The Washington herald., 1907-06-03
CHILDREN ON REVIEW
Juvenile Court Practitioners
Report to Judge De Lacy.
BIG CHANGE IN APPEARANCE,
Clean. Shining Faces Replace Grimy
VisaEes of Month AgO-GOod In
DemOnstrated-sixty OF the Young
sters Present Their Cards.


lishment of the Juvenile Court, Judge De
Lacy called his little probatoners togeth-
er yesterday to hear their monthly re-
ports and 10 set before them ideals to
live up to until the next meeting the first
Sunday Ia July. The school children on
probation visited the courtroom Satur-
day. yesterday afternoon being set apart
for the gathering Of the working boys and
girls at present under the paternal wing
Of the court for misdemeanors, petty and
serious, they have committed.
Some sixty youngsters, those OF dusky
hue far exceeding In number the white
children. faced the judge and his proba-
tion officers yesterday. Attred In the
best that their usually poor families could
provide. with clean. shining faces bright
smiles, and polished boots, Judge De
Lacys charges sat eagerly awaiting their
turns TO step forward and present their
probation cards TO the officers and give
the uniformly good account of themselves
that Is naturally TO be expected
Collectively and under such pleasant
circumstances they presented a spectacle
Of marked contrast to the fearful, defiant.
or repentant little individuals that had
once been hailed before the court TO
answer 10 some charge OF varying de-
grees Of seriousness.
shows influence of Court.
To any one having followed the for
tunes Of the Juvenile Court. the psyche
logical development Of the different pro-
bationers since their offense arrest, and
surveillance, presents a most interesting
study. A review Of the various cases
would seem to show that the Juvenile
Court is doing wonderful work toward the
regeneration Of Washington's street chill
dTen. as well as many OF their homes IN
stead Of dirty little faces and hands. torn
and miserably soiled clothes, and hunted,
furtive eyes-the picture presented by the
majority Of the children when arrested
and brought to cOurt-Judge De Lacy
/ finds on these Sunday gatherings a COM
forting picture Of cleanliness and neat
ness confronting him.
Take, for instance, a few Of the cases
/ presented yesterday There was a little.
| wiry negro lad. nine years old. who sidled
1 bashfully but sTnlllngly Up 20 Mrs. Ger
/ trude Darwin. one Of the probation on
GERS, and presented his card and verbal
report of his progress. He had been
good-"0h, yassum," and was making
| $50 a week as an errand boy.
Two months ago this same boy had
/ been brought before Judge De Lacy
charged with having broken into a vacant
house and stolen a quantity Of lead pipe
I At that time the boy was one Of the most
/ pitiable figures imaginable. half starved
ragged. and dirty. and 50 sullen and shy
/ that the judge had found Il impossible "a
/ get a word out Of him for several days.
/ Then there was a ffteen-year-old white
, boy. who few months ago. while work
/ ing as a bell boy In one Of the local hotels
/ had broken into one of the rooms and
/ stolen several hundred dollars worth OF
/ jewelry. He stood IN the shadow Of years
/ in the reform school. but the pleading OF
/ his mother. his fathers promise 20 keeT
a watchful eve upon HIS progress, and his
/ own fearful repentance and plea foI
another chance induced Judge De La
/ cy 10 put him on probation.
Doing Well Now.
This boy came into court bright and
smiling. a butonnlere IN the button hole Of
/ his neat blue Jacket, and with a fine story
/ of earnest effort 20 keep in the right path
and 10 tell the court He is working as a
plumbers apprentice for his father and
doing well.
He looks Ike another lad altogether
/ from the pasty faced. nervous, cigarette
eating culprit that had fallen before The
temptations and opportunities for evi
/ surrounding him while doing nights "or
/ the bells al the hotel. He seems to real
ize his position, for he said yesterday
/ Il was lucky 20 get caught the first time
l slipped w. If 1 had made a successful
/ getaway with that stuff there Is no tell
ing what would have happened. But this
F. trouble has shown me that the only thine
to do is TO keep straight. No more hote
work for mine It's the worst job kiC
can get. Why. I had passed Up a hundred
chances to lift valuable jewelry and coir
before I finally fell It's no game for
kid-bell-hopping. That's what I say"
Then there came another little pick
aulnny, the same who a few weeks ag,
was arrested for stealing a bottle Of mill
from q doorway early one morning Or
investigation. it developed that he hal
been sent out 10 sell papers without an!
breakfast and had taken the milk {,
drink. The court discovered that Tn,
boys father had deserted the mother, an,
that she was in great want, with thre,
other mouths to feed The father wa
found brought in for nonsupport ant
made TO pay a certain sum each weel
toward the support Of his wife and chill
dren. The boy came to court yesterday
neatly dressed, and bearing a big buncl
of honeysuckles and daisies for the Judge
He had been out walking in the cOuntrl
and had picked them for his judicia
friend.
These are typical cases. In almost ever!
instance similar advancement and refor