Who was Willie-Jay and why did he take to Perry?

Willie-Jay is a friend
of Perry's who is being released from Kansas State Penitentiary. Willie-Jay is described as
"a slender Irishman with prematurely gray hair and gray, melancholy eyes." He is the
chaplain's clerk who is in jail for a series of small robberies, and, after Perry approaches
him, he seeks to become friends with Perry to have a better chance to bring Perry to salvation.
Willie-Jay senses that Perry is a poet, something rare and savable. Perry paints a technically
adequate portrait of Jesus, but he never truly reforms himself or finds Jesus, which Willie-Jay
knows. When Perry is about to be released from jail, Willie-Jay writes him a heartfelt letter
warning him about his tendency towards explosive reactions. However, Perry feels connected to
Willie-Jay, because he is one of the few people, Perry thinks, who understands his worth. When
Dick proposes that Perry return to Kansas, part of why Perry accepts the invitation is to see
Willie-Jay again after Willie-Jay is released from jail.