The San Francisco call., 1897-09-25
The Child Released
From His Cell in Los
Angeles Prison.
Mrs. c. M. Sterry Prevails On
Justice Rossiter to Un do
His Work
Not Knowing Why He Was Put Into
Jail, the Little Tot Returns
to His Home.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, Sept. "a
Through the personal intervention OF
Mrs. C. NJ, Sterry, the wife of ex-Judge
Sterry, baby Harry Haas was released
from confine ment in the County Jail this
evening. Since the news of the heartless
treatment Of the child became known the
leeling OF indignation and resentment
against every one connected with the case
has become intense. So cruel did the
whole proceeding appear to many that
they were 10Th to believe the facts.
During the day the Jail was visited by
quite mum Der of PEOPLE. many being
women, VINO came to comfort the infantlle
prisoner. Mrs. Sterry was one of the
earliest at the prison.
After learning the facts from the child
and the Sheriff she Immediately entered
on the practical work Of preventing his
spending another night behind the bars.
She lost little time in reaching Pasadena
and searching out the conscientious judge
who had deemed il his duty to order little
Harry into the custody OF the Sheriff.
Justice of the Peace Rossiter was soon
made to realize that the cause of human
itv had been outraged in his peculiar
effort 10 protect the public welfare from
the dire dep-edauons OF the iliiputian
desperate. His excuse for having treated
as malefactor the child, whose years
certainly precluded him from compre-
hending right from wrong, was that he
felt it his duty TO protect the public from
the baby terror.
So careful was this Dogberry of Pasa-
dena in his efforts to RIG the community
.ef IL u "a 1a n q
parents that their child was under arrest
and about to be tried 1t was only when
their little son failed to come home that
the mother and father realized something
was wrong.
Nearly all Wednesday night the dis
traced parents searched for Harry, and
not unit, Yesterday did they learn OF his
fate. The parents are in extremely poor
circumstances. The father can obtain
only an occasional days worE. and Mrs.
Haas aids in providing sustenauce for
herself, her husband and six children by
going ont to do washing. There was not
enough money in The house to pay the
mothers fare from Pasadena to Los An
geles when she heard of her BOYS incar-
ceratfon in the county jail. When Mrs
Sterry visited the home OF the baby
prisoner there was eut 20 cents in the
house
After Mrs. Sterry had presented the case
TO Justice Rossiter from her point of view,
he readily issued an order for the transfer
of the custody of the child 10 herself and
the mother. This evening Mrs. Sterry
and Mrs. Haas presented the order to the
Sheriff, and soon Mrs. Haas, who is nearly
heartbroken over the occurrence, was on
her way home with the punv little fellow.
1T is disgrace to a Christian COM
munity," said Mrs. Sterry, to The CALLS
correspondent. ''that such dreadful
thing should have been allowed 10 occur
Why, the hardened criminals in the cells
ad dioining that of the poor little fellow
resented with oaths the tnrusting OF this
mere baby among them.
"As q general thing do not believe in
women interfering with the doings of
constituted au horities, but here was a
case where l thought something ought to
be done, for no one seemed wiIl1nc to in
tercsde for this sim ple-minded lad. When
he realized that l came 10 the jail for his
benefit he chung TO be, trembling like an
aspen leaf. He has promised me that be
will not again stray away from his home.
Haven't YOU, Harry ?" she said, turningto
the child and petting him as he half hid
himself in his mothers skirts, the con-
versation having taken place just outside
the iail door after the youngsters release.
Harry nodded mis- head affirmativeIy. The
mother was so stricken with her trouble
that her senses wers partially benumbed
and she as unable to talk.
If the feeling in Pasadena is anything
like that which prevails in This place JUS
tice Rossiter's bench may be provided
Y ith 4 new occupant. Here are some of
the local expressions:
Mayor Snvder-Putting child like that
into prison is horrible no matter what he
did. He is not answerable to the law in
that way.
Thomas E. Gibbon-Confning a child of
his years in Jail is an outrage and violates
every true principle of humanity. 1t is an
instance of Justice Shallow rampant with
his eye on fee.
James McLachlan-It seems incredible
that a Justics should sentence a little
child to prison ;or a trifing offense, or
that a constable should carry out such a
commitment. | don't know what they
could have been thinking of.
The lad was convicted OF petty larceny
by Justice Rossiter on complaint of Mr..
Campbell, the secretary of a Pasadena
nursery. He was charged with stealing
He admits that he stole some bread be-
cause ne was hungry. Justice Rossiter
ordered him into the Sheriff's custody
pending sentence.
That the Pasadena terror OF infants
violated the law as we'll as justice is
shown by section 26 of the criminal code.
which provides that children under IA
years of age in the absence of clear proof
that at the time of committing an act
they knew its wro1gfulness, are legally in
capa ble OF committing crime punishable
by imprisonment.