The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-16
MAKING BAD BOYS GOOD.

This Juvenile Court Calls Into Requi-
 sition the Services of Skillful Sur | geon.
 The Juvenile Court of this city, pre- sided over by Judge Stubbs, is making a radical departure in the matter of reforming young criminals. Of four boys who have been operated on for [ the cure of criminal tendencies, not one has gone back to his old habits, and both the judge and the operating physician are convinced that the game has been more than worth the chase.
 Several years ago Judge Stubbs and Dr. John Kolmer, well-knoWn brain lspecialist, were discussing cases that come before the Juvenile Court ,and the physician advanced some the- ories regarding crime that appealed strongly to the judge. The latter spoke of the seeming cruelty of hay ing to send the child of honest, in- dustrious parents to the reform school, and spoke of his policy never to inn prison a child until everything else had been tried and had failed. This led tosuggestions as to possible in- ability on the part of some children to | control themselves, and from sugges- tions then made it was determined to try experiments in cases where the facts seemed to justify them. Soon after a boy named Roy Ellis was ar rested. The judge recognized him as lad who, though only g, had been l frequently before him. Until 5 he had given his parents no trouble Then a change had come over. him. Time and again he had been arrested on complaint of the neighbors, and his parents were forced to admit that they could do nothing with him. The court turned him over to Dr. Kolmer The parents were wholly at a loss to account for hte sudden change in the child's disposition, but in examining his skull the physician found de- pression. The parents recalled that the boy had been struck heavy blow on the head when about and that the marked change of disposition had | come about that time.
 The parents were called into con- sultation with the court and the court told them that 1t was only 8 question of an operation with its attendant dangers and its hope of reformation, or the sending of the boy to the re- form school with the chances that he would come out no better than he went in. Under these circumstances consent was readily given, and the operation was performed. A portion of the skull was removed and it was found that 1t had grsatly thickened making the pressure on the brain very pronounced. The boy is no 13 ant in four years since the operation there has never been complaint against him. The Probation Officer of tho court has kept his eye upon him, with out the child's knowledge ,and has made frequent inquiries among his as. sociates.
 The case of Jesse Beard 14, pre- lsents a permanent cure after nearly 10 years of incorrigibility. The boy'' lparents are educated refined and ir
 
 children in the family ,and Jesse iE the only one that ever gave the par ents any trouble. Ever since he wa: 4 years of age he had been subject tt violent fits of temper, and in sucf periods no one could do anything witt him. At 4 he fell from building bu recovered so quickly that the inciden had passed out of their minds till Ii was revived by the physicians ques tions. The examination proved tha the injury had been received on tn left side of the head along the Assure Iof Rolando When a portion of tht skull had been removed it was fount to have pressed upon the brain owing to the indentation made by the fall ant la thickening of themembranes since that time. The boy has now been ou of the hospital for more than a year but there has been no evidence of thu terrible passion by which he Wa' Ionce so easily swayed.
 The last case occurred last week. boy was a confirmed thief. The ex animation convinced pr, Koli1ner tha the criminality was due to com pressed brain, and he operated on tht boy, saving open the skull from tn forehead nearly to the vertebra. T h. Ioperation was performed last weeel and yesterday the boy left the hospi tai. He will be kept under surveli lance by the Probation Officer, and re ports will be made from time to tim, to the court. Dr. Kolmer Is watchin tha case with a great deal of intereset