New-York tribune., 1906-08-06
CRIME PREVENTIVES.
Nesv York, as We'll as PHILADELPHIA.
4ids abnormal Child.

rat TIE Pennsylvania Society 20 Protect Chm
srsu from Cruelty has instituted IN co-oneraf,on
s tho Bureau OF Health and the Fslrea,, OF char
,ss the practice OF performing operations upon
effective children whose defects are likely 20 lead
,Aera into career of crime IS OF special interest 10
New York. where two years ago Commissioner
ns-,lngton instituted system OF school insneotion
sra medical or surgical treatment This preventive
-,,-i Is e Is carried on in New York and will he
~ further developed through the committees On
,ysical welfare OF school children OF the Assoca-
r., sor Improving the Condition OF the Poor. is
s-ousing interest generally through the country
sua IS likely TO be adopted BY school boards or
yards of health in other large cities Mr. Brown
ne new United States Commissioner OF Education
sss written TO William IL Allen. Of the Association
ar Improving the Condition OF the Poor saving
.at he hopes TO make it the subject OF bulletin
s0a
aeferring 10 the experiment being tried bv Phila-
sslphIa, whereby seven operations were recently
-srforTned defective children, Mr. Allen said
,hat under the new definition OF crime no child
rould be called criminal.
I'VE must treat such child" he said. 'for the
Weakness physical defect that is causing him to
sEfrye from the normal More and more crimi-
ssfscts A stream IS flowing along, but is inpeded
4 one point by bowlder that makes It defect
from its true course Remove the bowlder and the
stream goes right The whole tendency Of pencil
~ Is 10 study the physical and mental character
itcs OF the child and get at the causes that make
~ do what his neighbors don't
O.leeF
because he has adenoids. or he can't see because
his eyes are crossed. It is impossible for him to
5s normal or keep up with nOrmals so he gets
shunted OF more and more by himself. AS Dr.
Darlington says of tTuants. large proportion Of
hem haven't vitality enough 20 be interested in
what interests the others.
'eIoW. there isn't surgical operation that
IN prevent = Sunday school Superintendent from
forging q bank clerk from embezZling'' con-
dnued Mr. Allen, laughing, but there are opera
tons that viii prevent W.lar most CT us call crime
The trouble with criminals is they have no more
aluTing pictures in their minds than crime.
they commit crime. Give them more vitality, more
mentality. and You give them more attractive pict-
uss. which they viii follow"
UGLY BECAUSE OFF THE NORMAL
NJ Allen gave an instance that came TO the So
uey for the Prevention OF Cruelty to Children MT
long ago Of a ten-year-Old girl who was obstinate
ugly, stupid. Indifferent When she was examined
they found she could hardly breathe for adenoids.
She was operated on and became a bright, good
nafured child
'ishe may fairly be said to have been saved
from a career Of crime commented Mr.. Allen,
pushed out from the occupations and pleasures OF
the normal would have been almost assured.
we find thousands Of so-called Juvenile criminals
simply underfed.
This talk about one-tenth OF those in Jail being
marked men and women is ridiculous" went on
Mr Allen When a man first goes TO the county
one hundred of his fellows But he has blundered
and bean caught. Always il is the abnormal who
sets into the clutches OF the law.
I had experience with a boy when / was
opened my eyes TO the relation OF the queer child
70 the law. There was boy in the school who,
career. He was ugly in disposition. his parents
c9uld do nothing with him, his teachers were
desperate had just been reading the Annals OF
q Quiet Neighborhood.' In which, you may remem-