The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-07-26
Two Laws That Ought to Prove of
Inestimaole Blessing.

The two new laws enacted by the State
legislature in the interest of children and
for the prevention Of crime will be prodne-
tive Of most excellent results. Both bills
we're drawn up by Thomas Robins, Solicit
or. and Richard S. Hunter, one ofthe Board
of Managers Of the Children's Aid Society
Of Pennsylvania. The first prohibits the de-
tention Of children in the same van, cell OF
dock with older prisoners, and provides for
the trial of accused children separately and
apart from that of adults. 1t is as follows !:
SECTION l. Be Z >aac,sd b. he Senate aud
House OF Represeitatires Of the Commonwealth
Of Pennsylvania a, Geseral Assembly met aud
Il Is hereby eaacted By the authority Of The
sane, That no child under restraint or con-
viction under sixteen years of age shall be
placed in any apartment or cell of any pris-
on or place Of confinement or in any court
room during the trial Of adults or in any We
hiele Of transportation in company with
adults charged with or convicted of crime.
SEC. ?. All cases involving the commit
ment or trial OF children for any crime or
misdemeanor before any magistrate or JUS
tice Of the peace or in any court may be
heard and determined BY such court at suit
able times to be designated therefor by it
separate and apart from the trial Of other
criminal cases Of which session a separate
docket and record shall be kept.
10 one who is familiar with the scenes OF
a criminal court trial and has witnessed the
absorbing interest with which juvenile of
Tenders drink in every word and detail in
the history OF a crime can doubt that this
new law is a step in advance.
The other bill was modelled after the act
which authorizes the Commitment of chill
dren by Magistrates and Judges to the
House of Refuge, with the very distinct DIFF
ference that charitable and incorporated So
c;eties having certain objects aud methods
are substituted for the House of Refuge.
This act was framed ID meet the needs Of a
class of cases brought daily to the notice oi
Judges and Magistrates, wherein very young
children, unmisiaksbly suffering from ne
glect and often i'll usage, are brought before
the bar of justice as lawbreakers. Most
Judges and many magistrates are perplexed
and distressed at the alternative which has
hitherto Obliged them to commit such ex-
tremely young children to a reiormatory,
where they are undoubtedly out of place
aud at the mercy OF older inmates, or to re-
turn them to the misrule and neglect of
their yretched parents
Even without legal sanction in its strict
est sense many Judges began to avail them
selves of the Societys willingness 10 receive
children experimentally, and since 1880 have
turned over many young offenders to The
Children's Aid Society without formal com
mitnenI The new law now gives the
childrens Aid Society a legal standing in
Court and legal control over the ehildrtn
committed 70 its care While in no sense a
reformatory institution, the society has a
very important mission to perform in the
field Of preventive work and in studying the
causes and cure of crime 1t receives chill
dren from police stations and court rooms,
with the understanding that such children
are more in need of oHe than Of punish
nient, and at great cost and by dint ofextra-
Ordinary effort it labors to bestow on each
child the gifts Of life hitherto denied IL. .
good home, pure surroundings food, cloth
ing and personal care.