MURDERERS WHO HAVE REFORMED.

Ohinemuri Gazette, Volume XXXII, Issue 4228, 14 February 1921, Page 1

MURDERERS WHO HAVE REFORMED.

IN BUSINESS AND NOW HAPPILY MABRIED. LIVING DOWN THE PAST. The two murderers who became churchwardens, as mentioned in a sermon by the Bishop of London, are by no means isolated instances of convicts who have made good. Some astonishing examples of this were given to a "Daily Chronicle's" representative by an official of the Chu'ch Army Prisoners' Aid Society, though the persons concerned were necessarily not disclosed. "Only the other day," said the official, "I was taking tea with a murderer, a man who is not only highly respected in the community, but for whom I have a great admiration myself. I know a man who is a reprieved murderer, and has been a church official for years. "The fact of the matter is that murderers are generally not lifelong criminals in the accepted sense of the word. Once they have come out of prison after reprieve, and are treated sympathetically, they rarely lapse. One man who murdered his wife I know very well. He is in very comfortable circumstances working in an. industrial concern, and has quite lived down his past. "Another man who murdered his sweetheart is in business for himself, and doing well. He has been happily married for.years. One has only to recall the fact that at Prebendary Carlile's golden wedding one of the gifts was contributed to by five reprieved murderers and eighteen other ex-convicts. Organisations to help the man coming out of prison find-it harder ! to deal with other classes of men than murderers. Forgers, for instance, are a class of criminals to themselves. Swindlers and forgers are much more likely to lapse again, but it is 'singular what can be done for men who have lived a life of crime. Take the case of an ex-cracksman-with whom I am associated. He lived in prison for 30 years, mainly for charges of house-breaking. But it is never too late to mend, and to,day 4 that man is living as a respectable citizen. He is working as an artisan and is happily married. He is so pleased with the work which the society has done for him that whenever he is to meet one of the officials he always brings a bunch of flowers as a token of his appreciation. Very often one can tell instinctively the men who are going to turn out all right and those who are liable to go wtfong. Often it is a question of dealing with a man sympathetically, and finding him a job, that appeals to him. One man we found eleven jobs for in one week,'and hit the ! right one in the end. He is still j doing that job and is happy. He was a burglar. Last year 80 penal servitude men were taken on by the society for assistance, and 70 were found jobs. Most of these are doing well, and will probably be respected members of society to the end of their days."