The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-11
FAVOR A REFORMATORY.
The Court Officials Discuss the Pro-
ieCt FaVOTably.

They are in a Position to Know What
Necessity There Is for Such an In
stitution and They Indorse 1t Heart
uy-Judge MacDoneu. Says That
Jails and Chain-G Gangs are No Place
for Youthful Criminals-The Soil
citor General Would Like to See
Such an Institution Established at
Once.
The question Of a state or county re
formatory has excited widespread in
teresJ since the publication by the MORN
ING News of an article with reference to
the state reformat0ry. of Missouri, at
Bonneville in that state, and of the effects
Of which Mr. L p Ravenel made some
interesting personal observations.
The MORNING NEWS has received a
number of communications on this line,
all of which have indorsed the idea and
recommend the establishment of such an
institution. Inquiries made around the
court house yesterday developed the fact
that the officials, as a general thing, are
heartily in favor of such an institution.
They not only iudorse the idea but think
that it is time that serious consideration
should be given to some such project.
JUDGE MAcDoNELL's VIEWS.
81 am very much interested in the sub
iect" said Judge MaCDOnell, when asked
about the matter. Il drew up bill on
the subject some time ago providing for a
reformatory for Chatham county, modelled
somewhat after the refOrmatory of Rich
mOnd county, which. I think, is the only
county in the state that has one, and /
intended to lay the matter before the
county commissioners.
Il am strongly in favor of the establish
ment of such an institution, and if the
legislature don't see tit to appropriate
money for that purpose, 1 think the coun-
ties in the state in which the larger cities
are situated ought to have special laws
creating county reformatOries. The Rich
mond county refOrmatOry is the only in
stitution of the kind that / know of in
the state, and while l do not remember
all the details of its operation, do re
member that 1t struck me at the time as
being particularly good model for a re-
formatory.
NOTHING REFORMATORY ABOUT PRISON LIFE.
Il haven't the criminal statisticso this
court. but the number of youthful crimi-
nails that come before it is large. We
have them to deal with almost every Sat
urday. Most of them, Of course, are
young negro boys, but there are occasion
dlAN WIlbt CLlluItus anu IL ID oUllltLlLntS q
puzzle what to do with them on account
of their extreme youth.
There is nothing at all reformatory in
the punishments that are inflicted by the
court now. They must either be sent TO
the jail or put on the chain-gang, and
while this may deter some of them from
future transgressions, | believe that
the Jail and the chain-gang have
a tendency to make them worse crimi-
nails than they were before. The chain
gang and jails are a hutbed and nursery
for criminals, especially in the case Of the
younger class of criminals At that early
age they are peculiarly susceptible to i'm
pressions, either good or bad, but the
only influences that reach them in the
jails and chain-gangs are bad. Their as
sOciates there are the worst that could
be found for them IN the whole city of
Savannah. I think if a choice of the en-
tire population of Savannah We're made.
no worse associates could be found for
them than they have here.
INFLUENCES OF JAILs AND CHATN-GANGs.
"When they are thrown in
constant contact with this class
of associates in the Jails
and chain-gangs it follows to a demonstra-
ton that when they come out they are
worse than when they went in They
come back before the court again ana
again and often for entirely new offenses
/ nave known many instances where they
came back within a day after being dis
charged from the chain-gang. ItamOunts
TO maintaining a school for criminals
right in the midst of the city and county
Inc self interests Ot the community out
side of any ques ion of philanthropy
would demand that some steps be taken
TO remedy this and to obtain some iusti-
tuition by which these youthful offenders
can be reformed"
SOLICITOR FRAsER's VIEWS
Solicitor General Fraser was prac-
ticalY of the same mind as Judge Mac
Donell, and there is little doubt of the
fact that Judge Faligant would support
such q proposition warmly.
Il am heartily in favor of a reforma-
tory said Solicitor General Fraser,
land | think that the state, or at least
the county, ought to have one anu have
II at once. If there is a thing we do need
II IS reformatory for youthful crimi-
mails.
I'VE have them before the courts time
and again too young to prosecute and it
is no uncommon thing to have offenders
here under 8 and 10 years of age. Some
times we have TO turn little thieves loose
on the community, because they are en-
tlrely too young to be prosecuted
SOMETHING GOOD IN THE YOUNGSTERS.
''There must be something good IN these
youngsters, and there is no other way to
train that side Of them than through a
reformatory. 1t don't DO any good to
put them in the idilS and Changing with
the toughest kind of criminals. for it is
not long before they are again before the
courts and often on more serious charges
than before"
The solicitor general spoke enthusiast
tically on the subject. He referred to a
number of instances Of youthful crimi-
mails which were sent TO jail or put on the
cna-l gang, and showed that it had not
bettered their career. He recalled
especially, the instance of the 9-year-old
negro, Lewis Morris, who was sent to jail
few days ago for the theft of SO The
solicitor thinks there can be no doubt in
the mind of any reasoning man of the
need of such an institution
ROUGH WEATHER AT SEA.
II, 49,. u