The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1906-10-19
and ~eaphieglescaFsoesO of 5he
: Ie@rt nj 1gI LssslxY
About ABLY.

About Ably.
Judge Bel Vi Lindss,-, th !Y5
skids judge. Of Densr, Colo, wiz
deliver a lecture on the Juvenile
Court. Dec.-4,at the opera house
under the auspices of .fhe Ines
day Club.
Who is Judge Lindsays
What are Juvenile Courts ?
These are the first questions thas
arise from those whose work and
thoughts have not placed them in
contecf with children, and with re-
form movements for them Docu-
mene No. sG1, s@Childreh's- Courts
in.the-U. S..smay be obtained free
from the Government Printing Of
Fee, Washington. D. c. From i
and Several ether reports the fol-
loving information is taken - ;.
= Judge lindsay was born on a
farm near Jackson. Tenn, 81 years
$50 the 31stiof 4his December. His
father moved to Denver in ISIS
lana there his oldest child. Ben
iamn Barr Lindsay spent his child
hood and INTENDED The public
schools. When sixteen years old
g.is father died, and the burden Of
responsibility for the support Of the
tire other children and his mother
zfeH principally apoa his shoulders;
HI 1888 he entered law Office in
t'fhe capacity of ofice-boy, and
5ds he added other "ic5s''' snch az
The delivery Of papers in the morn
fligs. and dong ianitor work at
nights, and The same time devotipg
his spare time 10 the stude Of toe
l,Iar.
he Remained n this office eight
| vars. succeeding to The position Of
clerk and general assistant In
1895 be formed i partnership with
Senator Parks under The GRIN name
Of Lindsay & Parks. This rela-
ton successfully continued Atil
1901 when he became County Judge.
Since be became county Judge he
has been responsible. for many in
| hoyations. At his. suggestion a
! State County judges Association
was formed which completely re-
vised the probate laws of the State,
and added rights to the widows and
orphans which heretofore had not
existed.
But-the most important public
work that has engaged his services
upon the county bench has been in
behalf of more advanced and intel
-igent methods of dealing with
children through juvenile court.
He is the author of the. juvenile
court laws, important amendments
TO the school laws, and the chld
labor laws Of Colorado. His work
| in this. direction has attracted not
only naional, but worldwide at,
tention., Some C the European ma
-tions have sent representatives over
10 study his methods with a view TO
Introducing them abroad. :.
Judge Lindsay lives with his
mother in Denver. He has been 50
busy caring for his own family, and
helping to care for the. children Of
hundreds of Others, that he has
Ssneyer had time to marry" and is
still single.
! Now what is this juvenile court
for which Judge Lindsay stands.
sponsor. though he himself dis
claims the title of Father of the
Juvenile Court modestly claiming
to be but one among many pioneers
along this line?
First. About the only important
new law that the Juvenile Courts
undertook to propose was that per-
hitting the correction Of children
without their being charged and
convicted of what would technical
" be called7qimegf This was done
Lv ooll;n<r All nfsen,7ers hnder SIX
teen years of!age Adelinquest child
rem. mot riminalS, and having
them charged b SUCH.
The essential, underlying prin-
ciple of the Juvenile Court is saw
ing, not punishment. To begin toll
reform child by putting it in jail |
is as rational as trying to cure It |
of an illness by first exposing 1t to |
a germ-breeding garbage heap. AMI
experienced jail official once said
that city jails for children were
toboggan slides straight to hell!
Second. Under the Juvenile
Court system children may have
complaints fled against them byI
the district attorneys of the county,
or the probation officers, but not In
discriminately by any citizen who
has a grievance against the child.
This complaint is then Investigated
and often settled out of court A
warning and a notice to the parents
BY the probation officers Of their re-
sponsibility is effective in many
cases.