Evening journal., 1908-11-19
JUDGE TELLS OF
THE BOY PROBLEM
Benjamin Lindsey, Of Denver,
Famous for His Rulings, Tells
Of UpIift of the UrChin
LOVE AS A GREAT LEVER

Judge Benjamin Lindsey, who as the
prime mover of the probation system
for young offenders has become known
the country over as the "kids' judge"
addressed an audience that filled the
New Century Club auditorium last
night. His subject was THE Misfor-
tunes of Mickey,' Mickey. before his
acquaintance with Judge Lindsey was
the worst kid" in Denver, and he was
presented by the judge as the proto-
type of the street urchin, who under
.tactful treatment. may be made good
citizen. The address was for the bene-
ht OF the Peoples Settlement.
Judge lindsey's plea was for human
ity in the law. The cold formality OF
tho court that punished the Immature
child as IL punished the hardened Grim
nal was condemned most vigorously
He thought nothing so absurd as the
process that considered punishment the
only instrument OF reform. Let as put
some humanity and love into the law"
he demanded.
Judge Lindsey is learned in the slang
Of the street boy, and throughout his
address he told many apt little stories
in which the language of the urchin
was Illustrated inimitably
Responsibility Of the State.
Judge Lindsey emphasized the SOL
emn responsibility of the State toward
the child. That tho state itself indeed
recognized this responsibility was evil
dent. he thought, in the existence of the
probate or orphans court I'm which
the State acted as the guardian of the
child while under age. If the State
thus recognized the incompetence Of
the child as a legatee, why then, Judge
Lindsey asked should il consider the
child a responsible creature in the
criminal court? IL was this question
he said that had been discovered by the
juvenile court; under the probation
system the State had sent the young
offender from the criminal court to
the chancery court and had there be-
come his educator at a time when his
character was most plastic
Judge Lindsey had been so success
ful In having established the juvenile
court soon after he had gone on the
bench eight years ago that he took
another step; he sought the enactiOn
of a law to make the parents respon-
sible for the child. And this movement
too, after many struggles with schem-
/ ing politicians. had been successful.
'Thank God that women can vote in
Denver" added the Judge after telling
Of the fight for the law.
worst Kid in Denver"
Mickey first came into the Judges
experience through a newspaper arti-
Gle calling him the worst kid in town.
The judge soon came to know Mickey
and was not disappointed i'm his be-
lief that Mickey under the proper
treatment, could be made just as loyal
to his friends. his home and his coun-
try as a man as he was. as a street
boy to his comrades i'm mischief. Many
stories were told in Mickey's queer
slang. Once the governor and minis
ters at Denver were conducting an in
vestigation into jail abuses as they
affected young criminals. There were
no witnesses. Mickey was summoned
told to bring some of his "gaAg" an(
he returned with six young Jail bird,
whose testimony caused so great q
sensation that the law to make parents
responsible for their children was takei
from the bottom of the calendar to tn,
top and passed by tho Legislature pos
haste. And all because of the loyalt,
of Mickey, the worst kid in town,
the judge added.
Understand the Boy.
If you want TO reform the bad bo,
YOU must first understand him" sal,
Judge Lindsey. "And then he mus
understand you. In ten years of i'm
teresting work in childhood ana cum
where there was "a deformity of moral
as the result OF suffering and ne
glect, with few exceptions. ! have foun,
somewhere down I'm the childs soul In
image of God. And TO know how Il
bring it out is what VIC are strugglini
for everywhere. To make these youni
criminals. so-called. understand tina
we come 10 them with love rather thai
hate-that is the purpose l made III
my mind that crime was a weakness
Of human character and not an in
herited weakness. We cannot do goo
through the method of punishment.'To
often the young criminal after punish
ment VIC found worse than ever.
was from these ideas that the proba
tion system was evolved. and tha
the ideas We're not wrong YOU ma
judge from tho fact that OF 504 bov
sent TO the reform school at Denve
on their own trust and with full Oh
portunity TO run away. not one he
trayed his trust. And we have save
$4,000 ia fees Through love alon
shall VIC solve the misfortunes {
Mickey"