The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-22
TOREFORM BAD BOYS
CONVICTION or TWO LADS BRINGS
A CRY FOR REFoRMAToRY.
SENT TO COUNTY FARM.
WHERE EVIL COMMUNICATIONS
CORRUPT REMNANT OF MANNERS.

Dave Stanley and Lawrence Purdy,
Two Young White Boys Who
Broke and Entered store of Palm
err Hardware Company, Sentenced
to Terms on the Farm-BOth Are
Very Youns-CharitabIe Persons
DepIore Necessity of Such Sem
tence-Eforts Made to Have Them
Admitted to Junior Republic Mt
FreeviIIe.
There is again talk of the necessity Of
establishing for Chatham county a re-
formatory for youthful criminals or OF
inaugurating some plan by which these
young unfortunates may be cared for.
Thoughtful students Of social conditions
realize that unless something is done the
first conviction of boy for an oTense
against the law is altogether likely to re-
suit in his becoming hardened and steep
ed in crime Under existing conditions
there is little hope or chance that he will
reform or even improve.
Atlanta has recently established a re-
formatory, as a result Of a persistent
campaign Of the best elements of that
city. The experiment there is too new 90
afford conclusive proofs Of the extent of
its utility but that it will accomplish
much good nobody is hardy enough to
doubt.
To those who interest themselves in
phiianthropic subjects and the needs of
the criminal classes, constant reminders
of the need of reformatory in Savan-
nah are afforded by the trials OF young
boys for minor offenses. The judges of
the courts are confronted with the al
tentative of turning the boys loose upon
the community, in which case they are
encouraged to continue their evil courses,
or of sentencing them to terms upon the
county farm, where evil associations cor
rupt whatever remnant Of good manners
has been left them.
The case of the boys, Purdy and Stan
ley, who have just been sentenced, has
but served to call public attention to this
subject. The need OF a reformatory is
recognized by every good citizen who has
given the matter a moments thought.
Lawrence Purdy, one of the four white
boys indicted by the grand jury for the
burglary OF the store of the Palmer
Hardware Company, entered a plea Of
guilty in the Superior Court yesterday.
Purdy was the second Of the boys to
adopt this course, Dave Stanley having
entered a similar plea on the day preced-
ing.
Purdy was given the same punishment
INJECTED upon Stanley. his choice be-
tween the payment of a fine OF $50 and
costs or a six months term on the coun-
~ farm
The punishment meted out TO these
boys. both Of whom are exceedingly
yorng, revived in the minds Of those who
watched them while they were being
sentenced the old-time agitation of the
need Of a reformatory in this county
While the county farm is the place to
which the less vigorous criminals are
sent, the associations there are not great
~ to be preferred to those on the chain
gang proper
Those who discuss the need of re-
formatory point out that if there is
spaSk of honesty left in the boys, asso-
citation for six months with the involun-
tary inhabitants Of the county farm will
serve effectually to destroy it.
There are two other boys, the young
Egense brothers, till TO be tried for the
burglary Of the Palmer Hardware Com
pany's store. Should they plead. as their
companions in misfortune have already
done, or be tried and convicted, the best
Judge Falligant can do for them under
the present law is to sentence them to
the county farm. The Oldest of the four
boys is IA or 10 years old, and the others
are several years younger. Stanley said
he was only II and he looked the part
A charitable lady Of Savannah has in
terested herself in the Purdy boys case
and will appeal to Gov. Gambler to repeal
the sentence with the understanding that
the boy shall be sent to the George Ju-
nior Republic at Freeville, N. Y. The
same lady interested in this case has been
instrumental in sending to the Junior Re
public three other boys from all Of whom
good reports have since been received.