The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-03
Voice of
the People
Youthful Criminals,
The Times. Dispatch: a

Youthful Criminals.
Editor Of The Times- Dlspatch:
subject vitality related to the Swoltaro or
society, as certainly as to tho errlnE In
alydual Is like agbugle blast calling from ron,
lethargy to activity had hope ped, that
rect attention to and emphasize your ut
tcrances. In your issue Of sunday, the
25th instant, you point to our county and
1" s th usd f hes Mh9G rom
Pittsylvtnia.' .{
several days ago It was announced In
ono Of our r., news columns that James
Dooley, Of Pittsylrania county, had muir
dered hissmothcr. Later on the sequel 70
the story came out. When Dooey was
only fifteen years OF age. he was COM
penitentiary for one year. but was pur-
days Of his sentence. rho effect Of MS
trial and punishment was to mako him n
the Disgrace Of conviction and penitcn-
tinry stripes but there was no discipline,
and he went back to n life of crime,
az his own mother II this boy had been
taken to the reformatory and kept there
fora term Of years and trained under I, the
rules Of that institution. the probability
Is, that he would have beep reclaimed ,na
fu citizen. The. government, Is in LARGE
part responsible for his ruin"
The reclniming work OF the rcrormatOry
Is vast and fnr-reaching. And when We
add to It's resources and Influences tho
work and cooperation Of those In your
city who care for the unforsunates and
shaper Of dostinIes. While the reforma-
tory is not expected to reclaim all the
characters sent to Il, yet, MS your words
avsSats CASE ns 81 s ach
its best individual work cannot be pubs
l,sheds abroad, ms this might possibly harm
|Ithose that have been helped 10 Illus
tlHte and confirm the position of rho
Times Dispatch, L will state aacase that
will harm no sone by the telling.
Some years ago, youth I, living n !, !, a
eonnty u Wach Was tnHn pffsrot
larceny. II was his first crime conlmitted
In moment OF strong temptation Know
ing. that tho penltentiary would send nun
he left us, a petition, bearing with others
tie names OF his Judge and jury, was sent
up asking for tho communication OF MS
sentencesto a term In nc reto ,,1a,I,,y
facts in his case to the principal and
matron OF the institution, and also to
some noble workers among the Christian
tercsted themselves heartily in his behalf,
Before his time expired that boy came
back from the reformatory a fnr better
boy than he had been even before nc
committed the4wrong doing; for he came
back seeing things from Christ's stand
point not only a reclaimed boy, but also
a regenera ted Christian. II was my great
soon oG after he returned. He entered It
with the unanimous vote and fullest op,
prevail Of tho membership. He aftcrWa ir
arre II the very community h' ~ IN w hon.
ored home, tho passing years bear. witness
70 10 t the ! thoroughness and permanencc OF
Ills reclamation and right Lying.
pnlling results had that boy been thrust e
md herded amongst tho vicious, the
hardened criminals IN the penitontar;;
,rojusc. without strnlnlns me ta,,e onsc
must inevitably make him twotold more
tho child Of hell" j.
Doubtless, in the ponltcnt1ary IS
clnssincations that ought to be n,ha &c;
But surely6t he line between the, youthful
offeuder and the hardened, soduenE crlhll-
nal can be and should be snarp,y, ,, Draw" ~
necessary, but association should be pre-
Vented. Ii, cases that will not at once
admit Of communication from, thc II, pcn ,t'la
tic tic possibility 1T ought to. be the Ger, Ger,
tanty) OF such n Communication be kpct
before the young prisoner az AN lllceli,iSc !.
b {@ sdo alto oS on Ills correct
In the penltentinry. ~
And this would not encourage 70 the
commission OF crime, for there Would PC
only as that certainty was created . D t'y
good jcondux, Reformation would be tho
condition Of computation. Ald eaGh no GasG
Nv competent authority would DC declucu
OH Its intrinsic merits. .,-,. !, u,
Nor would anything herein s!lggcsts :, =
In mistlirectcd sentlmentnlity. 70 make
to { Ills lis reclamation, The very STARTING, e
point of reclalnntlon REFORM. mus ~ ~
sefconaenn,aon;a n ,nat cries. We snter
HehHs,tiv for our sins Most youthful lcrlml-
rnals enter their prisons viii, their hearts
aurcharged with this feeling, Tnen ,n IS the
time, that Is the moment % pris sn ,' 70
s seciiattin And conditions have banished
and rep,dlated self-condemnntion, i;tltl
i1iiiled tho hear. with protest ana silent en-
rebellion, and inspired that sllllon, re- o.,
a ssr ,nna tiI to get event with ss'iety,
or Somebody, that is q SAD Wnlllng tn al
means failure where once success w, Wt,s
more than possible Meet ey vnn Eov vn b Ras
e. wait outside with your best gifts Tor
ttHH c "old er prisoner when he comes out
If to make the young criminal nero
Ia to destroy him, SO also IS we ssstnln
that provides and plans for his punish 4,
his reclamation. 10 take him with his
ununr imprcssionable nature, his unde-
yclnped mind, his uniformed character ana
"a hurl him bound md helpless mt the
flames of the long-fnnncd flres Of evil,
knowing as We, do II that 10 wi. WI become
fhe ncast him forth upon society Will
iii the hellish fires increased for scornl,jns
ana blackening that very society into
which We toss, him--all this might well
L, ia