Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-12-06


the following report of the Grand Jury of the last
Circuit Court. The subject is now to us and one
of much Importance to the well being, good order
and good morals of our community; and We can say,
from having lately seen several very young crimi
nails publicly passing the degrading ordeal of trial
in Court for crime, the object OF therepor is good
and that if the matter is taken into serious consi
Iteration and efficiently carried out it will rebound
to the our entire community, the redemp
ton of young offenders from the career OF wicked
ness upon the Threshold of which many may have
| entered only, and hand down the names OF those
who originated tie proposition, as benefactOrs to
the entire community.
The Grand Jury, feeling deep interest in the
subject matter of House Refuge as suggested IN
the charge of your Honor are highly grated IN be-
! ing thus enabled to bring its consideration oeiore
| this community, respectfully report;
That, although this city is perhaps as Tree from
| VACANCY as any place of like size IN the United
States yet, from the great and almost daily increase
in our population, situated as we are lmne9laiey
upon the OHIO river and the many railroads and other
| thoroughfares conveying at this point, we cannot
hope long to escape from crowd Of miserable crea-
lures, having neither local habitaton nor name,
| and which renders the establishment OF House OF
Refuge and Reform School highly necessary and
proper. that these children of misfortune, under
| proper culture, may become useful members OF
| society.
Oft number of youths, in this city and sur
rounding country, who need the influences OF such
an institution 10 save them from career OF crime
and ruin and to save the State from the peril to her
moral inter SITS and the expense TO her treasuryln-
volved i'll their growing up hardened and reckless
criminalS-we have no definite statistics; that there
| is a considerable and increasing number (no one
! can for a moment doubt who are allowed to go
free on account of the reluctance of prosecuting of
fcers to indct, and ofiudcial officers to condemn,
such young persons to the gnominious punishment
and to the coTTupting associations and influences oil
our County and State Prisons. These prisons are
not fit places for such youthsi they are not sucn
places the State in the exercise OF her guardian
ship them, ought to provide; nor can there pc
any question of the pernicous influence on juvenile
offenders against the laws, of allowing them TO go
on unrestrained in the career OF crime which they
have commenced. On the otter hand, there can
he no doubt of the reforming influence of such an
institution as we have named abovej but we have
better evidence than any inference oil this KIND
the epidenee of actual results IN other places.
"Ol the A. 9T boys and girls received into the
! New York House of Refuge, up to January 1S49, 1t
s believed that three have been saved from
| rum and reformed"
"Of the condition of the $3.50 inmates received
into the Philadelphia House ofRetuge, up TO Janua-
| ny ls49, quite favorable report would be fully
warranted.''
The following, extract from the presentment of
the Grand Jury OF New York to the Court of General
Sessions, in 1S4S, is weighty testimony upon this
| pOint:-"Here, for nearly quarter OF century,
has been in action and successful operation one oil
the nobleSt and most beneficial reformatory systems
ever divised by human philanthropy; the physical
and moral AMI intellectual redemption oil thousands
who were almost lost, has been achieved. There
are now in tie Refuge $50 boys and GO girls chief
ly supplied from the city, though small additions
are made from OF Ter parts of the State. The IN
mates are carefully instructed in the useful bran
cheS of plain English education, and are besides
uSefully Employed in various handycraft qualifying
them 10 fill reputable and advantageous station III
tic
ties and Its privileges. Agreatstep to such return
is being effected by the system of binding out those
whose conduct in the Refuge proves them worthy
to such employers, reSiling in the country as are
willing to take apprentices from the institution
The records abounds with proofs and illustrations
of the happy agency exerted in this way by the
| Refuge.
"The best evidences that can be afforded Of good
and humane management on thepar; of those having
the charge of these youthful candidates Tor reform
is the fact that, notwithstanding the untavorable
influences among which their childhood was gene
rally passed, naturally tending 10 sow the seeds OF
disease, the Grand Jury found only two girls and
not one boy on the sick list. Equally strong teStl
mony to the moral care employed presented in the
established certainty that about thee foutbS OF
those who enter institution, leave 1t thoroughly
reformed Visits are continually received from such
now become prosperous and respected members of
society,""
The Trustees of the State Reform School of
Massachusetts, in their last annual report give their
testimony that-'The Trustees does not hesitate
TO pronounce it as the result of their observation
that the experiment, far as t has been tried, has
proved successful one. We already, in looking
over our three hundred boys, select not few who
are giving hopeful evidence that they have been
stayed in thtr career of vice and crime That new
thoughts and better feelings fast finding place
in their boSoms, and that they forming reSolu
tons which, II strengthened by right example and
timely encouragement, will make them future
blessing to the society whose fundamental insttu-
tons their former trainings was rapidly preparing
them 10 lay waste and to destroy"
We could go on multiplying such testimony as
the above from other kindred institutions all over
the country, many of them that have stood the test
for years, abundantly proving the scheme not ouly
to be feasible but fulfilling the most sanguine ex
pectations of their founders.
These experiments which have been made in
other States are of great value, not only as demon
Sttating the practicabiy of reforming juvenile Of
tenders, but also as offering to us for guidance
the results of proracted and costly experience. So
that in attempting TO founl and regulate such an
institution for our own section of countryt will not
be difficult 10 adopttheSe methods which have been
found to combine the greatest efficiency with the
greatest reduction of expense.
Therefore, We the Grand Jury, most earnestly re-
commend that such action lie had will bring this
matter before the people. That petitions be fer
waTded to our next Legislature asking for an act
of incorporation for a House of Refuge ond Reform
School 10 be located this city, and for such an
endowment in addition to private voluntary dona-
tons as the Legislature in its wisdom may see fit to
grant, and under such conditions as it maysee fit to
impose.
Such an institution as is proposed cannot fail to
remove those from the reach of temptation who
have been led astray by the undisciplined passions
of YOUTH or the moie resistless power of corrupt
sociates by educating and training them TO useful
trades and employnents, and thereby giving them
the means of acquiring personalindependence 1t
is proposed by the discipline which awaits them
here to quicken the torpid action of conscience by
calling into play the moral sentiments which have
been suffered to lie dormant.
Here is 10 be held out even to the desperate, the
gladstone light of hope, while in the degraded and
downcast, consciousness of self respect and self
reliance is TO be cherished, whichshall elevate them
to the dignity of true manhood.
To this end in the law under which this inStitu-
ton is proposed TO be opened. Provision should
he made ,ri,erehv nll ,n6pr certain age WIN shall