted al every turn. and IN every way
by his ability. his understanding an,
his treless energy IN our behalf. hav
the double sorrow OF knowing tina
without a thought FOR himself he cav,
, his lie that We might he saved. an,
for his Doye'. speaking. preaching an,
begging for our betterment. and Jus
AT the height % his eus-cess. on IN
eve OF the accomplishment OF hts fond
est hope. the parole bill FOR worth
prisoners and a separate prison 10
women, he Is cut down in all hi
% strong, commanding manhood
, oh. We who do not understand IA
= who do not know the cody work thi
Z man has accomplished. soquain
: yourselves with the facte. hesitate be
r fore you criticize and condemn. sb
/. sorb the lesson he has taught US s
% ! thoroughly, that God Is the only hop.
ard practice the charity that he lived
Inmates Of the New Castle Count
Worllhouse."
High tribute was paid the lat
Warden NJ. S. Plummer. In a Chris,
. mas address delivered Sunday morn
ing by Rev. Aquilla Webb, pastor c
+, Frst-Central Presbyterian Church.