The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-06
FAMILY NO. l IN REVOLT.
SOME OF ITS MEMBERS MAKE A DASH
FOR LLBERTT /.

About three miles from Jamesbure. N. J..
f. n short stretch OF level land dotted
with dozen or so brick buildings.
mopotonous in their dreary colorine and
similarity. In the summer this small
plain Is beautiful lawn. but at this
season OF the year It Is dull
brown waste. Surrounding II are woods which
rise and fall over gentle hills. It is lonely
neighborhood. difficult OF access, and sparsely
populated.
The buildings and the level ground belong
to tho New Jersey State Reform School. an In
stitution similar to the House OF Refuge on
Randalrs Island. There are about $50
boys confined here. ranging In age
from o to Is years. Tho system OF the
institution. however. Ia different from that OF
most reform schools. Every effort is made to
emphasize the fact that 1t Is not penal insu-
tuition. but a home for the mental and moral
education Of the refractory youngsters. The
men in charge Of tho boys are Officers" not
Keepers" and the women teachers" not
"matrons." The bodies into which the boys
are divided are called families" instead OF
Squads"
Then the boys have Rrent deal OF liberty OF
action. They are permitted to play on the
lawn at certain hours. and when they receive
certain number OF badges for good behavior
they are assigned TO work that takes them
from under the supervision OF the officers. The
grounds are enclosed by a short picket fence,
which a healthy boy can clear In q running
Jump.
This story begins with the families" There
nre seven families OF fifty boys each. more or
less. and each family has a brick house. male
officer. and female teacher. The officer and
the teacher in most cases are mnn and
wife, Families numbers 2 and consist
L.. nk1~a
and OF the very large boys. and
numbers and Of those who have reached
that stage of boyhood when they are neither
large nor small. No. 6 is composed OF colored
Ioys. Principally ut u o'clock every night the
families march from their houses to the main
building. where the dining rooms are. and after
dinner march straight back.
On Monday afternoon little fellow who had
recently received licking from o comrade.
his senior. came to Superintendent Ira Otter
son and told him in IN awful whisper that
family number one was going to make
dash for liberty that evening. Mr.. Otterson
Try to escape? What did they want to escape
for? He, couldn't understand. The boy must
No, MI, otterson, heard 'em. They're
On the way back nd then they're goin' t scoot
went, oyer to tie house q family No and
anything about it. or course he hadn't. Tut
Of boys: decided that it wouldn't do any harm
grounds. where. without being seen them.
selves. they could see all that went on. 49,,
the dining room: as innocent looking 2 lot
sc ever shoad sai %ese OF g rs
uniform. something like that OF New
S Se,h Letter he fe eeIs sste 0HtGp
Dinner passed and the boys marched back to
their house and nothing unusual happened.
informant VA. either, playing Joke, on the
suRerntsndeGt 95 had made mistake The
ofiicer Watson cried Httention!" which
tn HS ss SSSs ns fe
soidiers and loud noise Of Gathering sticks.
boy whom Tie ocer did not see jumped a e on
. table with . pair Of scissors In his hand and
ss sss sh & ee the
was q crash OF breaking glass and the room
Whats the matter ?" cried the officer.
window. which is on a level with the ground.
ans 0 pea sne
dowa are, all protected BY wire netting. as
boys Who arranged the escape h had cut this Ills
wire so that a push Of the hand would tear it
The fifth boy had Just disappeared. when
to the window IN time to head of two more
more boys got out Officer Watson raised his
Of the window the special guards came run.
ming up and barred the way.
coansa t s amps Se aR %ere oss sad
missing; too. Within ten minutes these. Were
was securing the country for the missing ones.
A. hall gppss the neft morning the men re-
before they could reach the 0 WOODS Tsey
Se ep ts na nE BIT
Willing to tel ali they Knew about e the eon
spiracy. and at the Superintendents frown
were searched it was found that two OF them
had their pockets filled with pepper. which
eyes il he gave them any trouble. ~ 0
NE Bright and h early Tuesday on morning family
mena sse in
3slcer Watson opsnsd tSe door n % !, he We1s
as II he had isrGotten. something There was
boys Who sst N the Few tsgToaeS
the 2p end Doorway out and across the big lawn
Ve% 'hs s6s 'ess
boys In the. room rose to their feet, and It
seemed AZ II there was going to be a stampede
for liberty. The. superintendent was sent for
the panic subsidized. and force OF guards was
soon chasing the fugitvea Two OF them were
caught within three hours hiding In some
bushes
About O'Clock that same afternoon Family
No. was marched from the house to the lava
tory. which is In a separate building. While
they were entering the latter place.
last two boys, without uttering O word,
turned about and dashed across The
young deer, gained the fence. fairly dew
oyer It and disappeared among the trees Il
that they were almost out Of sight before the
oflcer could collect his senses But soon the
alarm was given and men were In pursuit
OF the four who reached the woods the night
the coast They knew the land we'll and knew
just whore they were going. 80 that at the out |
set II was nothing worse than . wild frolic for
them.
AT the end OF an hour. feeling safe from pur-
suit. they hung themselves painting on the
lin . little while they got up and resumed
their Night It took them another hour to get |