The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-29
TRUSTING MN BOFS.
Superintendent Ouerson Says It Is safe and
II Improves the Roys.

DeflntentlOnt OIteFSOn says tnht In the history
of the institution no boy has ever broken such
a'parole given for such n purpose before, al
though attempted escapes are 80 common that
q fortnight rarely passes that officers are not
out searching for missing boys II is not an
unusual occurrence for n boy who has taken
no advantage oil the opportunities to escape
afforded by his Sunday parole to break win
dow after his urn. scale a wall and put for
the woods. This last escape is therefore, re-
Rarded seriously by the officers OF tho institu-
ton. tho more so because 1t was tho biggest
freak ever attempted. Heretofore ncvor more
than five boys have plotted escape at one time.
Tho fact that there arc 81 many attempted
escapes from Jamesburg as are reported by
the daily papers every year. is duo to tho sys-
tenn instituted there seven years ago by Super
intendent Ira Utterson. 1t has nothing what
ever in common with the familiar methods OF
discipline OF State prison. though that fact
does not seem to DO generally known The
youthful criminals are usually very much
astonished to find that thoy have to work only
ak hours day; that they sleep in large com
nanies in dormtories without guards. and
confined only by the ordinary lock OF a COM
mon deal door: that they are sent out in the
| fields to work without any special guard, and
| for miles around the country with no guard
at all and with passes In their pockets:
that they are taken on weekly rambes into the
fields and woods and on u yearly excursion to
tho seashoro: that If ordinarily woll-behaved
| they have no trouble In getting individual
| privileges, such as an afternoon to go berryng.
for example; that they are allowed II iew sports.
and can join military companies which COM
they are treated with consideration and their
word implicitly believed until they themselves
provo that they are not worthy OF confidence.
Mr. Ottersons idea is to make, the reform
I school not a llace fer p4nishing, young
! Ing thpir SOnS0 OF SelI-rCSpect, / nc I'M
/ usual liberties he grants In pursuance
tempts to esc0pe, but that his IDEAS OF cult
| waiting sense OF honorare successful Is shown
boys arc put under special bonds OF honor.
namely. the SUNDAY ramole there has never
been any d breach G. In' the present lime vi
bound perpetually by, their word of honor. for
that would make the bond irksome.
To counteract the many opportunities which
the plan offers for escape. Mr.. Otterson makes
the most determined efforts TO recapture those
boys; He is made. by a law of the State, a
ever found. and authority is given him to de-
pute the Same powers TO rs many others rs
lowed Professionally and in lsS? only live evaded
recapture. They are generally caught within
few miles Of the institution. The only punish.
ment Is loss OF al the advancement which pre-;
their disc barge Boys are not sent to the
retoi m school 10 work out specified term
ays nessd bro IRE wsen
class one month in duration. except the last
which is two months. The boy is promoted
month he has so carried himself as to escape u
specified number Of disorder marks, Thus a
In fourteen months No matter how lar he has
advanced, however an attempt e e.cnne quits
gether with the advan tages and liberties ac-
corded to those who behave themselves mod
erateiy we'll and which the boy who attempts
to ESCAPE tOrtettS, is eittcQclDtlS that few,
except the most Ignorant or depraved, make
Last sunday. after the early tea, tho boys
saFsd put bey e wsnt seye for hH
tce';, The boys are divided into these seven
families permanenily; each family occupying u
Just assumed the government OF a family. and
bts Of Woodland, and 70 a tIisk grove
was parole. and, is customary
on these excursions, no ATTEMPT was made to
t6oy wished. Sight was Coming on last Wien
the, officer called the, boys togerher., They
tablish who these ten were The boys re-
in advance o. the rest. Search was made and
oil loinel in shouting for the ten missing ones.
was intenti onal, and the officer reruI ned has
THY with what were left and reported the es-
Mr. Otterson was astonished. When he came
to examine the names of those gone he WAS
sti more pre- ast ton Tor SmGnS them hem wSrs
through. the classes and were accounted
among the best behaved in the institution.
trail, and detailed other officers to the town
and railroad station and to the railroad tracks
appeared. On Monday night two OF the officers
brought back six Of the escapes, They had
niZed their uniforms, from nOlnt 10 point on
the way to Trenton. The boys had made no
other one was brought in. lie was trying to
ste ride on a coal train. Two more were
Is considered certain. Thus there is only, one
who has not been heard from. The boys
tRe gan 'e escape had o
mated with, only Ave Of the number. The
attepDt had been plotted Sis "a l"nS time and
hal stuck 50 close together dpTrHE
ever thai several others suspected what was
going on, and tho spirit Of escape took sudden
upon escape on the spot. a. distinct
party, and kept close to the original conspira-
ceived scheme That was how ali ten disan-
reared. The five original conspirators will get
moro punishment than he others who acted
upon the impulse Of the moment.
y. j." The boys who want to % escape" said MIR;
scheme I'VE known them to twist out sfsS
ton OF steam pipe, pry omen the window las-
teuinRs OF their dormtorleS,, ana leap 10 the
ground. They have hosts Of chances to get of
without resortng to ,volent means. ! often
give trusty boys permission to 60 Deriving or
or them. I've known Ave instances whore boys
.ook advantage OF this kindness TO get away.
cut they were all captured again. But 1t never
before happened that upon, special parole OF
honor as In the Sunday rambles and the annual
excursion. there was any break. Every summer :
We take the whole, school. $50 or 400, for day
o the seashore. We charter a car and, on ar
living at the place selected, let the boys loose. :
LAST summer we went to Asbury Park with $50
II them Yet I took only six officers with me
md did not have the least fear of any of the
,oys breaking their word and taking French
cave. And | was not disappointed, either. (
The conductor that always takes our excur-
ion says 1t is tho most orderly and gives the
east trouble OF any excursion he takes out.
lou see what an opportunity such an eXcur-
ion offers for escape Yet a day or two after {
lis return, perhaps. some boy will scramble
,ver a hedge and run Tor the railroad track
md q freight train.
Astonishing results. We get real hearty good {
will from them aud show OF man Illness and
ant M m a a IA