The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-07-01
REFORM School NEEDED.
Another Illustration Of the Fact
Furnished by Recent Police
Arrests.
Two Boys. the Oldest About Ten
Years, Given Five Days in
the City Jail
II Set Free without Punishment Youthful
Offenders Lose All Fear Of the Law
and Police.

Two boys belonging TO respectable fami-
lies were released from the city jail yester-
day, having served i've days in working out
. fine Of $40 for treapassinR on property Of
the Northern Pacific railroad. One Of tho
fathers are compelled by their business to
be away from the city q great deal of the
time, and tho boys arc so wild that their
mothers cannot keep them at home. The
little fellows were found sleeping in the
sand house Of the Northern Pacific. and in
their efforts to build a IRE to keep them
solves warm they nearly rot fire to the
place. In order to brighten them and make
them stay at home Judge Gage Inn
posed a hne Of $40 on zach boy.
Thu city jail Is not Z desirable place for
small boys. as there ID only one room, that
known as the bridal chamber where
they can bs kent without quitting them in
the "frss-for-all." where they will be
thrown In contact With mon who may be in
for more or less serious crimes. The
'bridal chamber" ia the only place where
women prisoners can be kept, when there
are any. The bows, however. we're put in
the bridal chamber" in preference to the
"free-for.all." There is only one chair in
the room, and the two boys sat on it, with
their arms around each other, ON the prin-
cipale that united We sit, divided we fall"
When they had both had q good cry, Jailor
Purcell started them to work at odd jobs
around the city hall. They worked cheer
fully, polishing up the metal GUS
pidors and washing the ea,thsn-
ware ones. This and other work
was put OF the boys to give them q taste of
the dark side of prison life. They were al
lowed food in plenty, but no luxuries until
their tasks we're DONE. The Injuries. in the
tirsly lose sight of the bright side Of life.
At every opportunity they consulted the
calendars to see how the days were Passing.
Their chief anxiety was to be out by the
Fourth of July. They have now several
days to prepare for that event, and will, no
dom and make things howl on Independence
Day. Thu short term in prison may teach
them a lesson, or II may not. Many Of the
officers moline to the latter opinion; all
hope that II will. III
While ii may be looked upon al q hard
ship to put two such young boys IN a city
prison, there was only one other course,
and that was to let them 90 unpublished.
There are cases coming to the notice of the
police right along of boys of tender age
committing moro or less serious o~fFenses.
some OF which would involve = county
jail sentence, il they wore prose euted.
Rather than send them to associate with
moro hardened criminals, the authorities
have held them several days in order to
friRhtsn them, and then turned them
loose. In a large majority Of cases the
boys have failed to scare, and in fact have
imbibed a SOFT Of contempt for the law
which does not punish them because it has
no proper place to send them. Hereafter,
however, things are going to be different,
and what fear would not deter them from
doing, q sieRe of cuspidor washing and a
pretty rough diet may stop.
II has been suggested on several occa-
sions that some sort Of reformatosy for in
c%orriQible boys should be established here.
A state institution of that kind is among
the possibilities when the next legislature
meets, but meantime II ia thought the city
could, at q. comparatively small expense.
have one of its own temporarily bv renting
a building M placing it in charge of a
competent matron, with q man to do the
overseeing of the boys while out doors.
Such a place. whore the discipline would be
strict without being harsh, and where the
boys would be kept at work, would, it is
thought, bring many . lad to a proper reali-
cation Of what it 10 to transRress the laws.