The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-06-13
Children in the New York Courts $.


Not a day passes without the ar
raignment of children in the police
courts for either vagrancy or crime
The magistrates have the power to
commit children to reformatory in
stitutions. This power was exercised
last year for the commitment of 325
children, under the age of Is, OF whom
SiX-sevenths were boys. Care is taken
to send the children to institutions
under the auspices of the same re-
ligiOus faith as that of the parents,
and the excise moneys are partially
appropriated for their support. These
children are mainly the offspring Of
drunken, dissolute or poor parents.
In some cases they are forcibly taken
from criminal parents, especially from
women. In other cases, the parents
voluntarily plead vagrancy, and sur
render their children to the care of the
city. A great deal Of work for thee care
of children, of which the public hears
but little, is done every day in the
police courts, by the officers of the
Children's society, of which Mr.. Gerry
is president. Officers of this society
are detailed to investigate cases that
come up IN the courts, and the magis-
trates generally act upon their sugges-
tiOns. Care IS taken to discriminate
between thoughtless children, who first
embark IN trivial criminal conduct,
and hopeless young scamps, for whom
sharp punishment appears to be the
only remedy. For the infants there
is much sympathy and many are the
fearful partlngs of poor widows with
children whose care is beyond their
strength. The process OF commitment
is very simple, and all the courts are
provided with blanks for the purpose,
which are readily filled.
1t is daily occurrence for boys to
be arraigned for various mischievous
acts-for playing bali in the streets,
for throwing stones, for gliding the po-
/ lice, or for rebellion against their
parents. Pitiful tales are told of I'M
manageable youth who refuse to 90 to
school or to work or to behave them
selves with becoming respect. For
these the magistrates have pOrten-
tlous mein and piercing admonitions
Thanked by irate parents and the
/ stern officers of the court, the thor
Oughly frightened boy stands sobbing
at the bar with the terrOrs of the pris-
on before him. 81 suppose | must
send you up for ten years." begins the
magistrate. The terrified boy boo
hoos with apprehension. "You are a
bad, bad boy" continues the magis-
trate, with imposing voice, and the
boy is visibly terrified. Then the
boy gets Il valuable lecture on the
duties of boys to their parents, By
this time he is penitent. Then the
magistrate hints that possibly he may
suspend sentence if the boy will re
form. The boy jumps eagerly at the
prospect OF escape. He promises with
alacrity. The magistrate tells him he
will be let off this time if he will be q
good boy, and especially if he will tell
the bad boys of his neighborhood to
beware or they will be punished. But
every day produces its crop of boy
prisoners, who play ball and throw
stones, to the terror of nervous house
keepers.
For erring girls themagistrates have
/ tender care, and in all thecourts there
are always officers of various chart
table societies ready at the call of the
magistrate to take charge of them and
start them on an honest course. Hard
~ a day passes that some of these
girls are not rescued by tender hearted
women, who make the daily rounds
OF the prisons on the lookout for some
neophyte in vice who may be plucked
as brand from the burning. Never
theless the daily spectacle Of Juvenile
depravity and misery in the police
courts is one of the saddest sights OF
the great CITY