Connecticut western news., 1898-07-07
FASTENED BACK TO BACK.
How Boys Are Punished For Fighting Tn
 BroolSlyn Institution.

How Boys Are iuniSnpu fOr E1EntlnE
 BrooiSlyn Institution.
 In the Brooklyn Disciplinary Train. ing School For Boys delinquents safer the quccrest sort of punishmcnts Thcso punishments arc tho inventionsof prin- cipal Downing, who has been i'll charge of the institution since its establish ment year ago. He is young west ern man who has made aastudy of ponol ogy and methods of reform, and Inc manages tho tough boys committed to his charge with skill.
 The other afternoon, as the writer approached the old Villa dc Sales, in which the disciplinary school is now located, q side door opened anl there came out two boys who were fastened back to back by the upper parts of the arms, which were strapped. They sidled out of the door crab fashion and went down short flight of stairs to the playground. The larger boy was heavily built and appeared to be German. His face expressed stolidity. The boy fasten- ed to him was evidently Irish. He was in a rage, and as soon as his feet struck the firm earth he began to buck and wrench about like wild broncho. The other boy braccd himself, but declined to become excited. He looked straight ahead in a gloomy way like thought ful buffalo.
 There were nearly 50 other boys on the playground, and these gathered about the newcomers. They howled with delight and played tricks on the unfortunate pair. The Irish boy kicked and thrashed about wildly until he ex- hausted himself. Then he stood still. The German promptly sat down on tho grass, and the Irish boy was forced to do the same. The whole scene was wildly funny, and all the boys ill the playground enjoyed it to thefull. They gave up their other occupations in or der to guy the victims.
 "That is the punishment for fight ing" said Mir. Downing, when asked the meaning of the strange spectacle. "The Irish boy attacked the German, so fastened them together in that man. her. find the plan very effective. You see the point is that they've got to come to an agreement before they can go any where or do anything. The most effect i've part of the punishment is that it makes them look ridiculous. If they were whipped or put on bread and Wa ter or put ill solitary confinement, they might pose to the other boys as grand and gloomy desperadoes of the cent novel variety. But it is quite impossi- ble for them to maintain their dignity when tied back to back. The more des- perate they are the funnier they look and the other boys have no mercy on them.
 "They don't stick it out very long when fastened together. They arc in each others way at every motion. When they go to the table to eat, they must stand sidewise. They must walk sidewise. They must lie sidewise, back to back, ill the bed. When they have had enough, they come and apologize and promise to keep the peace. And they do keep it.
 There are no bars or bolts on the Disciplinary Training School For Boys. Sometimes the youngsters, who arc sup posed to be the toughest that Brooklyn can produce, run away. They don't go very far, and they are always brought back. The runaways are punished by being made to run round and round the grass plot. Thus they get more running than they want.-New York Sun.