The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-05-08
JUPIST PROPOSES REFORMS
In HANDLING CHILD PRISONERS

New York Special: Judge
Ben B. Lindsey. OF Denver. Colo.
who presides over the famous juve-
nile court of that city, and whose
system OF enlightened moral suasion
as a substitute for prison penalties
i'll the handling of ineorrigible boys
and young naen has been so success
full as to surprise students of Grim
inology all Over the world, has been
visiting New York city.
Before his return to Denver
Judge Lindsey consented to an in
terview, in which he described the
methods devised bv him in Denver
and Which other cities arc now try
ing to emulate through the medium
of the children's courts.
Judge Lindsey is generally reeog-
nized not only as one OF the most en-
thusias1ic. but alsoas one of themost
successful ~eNemp!arS OF the educa-
tional in lieu OF the penal treatment
OF youthful offenders. He is a
small man physically, but his shape
~ head and broad, symmetrically
developed brow would attract at
tention i'll any aggregation OF men.
He is richly endowed with personal
magnetism. and one cannot talk FIVE
minutes With this Denver judge
without feeling the power OF his
strong individuality.
Beneath the broad. high forehead
a pair OF piercing brown eyes seem
to look You through and through as
the judge WARNS up to The discus
sion OF his work. There is some
thing almost hypnotic in those eyes
and in the judges fc-vid manner.
He seems to have all the enthusiasm
of the fanatic combined with the re-
deeming endoWn,ents OF sterling
common sense and unusually high
intelligence.
Other judges and c-in1inologists
who have read how Judge Lindsey,
after a heart to heart talk With some
desperate Young burglar Or a barn
thug, put the Young outlaw on his
honor. gives him a fare and his
OWN commitment papers and then
starts him, unattended and wn-
watched, either TO the reiornlatory
or the prison have ventured The sur
mise that Judge Lindsey actually
does hypnotic his subjects.
Appeal to Manliness.
THAT is ridiculous" said Judge Lind
truth or could more directly Misrep"o-
sent the methods advocate and, VIII!
a considerable degree Of success. have
rlied to eNcmplify. Instead OF subject
ing q boy or a young man TO the dom
nance of the will of another. whnle
system is built upon the appeal TO the
will power and the innate instincts O,
manliness in the boy OF Youth himself
1T is perfectly true. however. that IL
not less thar 200 eases I have sent boys
II men u~nguarded either 10 Vic re-
~forlnatorN or TO serve sentences in Jail
neither llandcutfed no- attended by po-
lieeMen or sheriN's officers and in "
cry case my boy OF my man has gone
promptly 10 the institution to which
have sent him and HIS reported there
TO le locked up.
II have not yet had 10 record q single
case where NY confidence has heen be
trayed or where the ~culI,.it Has aver
advantage of his opportunity .oi free
dom. And. on the other hand. We have
many cases III record where our elela-
DDS of treatment have resulted in yci;..p
Offenders developing into good citizens
instead of into confirmed criminals.
Only today ! had a letter forwarded
to me here from my home IN Denver
which gave me excellent reports Of (;
young convict who is now serving Z
sentence of four years for burglary
That young fellow regards me as his
friend. He writes I" iale regularly. anG
l am perfectly confident that when he
on of Jail, Where he is o
learning the useful trade OF a %stonecut-
ter. he will be an honest MAJ ana a goof
citizen. He is simply one of The great
army Of young men who grew up IN /;
pevniclous environment n who nev"
really had a fair chance. He seemed {
Very desperate fellow when he was
caught in a burglary. He was armed
and he put III a hard fight. have No
doubt he would no. nave oali.ed a
murder for a moment.
Talked for Six Hours.
Before l finally sent that vouns
burglar away 70 serve his sentence
talked With him about six hours alto.
gether. l thought / discovered tha'
there WAS a lot of good III MIN. The
police and sheriff's officers told me
must be crazy when / trusted tina
young desperate to take himself IL
Jail unattended. Why they said. he'll
slip off the moment he is out OF sigh,
be back again at his old tricks
holding people up and housebreaking
He is a desperate fellow and ought Il
be sent up With the bracelets on him
I'm spite Of those warnings. j trusted
him and he did not disappoint me.
had made him feel that my honor wa.
at stake as We'll as his own. ] mad.
Il friend of that man instead of a sui.
len enemy"
Judge Lindsey was asked what Ii.
thought Of the views expressed recent,
by Judge Charles S. Whitman, OF ,hi!
city, who holds that the mature ant