Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-10-19


Bring the Full Scope of the school to the
S'tice of the Police Officers. and Also TO
Explain to Them the Provisions OF the
Charter Under Which IL Ii Working and
theLsw by when Girls Can be Committed
Bishop Coleman and Mrs. f. G.
Marks, president of the Delaware In
dustrial School for Girls, appeared be-
fore the Board Of Police Commission
ers Monday 10 order to explain to the
commissioners the real objects of the
institution and request the department
to cooperate with them IN the work of
preventing incorrigibie girls from fall
ing from virtue, rs well as saving
fallen girls. Both the bishop and Mrs.
Marks addressed the board.
Bishop Coleman explained the OBJ
lect of the visit, after which he said
he was convinced, in conversation
few days ago that there was q want of
information on the part OF some of the
policemen as to the real purpose of the
school. He told tho commissioners that
Mrs. Marks had found u girl few days
ago in n place where drinking was
going on and Mrs. Marks called the at
iention of an officer to the matter and
asked the officer why he did not arrest
the GIL, and the officer replied that if
he arrested the girl she would simply
DO committed to New Castle jail. Mrs.
Marks therenpon informed the officer
that tho Delaware Industrial School
Tor Girls was intended for the care of
Just such people and they could be
committed to that institution. The
bishop told the commissioners that
this convinced him that there was o
lack of apprehension of the scope Of the
school. He wanted to impress upon
the commissioners the fact that the
school is not only place for girls who
have fallen. but place as well for re-
fraotory girls, those who cannot be
managed ut home, those who are incor-
riglble, those who are in danger from
their surroundings OF falling. The
school is to prevent as vel as to cure
immortality in girls. Tho bishop asked
the board to devise some means to
bring the full scope of the school to the
notice Of the officers and also to explain
to them the provisions of the charter
under which it is working and tho law
by which girls in danger OF falling can
be committed. The bishop road the
following portion of the law, which, he
said, covered the point:
"A parent or guardian of any girl
between the ages Of u and 81 years, or
the municipal officers, or any three re-.
spectacle inhabitants of any city or
town where she may be found. may
complain in writing to the Judge of the
Municipal Court, or to any Justice of
the peace in the county, alleging that
she is leading an idle and vicious life,
or has been found in circumstances Of
manifest danger of falling into habits
OF vice or immortality, and request that
she may be committed to the guardian.
ship of The Delaware Industrial
School fol- Girls, the Judge or justice
shall appoint time and place Of hear
ing and order notice thereof 10 any per-
son entitled to be heard, and at such
time and place may examine into the
truth Of the allegations of said COM
plant, and if satisfactory evidence
thereof is adduced, and it appears that
the welfare of such girl requires it, he
may, with the assent thereto of the
said corporation or their duly author
lied agents, order her to be committed
to the custody and guardianship OF the
officers of said school during her
minority or for any specified term, un-
less discharged by process of law. A
parent or guardian upon complaint and
hearing as aforesaid and certificate of
any Judge or justice as aforesaid, that
the girl of the age herein limited is a
proper subject to be committed to said
school, may, with the assent thereto of
the said corporation, or their duly
authorized agents thereof, for term to
be agreed upon by the parent or
guardian and the duly authorized
agents of said corporation, upon the
condition that the parent or guardian
shall pay her expenses at reasonat le
uniform rate to be fixed by said
corporation, and the said corpora
tion shall have power to enforce
such agreement. On complaint of the
Judge of the Municipal Court, any
justice of the peace, or Judge of any
court OF competent Jurisdiction, that
any girl of the age herein limited has
heen guilty of an offence punishable by
fine OF Imprisonment other than i'm
pfisonment for life, such Judges or
Justice may so far examine into the
case as to satisfy himself whether she
is suitable subject for commitment of
said school; and if he go decides, he
may thereupon suspend the case, and
with the consent thereto of said cor
poration or its duly authorized agents
may order her to be committed to.the
guardianship Of said school FOR any
term that he may deem proper"
The bishop desired the commissioners
to know that'drunken and incorrigible
girls can be taken into the school when
properly committed by the court,
whether they have fallen or are in
danger of falling. He considered that
when girl is found to be drunk no
other evidence is necessary to show that
she is in danger of failing. He wished
the officers to be instructed that when
girls are arrested for drunkenness they
need not be committed to New Castle
jail. but that there is an institution
right here in the city where they may
be cared for and become better girls
when they come out than when they
went in.
Mrs. Marks said the management
wanted it known that girls who drink
can be committed to the institution
and the institution is anxious to take
care of them. She said she saw a girl
recently, apparently about Is years of
age, very drunk and when she spoke to
an officer about her the officer said he
had seen the girl on previous Satur-
day night between ~ and . o'elock so
drunk that she was unable to take care
of herself. She said the management
of the Delaware Industrial School for
Girls desired it known that tho institu-
tion is well equipped and is ready at
all times to take girls addicted to drink
and incorriGihle girls whenever they
arc sent to the institution. Mrs. Marks
said one girl like the one to whom she
had referred exerts a wonderful in
fiuence for evil in the community.
There arc several such girls in the city
NOW and IL lie tim IallrI,asa Of tho ..1Ll.1l