Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-10
OUT ON PROBATION
First Offenders Are Given
Another Chance.
NEW YORK CUSTOM
LOOKED AFTER BY A SPECIAL
OFFICER.
This Official il q Man Of Influence
Among the Glass He Has
Charge OF.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

power.
Each police magistrate, has a probation
officer. The probation officers are picked
poltcemen-cops Of diplomacy, fineness, per-
suasiveness and the sinew to back their
arguments when the occasion arises. Their
influence for good is enormous. One first
rate probation officer can be Of more help
fulness to the magisterial district under his
jurisdiction than fifty glowering. club
,, swinging policemen. The probation officer
scheme has only been in operation for a
few months, but 1t has already approved
and justified itself away beyond all ex-
pectations.
Probation officer doesn't mean that the
officer himself is on probation-far from
that, for the men selected for these assign
ments are fellows with unimpeachable
records and of sterling ability as policemen.
The probation officer looks after the peo-
pie. most of them first offenders, who, tn
stead of being punished by the police mag
istrate before whom they appear, are
turned loose on probation. Over here 1t Is
persons hauled up for misdemeanors an
| other chance when they find themselves in
| police court for the first time. A work.
ingman who has gone on a spree on a Sat
home and smashed the furniture is ar
rested, and the next day he finds himself
| in front Of a police magistrate.
How the Plan Works.
what kind Of man is this, officer?" the
| magistrate inquiries Of the cop who has ar
rested the workingman.
Hes all right your honor" replies the
cop. "and works hard. But he's been get
ting soused up on Saturday nights lately.
| and last night he went home and chased
his wife and kids into the street.
you're on probation for six months,
Mike" says the magistrate to the prisoner.
you'll be under the constant observation
Of a probation officer during that time, and
you want to walk chalk line, Mike or to
the island you'll go, sure. You've got to
stop drinking altogether and behave. If
you're brought here again for abusing or
threatening your wife and children it'll go
hard with you. Officer" addressing the
probation officer attached to his court. put
this mans name on your list and keep an
eye on him."
Whereupon Mike, the Woodworking man,
who. nevertheless. has permitted himself
to fall into the habit of going upon sprees,
Is turned loose, to be kept under the OBJ
seryation of the probation officer. Under
the system that prevailed before the in
auguration Of the probation system he
would have been sent to the island for a
month or So his. family would have lost
his support altogether and he would have
come away from the island a shamed and
disgraced man. mark for the jeers of I'M
feeling neighbors and an easier prey to
drink than he had ever been before.
It has already been shown that four-fifths
Of the Offenders who are put under the es-
pienageE Of the. probation officers actually
| turn about from their vicious or reckless
| ways and make strong efforts to be de-
cent They are not harried or bulldozed
into this by the probation off1cers-these
guardians of the people on probation are
not tyrannical, but good-naturedly firm.
Being of the plain people themselves, they
hox 70 ha nd nj neople UhaY,
is considered that a Jmagisterial district Of
New York embraces an area as large as a
good-siZed city, and, In several instances,
comprises a population Of several hundreds
of thousands Of persons. it win be under
stood that In order to do his work well a
court probation officer has got to move
around at pretty lively gait
An Afternoon With Probationer.
+ The probation officer spends his mornings
in the court to which he is attached. await
ing new cases that may be turned over to
his care by the magistrate. His afternoons
and evenings are put in in looking after
the probationers within his jurisdiction. No
better way Of presenting a line on the
labors Of the probation officer can be fur
nished than an account OF an afternoon
which your correspondent spent with one
of them recently. This probation officer is
attached to one Of the central magisterial
districts, and his territory comprises large
tenement sections as we'll as a considerable
slice Of the gaudy Tenderloin- He is a
shrewd-eyed Irish-American Of thirty-f1ve or
So brawny, Misunderstanding and well
groomed. He was himself born in the
tough Cherry Hill district of New York,
but six years service in the United States
cavalry on the frontier polished him off
all right" as he expressed 1t. He was in
citizens dress, the probation officers only
wearing their police uniforms when they
are in attendance at their courts.
The probation officer met members Of his
"class''-he has an average number Of 800
probationers on his book all the time-at
almost every half block OF this afternoon
tour in addition to the numbers OF proba-
TONERS homes he visited. He had not got
a square away from the court building be-
fore he came upon husky-looklng young
EFFORTS to modify his obvious shabbiness
by polishing his shoes, brushing his clothes
and somewhat battered hat and so on.
Hello, Tim" said the probation officer,
swinging up behind the young fellow.
mailed job yet?"
"Nothin' dom +" replied the young fellow
in rather disheartened way. Il can't seem
to land"
the probation officer. Pat McGovern's
dom the truckin' for that street dig-up
down Greenwich way. and he wants white
men, not Gfnneys. I was tallkin' to Pat
about you last night. Run down there and
he'll put you on.
Sure thing-much obliged" replied the
prebatiener. his face lighting up. Say.
you're all right. I'll skin right down
there" and he took up a business-like jog
Member, now, Tim-none O. the old
stuff when you get your dough Saturday"
the probation officer called after him.
mot in a hundred years-Pye had mine"
the young fellow sung back. and away he
went after the job that the probation officer
had directed him to.
History Of Young Tim.
s"rim'n do all right from now on" COM
mented the probation officer. He was
goin' along snug enough and handin' his
mother the bulk Of his wages till a few
months ago. when he got mixed up with
bunch o. these pool-playin' rummerinos,
and they got him a-goin'. Lost his time
keepers Job with a street contractor
month or SO ago, and couple o. weeks ago.
when he was burned up, he pinched a bot
tie o. booze from rum joint and made
run First time he'd been nabbed, and so
they turned him over to me. He's had
enough now and'll be all right"
The next member of his class met up
with by the probation officer was a neat
looking. plain woman, verging on thirty.
Her clothing was quite respectable. and I'M
der her arm she carried little bundle. She
looked what she proved to be- an Office
charwoman on her way to work.
"Howdy, Mrs. Keefe," said the probation
officer, taking his hat OF to her calamity
"AH o. < up homer"
FINE and such a RO0d Christ ma e. ua