The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-13
Mr.. BACKUS'S PRISON WORK.
ms Plan or REFORMING 6o'S
wHO HAyE cor INTO JAIL
4 Former 1t. Lawrence Cosn's s.
Is Carving Out In BrooA'yn
Making Friends with the a.,
$500, A..In n, Him How Ne Works

Backus."
Erastus p. BackuS was Sherln Oh ~ h'N'.'''
| county in 1883. lie was always 'h'e'e'''" !"
the work of reforming criminals ra'n'' mo''
than he was In the arr OF ca'c"i"s '"oi"
Ahough he was never n s"coho-'a'' """ ~
The hun, for "A criminal. " diu mo- WV" w
him that the average jail offered ii sfea' iva,
Of encouragement 10 the young man arrrS'eu
for the frst time. II seemed 10 MN 'ha' "''"
IN jail was about the the sures' s'ar. d Sou"k
man could have on a criminal chreV'' no "one
on, a reform system Of his own " was paSeN a'o-
gether upon his own personally Ills man
principle was 10 make a irlehu oi eNTs oos
and Young man whom he found in trouble. Nota
mere fair weather. praying ana sm''ihs irirnu'
but an EARNEST bread and butter and clothing
providing friend OF every BOY VINO seemeu
10 have 10, into trouble because he lacked
the right sort Of friend. Mr.. Backns worked
| along in n leisirely sort Of way up in St. Law-
| renee county, but he really ola not Ieei 'ha'
! he had there any chance 10 do the work ne
was capable OF. There were not criminals
enough in 81. Lawrence to keep him busy.
When hs brother, Foster l.. Backus, wasmade
| District Attorney Of Kings county, Erastlls
Rackus was Amounted a detective attached
10 the District Attorneys Office at a salary
u y, I'M II year w. W"
until Jan. /. last. When the patronage CONF
mi,,ee of the Kings county Democratic organIza-
ton decided tina, it needed a vacancy in his
place for the good of the organization, Mr..
B,ckus retired gracefully. He il not the sort
of reformer who considers his own public mar
,yrdom essential TO the well-beIng OF any
work in which he may be Interested.
The Indignation of the people Of Brooklyn
over the retirement of Mr.. Backus was so ont
spoke that a bill was put through the Legs
lature which made an Office for him as County
Detective. MIR. Backus did not cease his reform
work when ne wa, removed from Office, but
carried IL on a. a volunteer, independent OF
any organization. Now he Is work lng nomlnally
under the direction of the County Judges,
lie reports TO them from time 10 time. His salary
as County Detective is g.. 900. This i not really "A
very large salary for Mr.. BaCkus, for he spends
every cent tina, he can spare from his own
simple lodging, food and clothing, IN helping
the boys aud men among whom ,r Works
when Mr.. BaCkuS went into the District Al
tOrney's office. he began AZ once TO apply the
system which he had used IN 81 Lawrence
county. lie obtained every day a list oil me
| prisoners ia the city Magistrates rllrts who
had been held for the Grand Jury. lie visited
these prisoners in the jail and obtained IRON
them all the Information about themselves, maj
they were willing to give him He found out
who their friends were, who their enemies were,
and where they spent their time. He EN-
ploy-d his nights in looking up the references
he received during the day. In this way he
was able 10 find ont whether a certain prisoner
was truthful and 10 get n first-hand idea OF the
influences that had been working ulon him and
of the effect his environment might have had
in getting him into trouble. Thus Mr.. Backus
made up his mind whether the man IN jail was
worth working over or not II the man was
Young, Mr. BaCkuS almost always decided that
he was worth working over. IT Mr.. Backus was
convinced that the prisoner could and wouidliye
straight with a little help and artificial back;
bone, he Went To the Judge aud recommended
that sentence be- suspended. Then lie met the
discharged prisoner at he jaI door. found
lodvingo Tor RIP KEEP, nm, ~lIimra an "bd aea
him a good talking 10 all the time. lie almost
always succeeded in finding some sort OF en-
Ipo lGymsGG1 ' smm ms Y Bay ,bsm n' a HGsrs lr r v ,He E EeILdi
Of them, The clothing he bought for them,
the money that was spent ~ getting stolen
goods ont Of a shops 10 he quietly returned
10 their rightfnl possessor, and every other
expense connected with Mr.. BaCkus's plan,
came ont of his own small salary.
In the three years and Il half during which
Mr.. Barkus has been AT work in Brooklyn he
has succeeded ia having the sentences " $40
boys SUSPENDED. he has been obliged 10
ask for the IMPOSITION Of sentence on only fifty
SIX Of thos" boys, For the remaining 2si Mr..
Backus makes no assertion that they are saints.
lie simply says that they are earning honest
hvings and lhHl most Of them bel eve that
they can get along better N this world by obey
lEg the law. Some of them are living with
parplI- who declared when they We're first mr.
rested that th-v should never enter the house
again. Others are being concealed and kept
away from parents who might encourage them
TO be- dishonest.
MIR. Backu- keeps "A lIst in his Iocket which
contains tn. name of every boy over whom he
has worked. the BOYS address and some notes
about him y, mnttrr INTO what u1rt uf th,
citv Mr. BaCkus goes he i alWsvs in a neigh
I bDrhOod I'm which something may be learned
about one Of these BOYS He visits them con-
stantiy and visits their friends. Even though
the time when sentence might be- rrimpos.d
4pon them has expired MIR Backu>'- Interest
does not cra,p Nor doe, he withhold such
financial HELM ms hr can give
la taking about hi. work Mr. Backus ab.o.
! lutplv refused ,o sneak of anv of hs hoys by
name II. saws that things have goi 10 .Ich a
point nov ana he has beConIa 50 w.i kunyn
through the discussion of hs retirement in tLe
urW>OaparS that when he poe. ia a man and
SAYS thHt he has a bn, he wants the man in hire
the man prins and saws, iva rend +, good da,i
| about vOur boy. don't believe want any ~
Them" Wherefore MIR. Backus has 20 work in.
directly and get other p.opl. IN represnnt mir,
IN finding places for his Young men
Al hTsi when ,Le newsraner. ,ook nm uy
work " said Air Bsrkus Il did not iiks ~
! knew the rel would ha tb,t IL un,,Id r,uL, Z,
hard for thr h,vs mud thnt vban -, a,,,
down 10 the court Lnuse IN tnik tn ma M S,n,,,nd
me- on The .trSat IL anvHnI' sow ~ ,'pprdd
would vet aro,I,d IN ,ha nlar.s nhars ,Lau
| vor ked that tbev usra iail bird, md - INA
the result soon Would he tL,,t thev would H.. nI,t
of work and down M, their Ii'E and ii, n ,air
position 10 yet into jail again So ,,as.ed H.
word among tha,, I'M Ia ,ara ~ uonia
we're moi m sn.sL q ~ Wv NV ~ ~ y ~ ,nu ny
a., -, ~. y 49, u IVY NV