The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1859-01-25

from his fathers house. He has consider.
able energy of character, and has broken
out Of Jail twice.
Is. Is Of the samo age, and Of better
organization. He has worked away from
home, and fallen into evil company, ,::aud
was arrested for stealing clothing. He is
not rs stupid and sensual as some Of the
inmates, has very good abilities, and can
learn readily any thing to which he will
apply himself.
10. A colored boy, entirely uncultivated,
and has met with little encouragement in
the world. He was sentenced for burglary
and larceny.
20. A boy in the sixteenth year, sem
tenced for an assault upon girl. He has
never had the care of parents; his mind
is poorly developed, and he was so indolent
and shiftless as to be an annoyance to the
| n,ighborhood.
2l. A boy of the same age, of very de-
cent appearance. He is one Of a large
family. His father is farmer. Ho be.
came engaged in a drunken frolic with
some older persons, and while intoxic .tod,
was concerned in stealing rifle. He has
never been to school, and can neither read
nor write.
%. Is fifteen years old; is the only child
of widow woman, and has spent some
time on board the boats on the Hudson
river, in very bad company. Having come
West to visit his relations he stole two
guns, and broke into a dwelling house and
stole $3.50 in money. He has good abili-
ties, but has become hardened by bad asso-
Citations.
23. A boy eleven years old, has no par
ents, but lived with uncle, and was arres-
ted for stealing twenty-five cents in coin; {;
but sentence was suspended on promise of
good behavior. But having been taken in
the act of breaking open another money
drawer, he was sentenced for the first Of
fence.
"a. Is fifteen years old, foreign born, ad-
dictcd to stealing every attractive thing,
and is said to be countcnanced by his moth
or. He was sentenced for stealing rifle.
In attempting the reformation of juvenile
criminals, four things are Of special impor
tanco. They must be separated from their
associates in crime; they must be restrained
from evil practices; suitable instruction for
the intellect and the affections must be pro-
vided; and they must be employed at reg
ular and systematical physical labor. We
endeayor to secure each Of these objects to
to as great an extent as possible.
The first is accomplished by that action
Of the law which arrests the offender, and
places him in the House of Correction.
Every boy who comes to the Institution,
brings with him some habits of degrading
or demoralizng character; and these habits
must be discontinued before he can be quail :
ltled tor the Intercourse sc .eePootablo and
virtuous society. 1t will be utterly in vain
to load his memory with preccpts of virtue
while he hourly indulges in pilfering, pro-
family, intcmperance, quarreling, malicious
acts towards his companions, or disobedi-
ence to his superiors. TIE stimulus of
every species Of intoxicating drinks, and Of
tobacco, is Immediately removed from his
reach; he is instructed by t,e Superinten-
dent in reference to the character of the In.
stitution, and the duties which will be ro-
quired of him, and each officer who has
charge of the boys carries with him paper,
on which he notes every violation of the
rules of the Institution committed by those
under his charge. Each officer reports
monthly to the Superintendent, and all tho
reports are entered in book, and by them
the grade os each inmate is determined for
the ensuing month. The inmates are con-
stantly under the care of some officer, whose
duty it is to prevent as far as possible, by
the exercise Of the power vested in him, tho
commission of every evil act; and when
that is impossible, he reports it for entry
upon the register. A single page Of this
book exhibits full history Of the conduct
Of each inmate during his stay in the In
stitution.
Most of the inmates, when they are re-
ceived, are very Ignorant and their minds
are but little developed, except in the di-
rection of vice and crime; and daily IN
struction in school, Of not less than five
hours continuance, is found 70 be requisite
to fit them for proper participation in the
ordinary business of life. During tho
the summer, while it was difficult to pro.
cure full amount Of work, tho School
was continued eight hours day, and the
pupils made rapid progress in every branch
of study. 1t is also special duty Of the
teacher to impart to his pupils, from time
to time such moral instruction SO their sit
uation and circumstances may require; and
this duty has been very faithfully and full
ly performed by the present teacher. The
Sabbath-school exercises have been Ehcld
every Sunday during the year; and relig-
ious services have been held on Sunday
afternoons, which were opened to all citi-
zcns who wished to attend.
But separations from evil companions,
rescraint from vice aud crime, and mental
and moral instruction, will not, Of them-
selves, secure the reformation of the crimi-
nal, unless accompanied by continuous
bodily labor, at some useful employment
considerable portion each day. In car
rying out the object Of the Institution, l
have met with more difficulty and cmbar-
rassmcnt from tho want of full and suitable
employment for the inmates than from any
other source whatever. At the date Of
the last report, all tho boys, excepting
those occupied iu the domettic work Of the
house were employed in shops Of Mcssrs.
Warren, Cravatb. and Co., for six hours
each day, in the manufacture Of boots and
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