The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1906-09-11
REFORMING Bad BOYS With THE
SURGEONS KNIFE

ward children are being reformed
| by use of the surgeons knife at
st. Vincent's hospital. Three
clearly defined cases prove the
efficiency of the treatment. Two
more recent operations give every
| promise of success.
Ample and cheerful testimony
that these marvellous results have
been achieved is given by two
happy mothers, Mrs. E. ]. Hurley,
of Toledo, and Mrs. Louisa Ziehr,
of Maumee.
They are so full Of the redemp-
ton Of their boys that they would
like to tell all the world and espe-
cially other mothers who may be
struggling with boys whose careers
are being blighted through an I'M
suspected cause.
To mothers quick tuition,
sharpened by love and sorrow for
her wayward boy, the discovery is
due. When her son, Walter, aged
IL, was about to be sent to the
state industrial school last spring,
Mrs. Hurley tearfully suggested
that his waywardness might be
due to injuries on the head sus-
tanned by him seven years ago. A
blow from the handle of pump
had caused a long dent In his skull.
In a year, she said, there was a
complete transformation in his
character. rom an obedient, well
hammered child he was changed
to one utterly incorrigible. He as
ISOLATED with boys Of rough
class and with them committed
many petty thefts, the articles
stolen as a rule being absolutely
useless to them.
Court officials were impressed
with Mrs. Hurley's theory. A
brain specialist examined the boy
and an operation was performed
by DR.. Pete Donnelly, March ~.
1t disclosed a piece of skull firmly
embedded in the brain and this
was removed and the scalp drawn
over the aperture.
The boy left the hospital In 10
days, but for two weeks he acted
like one insane, climbing up the
side of the door, running about on
all tours and exhibiting other
signs of dementia.
But the physicians said that this
simply meant that the brain was
recovering it's balance, though they
thought it might be necessary to
send Walter to the state hospital
for the insane for treatment.
The change developed one night,
when the youngster climbed into
his mothers lap and told her how
much he loved her. The erratic
performances were over and there
was no more trouble with the boy.
He comes and goes at will, Is
never in bad company. sells papers
and saves his money, and is as
bright and good boy as any
mother could wish.
Mrs. Ziehr said of her 10 year old
boy Theodore: when l took him
to the hospital | felt it was better
that he should die than continue
the way he was going. He was
turned out of school after every
effort had been made to reform
him. He would throw clubs at me
and get out in the road and dis
grace us all. He swore terribly
and could not be trusted in any
thing. In one day he stole boats
and pigeons, and | know not what
else. There was a nervous witch
ing about his eyes, and his entire
body would jerk at times.
when he was 4 years old he
was showed into a mill race and
went over three waterfalls, the
third IS feet in height. His head
struck a rock or timber that caused
a little ridge on his head with a
depression beside it. This was not
thought to be serious because he
soon recovered his health"
At the suggestion of Father Mi
chaelis she took the boy to DR..
! Donnelly. An operation was per-
formed April 81, when the sur
geon removed a piece of the de
pressed skull two inches long and
three-fourths of an inch wide. AS