The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-10
GOES TO REFORMATORY
ROUNDSMAN SWEENEY HELPS l1-
 YEAR-OLD CRIMINAL.
Harry Williams, Youthful Montgomery Burglar. Will Be Harbored by . New York Institution After
 Governors Parole.

Harry williams, the little white boy burglar. who has been a puzzle to the police of Montgomery. owes to Rounds man P. !. Sweeney and Father Eaton, assistant rector of St. Peters Catho- lie Parish. the fact that he will not spend the next four years in the peni- tentiary of Alabama.
 Harry Williams. IF years old. bright and bad, has had chequered criminal career. He was introduced at an early age to the sensation of peering through jail bars and sleeping on a cement floor. For the past four years he has been a constant bother to the criminal authorities of Montgomery and Mont gomery County. On account of many petty wrong g-doings he was sent. about 6 year ago, to the Alabama Industrial School at East Lake. He would not be subject to discipline, however, and took French leave from the school. He turned up in Pensacola in jail. He was arrested by the Florida officers on account of his inability to render any satisfactory account of himself. He was brought back to Montgomery, giv- en his liberty and in less than two weeks was rearrested for the burglary of a railroad car.
 To two charges of burglary he en- tered pleas of guilty three weeks ago in the criminal division of the City Court of Montgomery. A problem con- frontcd Associate Judge w. H. Thom- as of the City Court. He realizes that the penitentiary is no place for boys of the tender age of Harry Williams and still he saw no alternative.
 The question was solved by Patrick hn Iru hna fnd t0h hrro n who for many years has been & mem- Der of the Montgomery police depart ment and for the last few months day roundsman. Sweeney is at one and the same time the terror and the friend of small boys. There was never a small boy in Montgomery who did not view the six foot form of Sweeney and hear his gruff basso with fear and tremb- ling. There was never a small boy in Montgomery who did not have a warm spot reserved in the big heart of the veteran policeman. Especially does Sweeney consider the welfare of the boys of the criminal classes with whom he is daily thrown in touch. -t.e. !
 When Pat Sweeney heard of Judge Thomas's dilemma, he visited the kind ly young priest of St. Peters Church. Father Eaton told him that he would find a place for the boy. He thought 0f reformatory ln NeW IOrk state, maintained by the church. He consid- cred 1t just the place for Harry Will Hams. So did Sweeney. Harry Will Hams was not consulted.
 Yesterday young Williams was led into open court and was sentenced to serve two years in the penitentiary for each of the two cases of burglary. I'm mediately afterward Roundsman Sweeney was hurrying to the Capitol. He entered the Governors office and saluted tho executive. He told Cover nor Jelks the story of Harry Williams, He showed him letters from Judge Thomas and Solicitor Dent recommend ing a parole. When Sweeney left he had the parole of Harry Williams in his hand. In the mean time Harry Williams Is in the custody of Chief of Police Gerald. awaiting transportation to the New York reforma tory.