The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-05
COURT FOR CHILDREN
NEW YORK SEPARATES YOUNG
FROM OLD OFFENDERS
Regarded as Most Necessary and
Merciful Departure-cases to Be
Given Careful Attention-The Doc
trine of Prevention Is Better Than
Cure" Exem plifies-study of Child
Character.

Special to The Globe.
NEW. YORK, Oct. 4.--The opening
of the children's police court is. a step
which we may expect to see followed
in other cities.
By some it is looked upon as a sem
timental procedure, but to those who
are averse to seeing budding criminals,
or possibly only erring or suspected
children, brought into contact with
hardened vice, 1t is a most necessary
and merciful departure. ~
The children's police court is the old
charities headquarters, at Eleventh
street and Third avenue, transformed,
and very useful place it, indeed,
forms for the purpose to which it is
now devoted.
Here the juvenile offenders are
henceforth to be arraigned instead
of being jostled in with the mature
dotsam and jetsam at the Tombs.
That there is plenty of Juvenile de-
pravity in New York no one will doubt,
but that comparative babies should be
herded with hardened felons and treat
ed with the same methods has long
seemed to be averse to the best inter
eSts of society. The first misstep is
often the result of bad companionship
or carelessness, and should seldom be
visited with much severity. Commit
ments Of children to industrial reform
schools until their majority are excel
lent things in their way, but by no
means is 1t the best way to dispose of
the average child, who must bear upon
himself all his life the social scars
~ y.,.ic 20 ToP< f,,, ~,
fit places for the hardened and ire
deemable and should be used only as
last resort.
Care Will Be Taken
The beauty of the new court is that
cases are not to be hastily disposed of
there. 1t was impossible to give such
cases proper consideration in the ordi-
nary police courts, for the rush of BUSH
ness there made it imperative for the
justices to act promptly. This in many
instances precluded the possibility of
making thorough Investigation and
doubtless in the wrongful conviction
of many an innocent child. How grew
Gus such errors as these must be need
not be stated, for the inference is too
obvious.
On opening day at the children's
court over twenty cases were dis
missed as being too trivial for consid-
Grafton" less than dozen were given
final consideration" and 'the great ma
jority were remanded in order to per-
NIT of a thorough investigation of the
merits of the case"
Surprising that those cases had been
rushed through one of the regular po-
lice courts! Would such a methOdical
and desirable means for deciding upon
the best course to pursue for the young
ones have been taken? It would have
been impossible.
Two little babes, one a girl Of eight,
with mother in hospital and father out
Of work, and the other little chap of
nine, were charged with the crime of
eating garbage picked up in one of the
markets.
1t transpired that they had been
without food for days and. their plea
of hungry, was considered sufficiently
strong to warrant an investigation be-
fore they We're deprived of the liberty
which even child loves.
Sent by Parents.
Another pretty tot, accused of steal
ing $50 from a grocerymans till, said
that her parents sent her out to steal.
Investigation showed the child'S story
to be correct, and that her parents had
been on debauch for two weeks on
money she had previously stolen for
them. As little Mamie was an only
child it was thought better to hand her
over to one Of the societies.
Infantile tough Ne has plenty Of
representatives at the chf1dren's court.
Boy terrors who hold girls up and
rob them as they leave the bakeshop,
or who snatch purses from them, are
everyday occurrences.
Ingenious are the defenses put in
by some of these juvenile offenders
with old heads on young shoulders.
Often their stories are so c1eyerly
concocted that they very nearly sue
coed in film fa1nming the court.
The children's court is a study in
child character-byy far the most in
teresting to be found in New York
Here the first lines of the seamy side
of life may be seen developing and
side by side with them the sunny IN
nocence and righteousness which pro-
claim themselves Notwithstanding the
policeman's mistake or the MALICIOUS
insinuations Of some modern Squeers.
At any rate the institution is an honor
to the foresight and careful interest,"
in the public veal Of our city fathers
and forms working part OF that new
proposition on behalf OF humanity
which breaches the doctrine tnat pre-
vention Is better than cure.