New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-03-08
PROPOSED HOME FOR BOYS.
Women to Help Discharged Criminals to Be-
gin Life Anew.

Since a home FOR discharged boy criminals has
been proposed. the women interested fl the enter
prise have been flooded with letters which leave
no room for doubt that the Institution Will meet
not only a long felt. but d really desperate need.
me most interesting Of these letters are from
the young deinQuents themselves. A boy of eigh-
teen serving one year for larceny, writes TO Mrs
f'a-ph Irautmann, whose name he obtained from
q newspaper:
have no place 70 20 when 1 get out. and wish 70
turn over Ii new leaf and be good, /
= honest living ! have no father mother. and
ina nave We no nome ana would Ike to get work and
I'VE lnd De honest 50 can hold up my head II
yJ wa IelJ me know II you Will give me position
UP the = day OF September and If you could give
hack when get Working :.u had dnlT old Clothes
W-n came to this institution. Please write me a
best TO come over on a sundav Write 1Iease and
know. an '0-'
William II. Kelly. secretary and head worker OF
the East Side Settlement. says in a letter 10 Mrs
Henry Parsons:
Il was in charge Of the school in Harris Island
for one year and during that time became thor
oughly convinced that the two things needful for
lne boys ana men who We're there were. first train
Ing In some useful trade. and second a home to 90
TO after being discharged Time and again boy
would come to in real terror of the future that
lay before him. and ask not to be discharged.
Many a boy left me with the very best intentions.
only TO find circumstances too hard for him. and
a. ''efA-lir lloFeIAd4 among the inmates or the
school that every one once committed to It would
be rearrested az least twice again before the police
would finally let him alone.
since ! came 90 the Settlement many boys dis
charged from Harris Island have called upon me.
Their case Is piuable in the extreme They al
ways the boys who mean 20 do well. Those who
are really vicious well cared Tor after their
discharge. They have friends waiting receive
them and they regard arrest and imprisonment as
part or the Eame-part Of the price they per
iecuy willing TO be allowed pay the life they
are allowed TO lead. Not much be done for
boys OF THIS type. They are degenerate. and only
by d miracle they he saved. Fortunately these
boys are IN the minority The large majority Of
the boys on Harris Island simple unfOrtunates:
j. they were out OF work 81 was because they had
never been taught trade If they vagrant. Il
was because they had work. II they stole IL
because they were ashUngered- Discharge 70 such
ioFS IS a catastrophe. IL means simply the old
mort and rearrest Finally. they sink, hopeless and
bitter. into the ranks OF the chroucally vicious
ana idle.
81 I.G an in my power while on Harris Island
consider unfortunate, rather than vicious. and. on
the whole. ! failed. ! confined 10 the island
and could only reach people by letter r. does
fn ns. therefore. that there Is "a tremendous need
Given sue. H nome. and "a 81 charge who
knows l.W tn Doe firm. kind and Just, / think
agency for good VIII have been tablished which
VIII ar second Co. none iu The city. II any word
home, or help IN It's support both shall be freely
given
owen Kildare has also written % express his ap-
TrDF-l. that f. timber that
would be good u 10 0rIv had th- proper seasoning
a constitution Cor On. management Of the home
has been drawn up and ar association 20 carry
II on VIII i'e formally .rEanizeI this week II is
expected that work viii bee begun Immediately
aftprWard