Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-09-08
Are New York Children Found in Western
PriSnuS

| IN Young AMERICAS Centennial
| Old England feels heFself perennial.
Are New York Children Found in Western
| Prisons.
Rer. E. c. Wires, D. D.. Secretary Of Ma
t50Ral Prison Association.
DEAR SIR You will remember that in
the recent meeting of the National Prison
Association at New York, some Of the mem
bers from the Central West. objected to the
plan pursued by the Children : Aii Society
in sending homeless children to the West,
on the ground that il was relieving New
York of its vicious elements, to pour them
over the West, and that it was filing West
ern Prisons and Reformatories with New
York children.
One worthy lady from Indiana went 50
far as to say that. '' half of the inmates OF
the Prisons and Reform Schools were these
poor children from this city" Some. how
ever, understood her to say, g half Of the
younger inmates, exc, were Of these child
ren." A delegate from Michigan repre-
sentirg one Of the best reform schools in
the Union. founded an argument on this
supposed fact, against the New York
plan" At the time, the only reply We
could make, not having the definite facts,
was that our per ceniage OF failures, was
less than under any other system, and that
even small number relatively, would seem
large with the great numbers We send out.
But the whole statements were obviously a
fallaey. They were logical mistake. COM
mon among the people guided by feeling,
of generalizing TO a bread conclusion from
one narrow premise. from - particular"
to a - universal.
The lady in question had seen one in
stance and mad inferred there were hun
Greds the gentleman had known four cases
and concluded thousands.
If these statements had been true. tasy
would have been iOrmidable objection to
the I" placing OUT system OF the New York
Childrens Aid Society. We accordingly
directed our resident Western Agent. MIR.
c. X. Fry, TO at once closely examine every
States Prison. House Of Refuge aCd Re
f0rmatory Of the States OF Illinois. India
na. and Michigan. where taese complains
we're especially made, and where We have
placed some fifteen thousand poor children
| during the past twenty-four years. Mr.
Fry mas spent weeks in this Investigation
and VIC give briefly the results, which are
certainly remarkable and OF interest to tie
public.
ILLINOIS PRISONS.
lie visited frs. the S:ate Prison Ct H.
nois, at Joliet, where were some 1850
prisoners. Here ne found not Que from the
" Children : Aid Society The warden,
/ Mr.. K. IL. Ciaughry, said that none OF our
! children had ever come under bis notice.
Mr.. Fry went through the entire prison
and his Investigation was Gs thorough as
/ it Is possible 10 make where the rules for
| bad Conversation with the prisoners. lie
next visited the State Reform School at the
same place. As this institution is designed
I especially for criminals under Il wears. sen
/ fenced tor vagrancy. taeit. and such petty
offences, it might naturally be expected that
/ out of the thousands We have sent TO HI
nols. some few would be found in this Re-
/ fOrmatory. The Superintendent, DR.. Schuel-
| Ter was absent, but his assistant who was
wonderfully familiar with the history o. all
the boys, gave his valuable help IN examin-
Ing the books. \ very thorough examina-
ton was made, and many boys cOnversed
with. but nothing was brought to light to
Ow that there was now or ever had been
/ 10 the institution . boy sent West by the
| Children Aid Society.
/ TIE Chicago House of Correction was
next investigated NJ. Fry eonvsr-sd with
/ numbers OF the inmates, aud examined the
books with the same reSult-nOt one was
| found from this society. lie also called
upon AIr. L. Turner, late Superintendent Of
the Chicago House Of Refuge. Mr.. Turner
D = . hat
/ he had never known OF one OF our children
/ in that Institution. This completed the ex-
animation OF Illinois. where We have placed
| some 1000 children.
INDIANA PRISONS.
In Indiana, the State Peni,entlary at
| Michigan City with $50 prisoners, was visit
/ ed. No one from this Society found there
Mr.. Main, the warden stated that be had
never known of any from 1t. The same re-
suits were obtained at the South Indiana
State Prison at JefeTsOnville Tho warden
was absent. but his deputy stated, that II
any had been there, sent out ir2m New
| York by this Society, the fact would have
| come out. lie never knew OF single case
! Mr.. Fry examined the different wards, and
| could discover none.
Next followed the Home o.: the Friend
less, and Woman's Prison at Richmond.
| There were in 1t at that time, Oaly two
prisoners and a dozen inmates none from
New York. Mrs. Davis, the President. had
known personally every inmate Tor eight
| wears. ard stated that she did not believe
one had come from this Society. The Or-
phan Asvlum IN the same town was next
examined. The President, Miss Smith, had
never during seven years known OF our
children there, and but oue New York
child.
Next followed the Home for Frieniless
Women and Women 5 Prison at lndiauaDo-
lis. The Superintendent. Miss Brewer, had
never known of one inmate from this So
e;ety. One child, ten years before. had en-
tered who said she had been sent By - some
New York Institution, but what one she
did not know.
In the ReformatOrY and Women's Prison,
near Indianapolis. a very large institution.
the matron, Mrs. Smith. knew OF one girl
who had been sent West by the Children :
Aid Society. She had been placed in many
homes, but invariably drilted back to the
ReformatoTy. The case OF this girl was. no
doubt the source OF many OF the charges
against the " placing OUT system y very
careful examination was then made oil the
Indiana State Reform School at Plainheld
We have sent some 6. 900 children to India
> a.
were to be found Mr. Fry with the Assist
ance of Mr. O'Brien, the Superintendent,
and the book-keepers. examined carefully
, the records of SIS boys who have passed
| through the institution. Only ten were
! | given as from New York. by carefully
. | comparing this list with our own records IN
the Office, four were found 70 be from our
. Society. These were reported by the ou-
t perintendent as " good boys" and had been
committed only for " hOmelessness." and
will no doubt, all turn ou: well. Yet these
four, out OF 5000 have been the foundation
of these charges.
MICHIGAN PRISONS
f Now came Michigan. The Pabiie Seaool
r for Dependent Children at Coidwater pre-
: sented $50 children The records were not
: examined, as Mr.. Alden, the SuperIntenG-
ent was confident that there never hal
= been a child there from New York Iht
: Sra,e Reform School at Landing, with 31t
boys was then visited. Mr.. Howe. Superin-
q tendent, stated that there was notO one there
: frcm New York. and he had never known
q one from this city. T|O IN the report or
1875 were discovered afterwards by Nr
A Frv. as from New York, out these. 1t Ap-
h pears had been born in this State and hId
4 removed West with their parents. The State
i Prison at jackson, Mr.. Humphreys, war
: den. showed the same resdls as those OF the
q other States not one OF our boys imprlsOn-
: ed there. The last institution visited was
, the House Of Correction at Detroit Here
| n considerable number of names was iOund
az from New York. Many of these were
I. compared with those on our books, on'
. nothing is shown as to the boys having
: come from this Society. or from any other
+ benevolent institution. They may have
q emigrated with their families, or ttey may
have given a false address-at all events,
4 they are not chargeable On this Society.
: The Superintendent was absent, bat hl:
assistant Mr.. o. Webster informed our
. | anant that he had never kn0wnlOne OF Our