The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-12
A Court For Young
Law Breakers.
BY RICHARD ELBRIDGE.

In New York city there is Chill
drens Court. II boy or girl 16 years
of age or under is accused of breaking
the law or is neglected by It's parents
the case is tried In the Children's Court.
Formerly such cases went to any of the
city courts, and little children. many OF
whom had not meant to do wrong. were
brought in contact with hardened crimi-
nails. That was very bad for these
Young people, 80 a law was passed es-
tablishlng this court for children. Every
day In the week except Saturday and
Sunday there is session. and children
of all sizes, from babes In arms to tall
lads and lassies almost fully grown.
IL a child Is arrested for an offense he
is not sent to Jail, but is put In the care
of the Childrens Society or the Gerry
Society as II ls commonly called, from
the name OF the founder. Commodore
ElbrldKe Gerry The society sees that
the little culprit liz bathed. has good
food and a comfortable bed TO sleep In
society appears with the accused child
to defend the child and see that Its
legal rights are maintained.
Most of the children are poor. Their
wrongdoing often is the result OF lack
of proper home training. Sometimes,
however. well-dressed, well -cared.io .
and theirs are usually the hardest cases
A Few few weeks ago little girl about
court by her parents. They told the
fudge that they could do nothing with
Mabel She was cheerful and happy az
home but she would run away. she
ran off so often on her way to school
that they hired an attendant to go WITH
her. Then she gave the attendant the
slip time after time nd ana sI5 ap Soyt the
streets OF New York. playing. until II
grew dark then. she would creep into
some hallway. curl up IN corner a ard
90 to sleep Here the police. would ina
her and carry her to the police station
Sometimes she would refuse 20 give her
name. and at other times she gave
name that was not her own; and also
gave wrong address. The. police;
However, always found where she lived
and returned her to her parents she
would do this trick somet'm resr "a ol Hap
father and mother plead with her, ana
sometimes they whipped her; but KIND
ness and severity were. sqnally HInn WI,
wren the spirit seized her. They TOOK
her to the Childrens Court. thereIore.
and the fudge asked Mabel why size ran
awsvy rs but w she re saId the he Judge
Won do not appreciate the comforts OF
vo,ir home and the love Of your pa
rents. will send YOU , 10 .. ,n yotches FOR
$50 ,nonths. When you come out
think think you will be glad to stay In your
home" ,,,,,.s, AZ rho nras-
ehI f hov came TO New York from Boston
=. tajr are circus He did not know that
the circus people had all the ooys H., 10y
manidsu not take boy that had had no
exnerience and that they knew potnine
about It did not take this boy long 70
S sg"s done he had to ask help Of the pq-
l1ea They took him into the Chiidrens
Court. the Judge gave MIN some sooo
advice and his father 70 for SP h1s son TT" to
~ trst,,rned home. After his experience
he was willing enough to go back 10
scnoo II. Lower East Side of New York
there are many poor people VINO i've
in small tenements, for wnlcn tney ny
verv high rents. For TWO or tnree ~. ~
tie dark ro9w ya,, know rawi IN many places
ono can get a very good house FOR tnat
much money. In one OF the houses,
where about 20 families nveo hat thew
would have to pay more rent. Ine ram
lies were very indignant and tne lano.
lord and the janitress were ooth oiaihs'
'' One Sunday afternoon some Of the
bovs who lived In the house were play
ing In the street. The Janit..fsss Se,re 49, ~
the door and called out; DON'T MAKE
SO . Bu6p they retorted., and began to
tbrow stones at her. She. retreated 70
her quarters on the frst Moor, t put ,ne
stones I fellowsdr her shs was furiousy
angry and had six OF the poys arreS sa
When they were brought INTO tne Cnl
drens Court the s next o tss ' stones and
said that the janitress had thrown olrty
soansuds on them. Their mothers were
Ia court. too. ana $1,000 op ~ thst the
six bows had thrown stones. ana the po-
Iicemen testified to seeing the ploho4
windows. The Judge TOOK rheir wo,u
and fined the boys = .e ea osid the fine and
moor but neatly dressed little girl
came into court one MONDAY morning
and Testified that she had started 10 de-
i,uer three hats for a milliner on the
SATURDAY previous and that three boys
mad come up to her, one seizing ner
purse and handing 10 aposrss: s thsr
could She ran after them, however, cry
Inc ont with all her might. and some
men, hearing her. came up ana caught
re- YOU sure these are tho boys?"
the Judge asked her:
II am she replied, and all the cues;
tioning at the hands Of awyer ane IN,
STATEMENTS in the least. although the
boys stoutly denied that they had taken
her purse or that they had ever seen the
little girl.
'sThey did take my purse. with 15 cents
In it." reasserted the girl. but. please.
Judge, don't want them sent away to
prison" She began to cry and TO trem-
ble SO that a court attendant had to
take her in his arms and tell her IL
would be all right
The Judge was very severe with the
boys. He remanded them to the care OF
the Gerry Society for two days, and
then he sentenced them to a term OF six
months In an institution provided for
young offenders. He lectured their pa
rents. too, and told them that II they
took better care of their children they
would not do such things