Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1898-07-02
FASTENED BACK TO BACK.
How Eoys Are Punished For Fighting In
Brooklyn institution.

How EOys Arc unnamed FOR FlgntluH An
a Brooklyn institution.
In the Brooklyn Disciplinary Train
ing School For Boys delinquents suffer
the queerest sort Of punishments. These
punishments arc the invention Of Prin-
cipal Downing, who has been In charge
of the institution since Its establish
mont year ago. He is a young west
ern man who has made study of penof
ogy and methods of reform, and he
manages the tough boys committed to
his Charge with skill.
The other afternoon, as the writer
approached tho old Villa dc Sales, in
which tho disciplinary school is now
located, a side door opened and 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 a short fight of stairs to the
playground. The larger boy wa7 heavily
built and appeared to be German. His
face expressed stolidity. The boy fasten-
cd to him was evidently Irish. He was
in rage and as soon as his feet struck
the firm earth he began to buck and
wrench about like wild bronoho. The
other boy braced himself, but declined
to become excited. He looked straight
ahead in gloomy way like thought
full buffalo.
There were nearly 80 other boys on
the playground, and these gathered
about tho 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 the
grass, and the Irish boy was forced to
do tho same. The whole scene was
wildly funny, and all the boys in the
playground enjoyed it to the full. They
gave up their other occupations in or
der to guy the victims.
"That is the punishment for fight
ing " said Mr.. Downing, when asked
the meaning of tho strange spectacle
'Tho Irish boy attacked the German,
so fastened them together in that man
ner. find the plan very effective. You
see the point is that they We got to como
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 Oh bread and wa
ter or put in solitary confinement, they
might pose to the other boys as grand
and gloomy dcsperadoes 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 1t out very long
when fastened together. They are in
each others way at every motion.
When they go to the table to eat, they
must stand sidewise. They must walk
sidewisc. They must lie sidewise, back
to back, in tho bed. When they have
had enough, they como and apologize
and promise to keep the peace. And
they do keep it,
There arc no bars or bolts ON the
Disciplinary Training School For Boys
Sometimes tho youngsters, who are 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.