The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-07-22
{ NUMBER g.

educate young convicts or an open farm
surrounded by the forest, offering every
facility fof escape. His heart sunk in
momen.ary despair and alarm when on
dark night the boys, having just come
from the chapel, started off with a sud-
den impulse into the woods, and left
him alone TO mediate on disappoint-
ments. 1t was not long, however, after
their voices had been lost, before he
heard them again emerging from the
forest, With the cry. We've got him!
we've got him" A roagh young convict
recently arrived, thought the dark night
offered fine opportunity for escape, and
started off OF full speed, His comrades
pursued to capture him and brought him
back. Such was the general sentiment
of the school that the boys would not
favor or tolerate running away.
In this institution none are received
but youths convicted OF crime. The re-
port Of the board Of commissioners for
1868 says
''ofthose admitted this year, thirty are under
twelve years of age, and ninety are from eleven
to sixteen. These juvenile Offenders are, most of
them, charged with grievous crimes and misde-
meanors. A boy of eleven is sent for arson;
and another Of fourteen for robbing the United
States mail. Many OF our boys have been the
slaves Of the yilest habits and violent passions,
inmates may be found every shade OF character
and every grade of intellect. The unconqered
petite t with Confirmed evil haSts, suggest the
difficulties and the discouragements in regard to
their reformation"
Since the establishmen emf OF this reform
school. in 1858, about two thousand Of
these criminal youths have been received,
and all buta very small percentage have
been restored to virtue. having earned
an honorable discharge by good deport-
ment for sufficient length Of time to
satisfy their teachers that they we're
rea lily reformed.
The reform school occupies nearly
Twelve hundred acres of elevated, hilly,
healthy. but not productive land, six
miles south Of Lancaster. with buildings
capable Of accommodating about five
hundred boYs>~a main building one
hundred aud sixty-one feet long, eight
family buildings; four large shop build
ings, large chapel, besides barns and
other out buildings.
In this healthy and pleasant home
they are received and managed with
unwearied Kindness and love. and car
ried through course of moral instruc-
ton perhaps !he most complete and eff
cient that has ever been successfully
applied on SO large scale. 1t there is
in our country any better system of in
tellectual moraland practical education
happily combined, am not aware of it.
I refer not to its details, but to its per-
feet threefold combination.
So perfect is the system that, although
they receive so many young criminals
from jaiis, they have no Jail, no prison
walls. no bolted gates, but occupy an
open farm in the forest, where the boys
are as free as in any country academy;
and are often sent to the village or the
mill on errands. without any guards;
and yet there are fewer escapes than
from other institutions where boys are
kept strictly as prisoners within high
walls and bolted doors.
The report OF 1858 says, "Wben we
consider that the great majority of our
boys have been guilty of crime--some of
them utterly reckless and desperate
it is remarkable that they can enjoy
such freedom and not abuse &c. They
not only yield quietly and submissiVely
to ell the requirements Of the school
themselves, but exert an influence to
have all their comrades do the same"
tits al encouraging fact too. as stated
in che report of 1870. tLat instead Of
finding reformation more difficult with
che older boys they have been rather
more successful in establishing their
moral principles: for. having more
strength Of character, they bake 9
firmer hold of good principles. In this
fact think we have great encourage
ment to believe that many of She still
older criminals who are confined in State
penitentlaries will prove good subjects
for moral reform, when they Eeceive
benefit Of eimllar institution.
Indeed. think this was fully proved
by the experience Of Burnham WardweiI,
superintendent Of the Virginia State