Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-03
COURT FOR CHILDREN ONLY
Tribunal Which Is Intended To
Reclaim Them.
Is Not for the Purpose Of Furnishing
the First Case Was of Two
Youngsters Who Were Found Pick
ing Over Garbage They Were Dirty
and Tear Begrimed and Their Cases
Went oyer Until Tomorrow.

New York. Sept 3For the first
time in the history of the city the chill
! zen have a court of their own, whose
aim is the reclamation Of youthful Of
tenders, rather than their punishment.
| With the time-honored .OyeZ, oyer
and as the elimination of years Of ag-
| itation, the children's part of the court
of special sessions was opened by JUS
| tice Willard H. Olmsted to-day in the
Reconstructed charities building at
Third avenue and Eleventh street
| When the justice took his seat on
| the bench there were score of youth
full offenders awaiting examination,
while representatives of various chari-
table organizations, anxious to see the
Inauguration Of the scheme for which
they have been working, crowded the
little court room.
The first case to be heard was that
OF nine-year-old Georgia Hesington OF
543 West Thirtieth street and little
Annie hgan Of 432 West Thirty-sev-
enth street, who We're found picking
over garbage in Gansevoort market
early this morning. The little girls
were brought from the Gerry society
rooms on the top floor, led to the Axe
platform, which Is raised so that the
eye of a four-year-old child would be
on a level with the bar, and after a
preliminary examination of the police
officer were remanded for examination
on Thursday
Both the children were dirty and
fearful, but they appeared more afraid
OF the cameras which were lined
against the opposite wall and pointed
toward them than of the judge or
court officers
Luke Colletti, IL years old, was next
arraigned. Luke had been missing from
his home, 541 Ninth avenue, for three
months, and was found this morning
on Frankfort street. In his pocket
We're 800 pennies which the Gerry
agents more than suspect were won
from the newsboys about Park Row.
He will be examined tomorrow morn
ing, when his parents will appear.
Justice Olmsted, Clerk Edmund G.
Lee and Deputy Clerk Ernest x. Coul-
ter arrived in the building before 9
O'Clock this morning and found Super
1ntendent Jenkins of the Gerry society
and Mrs Sillery, who is to act as ma
tron, already there.
Before that hour the youthful offend
Vi > 0C5UA w dL1ANC. oA LLG IOp uOO@
of the reconstructed building, and in
charge Of Superintendent Jenkins,
three rooms have been provided, one
each for the boy and girl prisoners, and
another for the police officers and Ger
ry agents. In the children's room are
games and toys.
The first to be put under Mrs Sill
lery's charge were Frances, Martha and
John Houser of 421 West Thirty-sev
enth street. They were found there
this morning in a half-starved condi-
tion. After being fed the girls were
given dolls to afnuse them, and the boy
a pair of shoes.
Eleven year old William Fleming,
whose parents live at 14S Eighth ave
nue., was brought in to be arraigned for
sleeping under one of the arches Of the
Brooklyn bridge. He was arrested this
morning The officers of the Children's
society say that the boy ran away from
home three weeks ago.
Among those seated who witnessed
the opening Of the court to-day was
President Vernon NJ. Davis of the So
ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children. Mr. Davis expressed himself
as delighted with the arrangements.