The Washington herald., 1909-02-14
BUSINESS MEN BACK SCHEME
plan Inaugurated by jersey City De-
tectives RecIaims Waysard Youths
and Girls by Obtaining Employ
ment for Them and Requiring that
They Report Once a Week.
From the Boston Heala.

CA-CDAh4CNSs
Since an account Of this project ap-
peared a short tine ago Capt. Larkins
has received letters from Pittsburg.
Cleveland. Chicago. St Louis. and many
other cities in the Middle West from busi-
ness men as well as police officials ask
ing for more information about It and
wishing him success in his undertaking
The plan has been IN operation only
about month. IN that time the detee-
tive chief has been able 10 secure en-
ployment for six men with prison records
The employers who have given thess
men jobs know ali about them, and are
willing 20 give them another start IN hfe-
The men themselves know that their
bosses have their records. they realize
that they are having another chance, and
every one Of them seems 10 be eager 70
prove that ne can make good
Work in Factories.
Most OF them are working in factories.
doing manual labor, where they receive
on sn average from IS TO SO q week. All
that the detective bureau asks OF the en-
Dloyers is that the other employees shall b
newcomers are ex-convicts
The idea originated when Capt. Lar
kins and some other officers were sitting
al police headquarters one night discuss
ing the best means Of dealing with tbs
great number OF petty criminals In Jersey
City. There were a great many boys be-
tween the ages Of eighteen and twenty
one who had lost their jobs had fallen
into bad habits. and were giving the police
trouble Many Of them had been arrested
fer trivial offenses, and when they were
found loitering about the streets late az
night often they were locked Up Just o.
suspicion
Nine times out Of ten they would be
discharged the next morning. said Capt
Lsrkins in describing such cases, but
anyway We knew that they couldn't get
into any trouble that night II the police
passed such men up and then il they com
mitted any crime We would be I'd against
il"
When a boy had been convicted and had
served term in the State refOrmatoTy or
the State prison his chances Of avoiding
arrest were even less Usually the boys
had been convicted OF burgisries IL which
small sums were involved but when they
came out Of Jail they we're watched care
fully hy the police
Even II they had made Up their minds
to keep out OF trouble, after having had a
taste of prisen life. these continual arrests
/ which the police were forced 70 make for
their Own protection tended TO make the
+ boys think that there vas very little 70 be
: gained by keeping straight. and the result
was that they world soon fan back into
I their old habits AMI company.
4 Capt Lsrkins goes on the assumption
that very few OF these young criminals
are really bad at heart, and that most OF
them would be glad 20 start over again Z
I they saw their way clear. He declared
that there was very little chance for an
ex-conviet 70 hold a Job unless he had
some recommendation As soon as IL was
whispered in q factory that a certain man
had been IN prison his feIlov-wOrkers
would brand him as a thief. and before
+ long the report would reach the sUpeTin~
teEdent- TheE, with no one TO speak Tor
him the boy usually would find himself
without a Job.
To make the plan work successfully tbs
detectives had to have the cooperation OF
a number OF reputable employers Who
we're broa6-minded enough 10 be willing
TO give the scheme 2 trial in their own
factories. As soon as such a man was
found the detectives rounded up three or
-four young men who had recently been re-
leased from prison and asked them wheth-
er they would be willing to take a regular
Job and stick to Il The understanding
was that once a week they should report
TO the police exactly as II they were on
probation until q sufficient time had
elapsed 10 prove that 10 further tToubls
would be had with them
No Complaints Received.
Although four weeks is not long enough
20 form a positive estimate OF how the
plan is succeeding, still It Is encouraging
10 know that there has not been single
complaint up TO the present time regard
ing any Of the six men for whom employ
ment has been found. The success OF the
undertaking. according TO Capt. Larkins,
depends solely upon the men who can give
employment Il they ara SO disposed, for
at the present rate the demand for Jobs
soon viii be far in excess OF the available
opportunities.
As yet there has been no chance TO 6in.
cover how widely the plan may be extend
e5 In dealing with other classes Of crimi-
nails So far il has had to do only with
men convicted OF small burglary or petty
thefts OF otheE sorts. But the detective
bureau is willing to be OF service ii find
ing employment for men OF higher intelli-
gence as well. men who have been con-
victed Of embezzlement. for example All
dealings with the department ara, OF
course, treated confdentiaIy.
or course. many people have been try
ing 70 take advantage OF the bureaus Of
fer 70 secure Jobs one woman in New
York wrote Capt. Larkins a personal let
ter the other day requesting him 20 find
employment for her FIVE sons. all OF whom
are out Of work The Jersey City detec-
tives think they have enough TO 60 to han
die the cases which win come 10 their at
tention on their side Of the river, but they
see no reason why the police Of other
cities should not take I'D the scheme.
The conditions in Jersey City seem to
be particularly well adapted 10 the sue
cessful operation OF the plan. But IN
many cities especially those in the West
which are Of about the same size as Jer-
sey City. Capt Larkins thinks the system
could be followed 70 advantage.
The detective chief was asked whether
he would Try 70 obtain employment for
them. he said, the case vas somewhat
different Most OF the arrests Of women
, we're made on the complaints oE persons
in whose houses the girls worked and
from whom they had stolen things about
the house. AS soon as the lost property
was recovered these persons were unvili-
Ing to press charges against the thieves.
This was the only type OF female criminal
corresponding TO the kind OF men form
whom he Is obtaining employment.