The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-29
SAVE The BOY.
Probate Judge Hayden Tells
How it Is Done.
Teach Him Honor and Love Of
Fair Play.
IN THE JUVENILECOUR
Its Judicial officer Outlines
Methods and Success.
Only a Few Children With Grim
inaI Instinct.
In THE JUVENILECOURT

Judge R. F. Hayden of the probate
court of Shawnee county delivered an
address before the Kansas conference
Of Charities and Corrections, at the
First Presbyterian church this after
noon, in which he said:
When a boy is arrested, perhaps
for the first time he comes in contact
with the outside world; home and
scheol and boyland is all he has ever
known; he has looked upon judges as
common enemies. At this juncture
the opportunity of a judge to shape the
destiny of the boy is great. His first
impression with the outside world wiz
be the most lasting. He has never
had man talk to him as one man
talks to another. If he is a street
urchin, he stands in wonderment that
anyone should have an interest in
him. You can mould him as putty in
your hands. You cannot do this in
one hour or in ten, but you must keep
with him, talk to him, work with
him week in and week out
When a boy is brought into court
charged with an offense I take him
into my private room and have a talk
with him; go over the situation
with him, giving him to understand
that my object is not to punish him
but to prevent his punishment at this
time and in the future; to help him.
1 go back with him into the boy world.
talk enough of boy slang to make him
feel at home; give him enough of my
own experience to let him know was
once real boy, with boys frailties
like his, and that my sympathy is
with him. I often admit that I have
done the same thing that he is
charged with or worse. I talk with
him Of the pranks of boys and the do
1ngs of the gang; I soon gain his con-
fidence.
"Out of the three hundred boys
brought into my court, I have never
found 1t necessary to swear witness
except IN three cases. then the parents
demanded a trial. The boys always
tell me what they have done, and
things that they did for which they
are not charged
When you once gain the confidence
of boy you never lose it. Two out
OF four boys which I found necessary
to send to the reform school since I
nave been handling the boys told me
what they had done to break their
parole. although they knew that I
would send them to the reform school
And one of the boys telephoned in
when he knew the police were after
MN, and told me that I might as well
send him to the reform school. as ne
could not quit stealing told him
certain day and for him to report: he
came at the hour stated, and said to
US that he would go to the reform
school himself if it was any trouble
for US to take him.
Il have found that the hest vyav IN
correct a delinquency is to steal from
the offense the boyish glory that NAV
pc N It without letting the boy know
WhdI you are doing. For example in
one part of Topeka there are two gangs
oL boys Who have done a great number
OF wrongs in what is known as gang
mo every boy that wandered into that
elgnp9Thood-, ,ganging' a boy is what
our colleges term 'hazing.' I had a
great number Of these boys before me
one evening, about a month ago and [
told them as best I could that they
snouIo quit gaEging boys, but said
10 them If you must gang the boys rang
them 1alr, be manly about it and using
a boys phrase, said, be on the SQUARE
Take boy about the age and size of
me one to be ganged and let him gang
nln-See ta1r play-see that no other
boy 1nterferes. I told them that there
was no glory in a dozen boys beating
up one boy-that it was a cowardly act.
If 1 succeeded in convincing these boys
tnal II was coWardly to gang the boys
in the manner they had been doing in
the past there will be no ganging in
that part Of town.
You can no more correct every boy
Dy the same method than a doctor can
treat every disease in the same manner.
Each case must of necessity stand alone
you must know your boy-you must
study him. After you have gained his
confidence he is an open book to you
but some invariable rule fits all cases.
You must not deceive a boy. Tell him
the truth and require him to tell you
the truth; never let a boy leave you
with a lie upon his lips; never say any
thing to a boy that you do not mean
for there is nothing that a boy Will
detect SO quickly. as false sentiment.
ePlace all boys on their honor-never
try to scare a boy; if you cannot con-
troll him by kind treatment by placing
him upon his honor, by dealing with
him square and requirino square treat
ment in return you have lost the battle
and might as well surrender.
ut is my belief that greater harm
may come from kindness without firm
ness-frOm lenienecy without creating
in a boy the proper regard for
the law in allowing the boy to success
fully lie to you, to have him look upon
you as a snap instead of a friend, to
lead him to believe that you do not
expect him to keep the law, than if you
dealt with him under the old manner
of handling criminals