Evening star., 1909-03-13

of Mettray. the prison of rich bad boys,
Locked in his CELL 3 yards long by 21.
yards wide. the boy began by knocking
loud. until the iailers came to say that
if he kept IT up he would be tied and
thrown into a dark cell situated that
his knocking would trouble no one. So
the kid became silent.
He became silent forever. because. in
the morning. they found that he had
hanged himself from the bars of his cell
window.
Although this death disembarrassed an
honorable French family of a black sheep
who would probably have wasted its mon
ey when he grew up. the management and
directorate of the Paternal House were
much annoyed when the story began get
ting into the Tours papers.
The scandal for the family! 1t would
be difficult to call it natural death. Of
course, they would try: but no. it was too
late. The parquet (publc prosecutors
office also serving as coroner of Tours
found itself obliged to act. French jus
tica laid hands unexpectedly on letters.
papers and witnesses proving that the
severe school o? school of repression
founded by DemetZ and Bretignieres de
Coueteilles had become a kids bastille.
where Nicholas Nickelby was being out
done daily in the persons of some fifty
rich bad boys from all parts of France
and it is said. America and England.
How could an American boy be yanked
off on a lettre de cachet to solitary: con-
tinement in French prison cell by a
hard-hearted stepmother, guardian or
parent?
Above the age of twenty-one we have
had scions Of great American houses
locked up during years. even, In the gar
dens of Maisons de Sante on admins
trative ORDER though admittedly in pos
session of their faculties: but it was regu-
larly concession to their mohey, permit
ting them to escape something worse
One can go too far in raising Cain, even
in Paris. In the case of two sons of a
famous New York millionaire they lived
thus willingly confined for their own
good, going out on weekly splurges ac-
companied by keepers and highly expen-
sive
But boys jailed without law process
French law provides for such lettres de
cacEet. but issued by ward judge. When
q father has grave cause to be discon-
tented with the conduct of a child under
sixteen. article 376 of the civil code allows
the ward tribunal no discretion. 1t is
bound, on the fathers simple demand, to
grant an order for the kids "arrest and
detention for a period not exceeding one
month.
Article 377 lengthens the imprisonment
teen and under twenty-one, but the judge
must confer with the public prosecutor
before issuing the warrant, and together
they may refuse ii or shorten the period
In any case. by article 37s there is
never to be any writing or formal1ties,
nor shall the motives of the arrest be
set down even in the warrant
These are as near to lettres de cachet
the law of the present French repub
lie goes. and strong as they seem, they
had nothing to do with the putting away
OF the siXteen-year -Cld-boy of Marseille
who committed suicide in his cell at Met
tray.
The articles of the code provide for
putting boys in prisons, houses of deten-
tion or correction of the state for short
periods zone to six months),' answers the
board of directors of Mettray. They do
not concern US"
And would you like to know how they
prove it? Listen to the terrible Senator
Berenger. who, being on the board, is