Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-12-04
TO SAVE TIE BOYS.
4 CHICAGO LADY SUGGESTS A PLAN
TO REFORM BAD URcHlNs.


The system Of Placing Them IN Contact
with Adult Wrong Doors Damns sThem
for 81 Tiine-An Appeal TO the OH
cials.
Your editorial Of the 9th inst on "a House
Of Detention for Children Accused of Crirnen
touches a most important point, | might say
vital one Certainly it is that 70 the chill
aren Themselves There ere now in the boys
ward Fl Cook county jail twentv-four lads
ranging from 10 II years old-bright ac-
tive, bal children. Some Of thcm claim to
be in on suspicion, others ere held as wit
lesses, but an are promiscuously huddled to-
geteef. lra2en self confessed thieves talk
end whisper with The new conner who seems
ashamed and s0erowful; but how long Will
that last ia such compaay2 These under
graduates for thepenitentiary are busy worl,
ers, faitalgl il their vile teachings; many
t.aae has q larger boy pointed out a smaller
one end said;
That Teller got me in here
Last week q boy tod me with quito n de-
gree If pride that ho had spent sixty hours
IA tse dungeon Cause tic was SO bad 4 ana
tAe boys around him looked admiringly at
bin
Many # those lads are there by inherit
ance. Their fathers and mothers were and
We criminals They have Inherited their
criminal tendencies just as much as they
Lave the!r physical peculiarities Others are
there tArQugh associating at night with
groups &c good ana bad mixed, and it is the
sood who always suffer by this association.
HARDLY noRE THAN RABIES
Manv Little fellows are brought III 50 small
that their toes cannot touch the floor while
sitting ga the benches, and ere kept in iail
uasll called before the grand jury or a Judge.
wien, after q kind but earnest reprnnand. if
it is their FIRST oiTease. they are dismissed
with warming ~ what viii happen next
taen All this has taken weeks, as the
laws delays are proverbial, and these BOYS
have during this time been in jail. They
have seen, heard ard learned that which in
such boys will never be forgotten Some
men are In the boys ward, and a boy Of II
has less shame as a wicked teacher than q
man las, and the boys arc put into cells two
by two, 80 that night and day the work Of |
corruption roes on.
Since 1852 there has been a school held in
TINS ward, at first one session, and after a
1iihe TWO every day, but now only one, and /
tAit ~ the morning. The teacher endeavored /
y train, first of all, their moral nature
Aueh tmo + spent in that direction, and the /
singing OF Gospel hymns is a great DELIGHT ia +
me boye IneA reading, spelling, writing /
nnd arithmetic are as thoroughly taught "a
tho short time will permit. These bows chew
tobacco like veterans and smoke cheap cigar
cites till the air is blue and choking. but
when the teacher opens her school with q
pleasant Good morning, boys hats are
taken Off, tobacco is pushed in a great lump
into the cheek, cigarettes IRE pocketed and 4
general attempt is made to ''straighten upn
and appear little letter, which shows that
some self respect is left
APPALLING STATISTICS.
Since lSs2 there have been 1920 bows in
this ward Of the Cook County jail. many Of
.hem, ain sorry to say, for tile third ana
-ourtl time, 50 that their faces have become
lnite familiar, and they recognize the teacher
Is an old friend. In this state. according TO
-he latest census, there are e,210 minors ii
prison, 7S3 Of these being between the ages
= Il and p years These figures do not ill
'lude those who arc temporarily III the vari-
'us Jalls Of the state. The superintendent
= the State Reform school at Pontiac saws
nat fully 80 per cent Of tho boys who get
INTO trouble are within the pale Of hone. a
act that certainly affords stimulus to earn
st effort in their behalf
Let It be remembered that a bow who is
lut IN Jail is corrupted, depraved. and in
ured for life-here and hereafter. Is he
lelped by being sent to the reform SCHOOL,
\ thousand times mol There, instead Of
orty or fifty boys, there are hundreds.
5ook county alone has over 100 all Of the
lme. The lowest light in which ono can
urvey this frightful question is that Of econ
my. and to the tax payer let me appeal
A DETENTION SCHOOL.
IL costs a great deal moro money to carry
boy through the jail, to tho reform school.
the penitentiary, and perhaps to tho scaf-
old than Il does 70 save him from such n
ate. II building, or rooms, with the ne ,
essarv locks and keys, and must add bars
lso but called "The Detention Manual
raining school, Of Cook county, were to be
lrnshed by tue county and well equipped ia 1 !
p Inexpensive manner, so that these bows !
ould be taught not only tho simple INT
ecessary English branches with this Same
loral trimming In a wise and brief manner ,
AL could at tho Same time learn a trade or
arc q trade, SO that on getting out they ,
'ould not ho obliged to steal to ret some :
liaS to eat ana to wear, it would not only
lVo many ot tEen from o life Of crime, hut +
80 bo g financial saving to the county. !
.aay 81 them have no homes, even Of tile i
aorcst ana rneanest Kind, and what place is
aea g taem but their old haunts. and with ;,
iam their Old comradesi A trade 81 some !,
iad Is what is needed, for these boys arc !
asy, active fellows, and are not unwilling +
work. i
Il tho county VIII help mo III this matter i
y daily moraiug school shall cost them !
othing We have carried IL On through M j
icso Years, and will continue to do So. This !
lestion i So important, relating as it does !.
The future men and women Of tho citv.
'as ! an sure of O kind consideration from
IS thinSins end wise people Of Chicago
ealaldo 2. Groves in Chicago Tribune.
Ancient Roman Plank Roads a
The PruSslen minister az rf7,r.tf,-, ~ u