The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1878-02-01
In the Boys Prison.

The boys prison in the Tombs ofNew
York city, says the Sun, is one-story
little brick structure. The windows
and doors are well ironcd, and not vel
has boy escaped. The average mum.
Der of boys confined there is eighteen
The prison is in charge of Mrs. Hill,
and has been for seven years. Mrs
Hill devotes herself to cher family" as
she calls the boys, with an interest 9TH
er than to do certain service for q
stipulated sum.
The cells number thirteen but If the
prison contained cell for every boy,
Mrs. Hill would place two in cell
The boys become afraid if alone, and
no threat has such effect as one that q
boy is to be placed in cell all night
They are afraid of ghosts, they tell Mrs.
Hill, and even with two in a cell the
woman who watches at night is frequent
ly called upon to allay fears. Mrs. Hill
arragincd the boys before the reporter,
and bade him ask any questions he
liked. Joseph Tochner, about three
feet high, was asked:
"How old are you!"
Eight years."
"What are you in fori'
SplclOn OF p0ckctD0ok.
"Who taught you to steal2"
'Nudder boy"
"How long had you been stealing be.
fore you were caught. p
"Don't know"
Alexander Kiernan and four other
boys, whose ages combined numbered
sixty-four years, were in tor fifteen
days, on 'spicion of two hats" The
little rogues always qualify any charge
against them as being made Oh suspi.
cion.
The boys arise at eight in the morn.
ing, and are washed and combed by wo-
men serving terms in the city prison
They go to bed at five.
Glow do I keep them ont of mis-
chiefT" said Mrs. Hill. "Oh, / have
solved that problem. l tried books and
games and pictures, but found them all
to fail. [ came to the conclusion the
boys should be kept constantly employ
ed at some intricate, as well as interest
ing labor. | decided to put them al
bead work. appealed to gentleman
for beads, and he has been supplying
me gratis for the last six months. He
gives me all want. taught the boys
to make rings, crosses, necklaces, and
such things, and just see some of their
work" Mrs. Hill displayed some arti.
cles worked in colored beads.
'1n my experience the boys brought
in here have no home influences, and,
as a rule, they are devoid of moral
sense. A boy may come in here with a
sore toe; the others will amuse them.
selves by stepping upon it. They seem
heartless. Very, very few have any
real good i'll them to start with, so that
/ find it most difficult to start them in
the way of doing right Once get them
employed, and show them that take
an interest in their work by praisng il
and showing it to others, they bristle up
and gradually change to something hui
manizel. There is no charity in deal
ing leniently with them. This thing OF
sending boys here ten and fifteen days,
instead of sending them to reforma-
tory, is doing them positive hurt. II
only makes them careless about getting
into the big prison over the way when
they grow up. Every day brings new
boys here, some with as thorough q
knowledge of wickedness and crime as
graduated criminals, and every hour
spent in here only strengthens their
liking for the criminals life. | cannot
understand why the boys are not tried
more rapidly; but it wouldn't matter
much, anyhow, for the most come bacl,
for matter of few days, going ont
only to return in time. have many
boys who return almost at regular in
tervals, always with IIow do YOU do,
Mother Hill? Those who remain with
me time would profit, think, were il
not for the influence of their fellows
coming in from day to day. Keep them
employed. is my MOTTO" and away
went Mrs. Hill to settle dispute about
some beads one boy had bet with an
other.