The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-24

It is now being recognized generahy that women can fill certain positions or responsibility in police work very cred itably and with great benefit to those who come under their care. But what are those positions?
 Just a few. weeks ago Vfennese woman, Fraulein Francisca Wesseisy' was elected to place on the munich pal police board of the Austrian capi- tai. She is to have absolute super vision over all women and children who fall from, grace in the city Dy | the Danube. Her authority will not | be exceeded by that of any other mem | Der of the board.
 This is rather an innovation for the Viennese. whose police authorities have always been. men heretofore, but they expect much good to come Of IL. | In our own country women nave played a prominent part in ponce work for a number of years and nave acquitted themselves well. Through their influence, alone many an untor. | tunate wrongdoer has been turned | from the downward path who mishl otherwise have been lost.
 In America women have never peen | tried in important police executive positions. They have never held po- s,tions On police boards, nor as super iutendents, captains or neutenah.s. Nor is it believed that they could noio
 such positions successfully.
 Al the same time, there are numper of minor positions which, though not executive, are important and are pest filled by women. In the nanoiihs o' prisoners of their sex and Juvenile or lenders, there is a great chance ios women to do good They are regaroed as heinz best fitted for missionary work. , .,a case of cbiIdyerl .e4 In certain cities. as soon ax thes youthful offender has been siat. ad at the station house he Is handed 6ver to the House of Detention omcer. The police see him no more TOT ne is then under the authority or the Juvenile Court and its women repre- sentatives. efs s for Ia magistrates hearing in the morning. Then, if there be sufficient reason to believe that the child IS guilty and If the offense be grave enough, the magistrate returns nm to the House of Detention to await trial.
 A probation officer, a woman. IS then assigned to look into the child's case. She finds out just what has been ms previous record. At the school sne learns whether he has been regular Tn attendance. what progress he has made with his studies and how he has behaved when under the eye of the teacher.
 :. From the family doctor she ascer- tains the child's state of health and makes a note of any physical or men tal failing which might tend to make the; child cratic or evil by nature,
 She then visits the home, and as the result of her own observation and talks with the parents or the neighbors, per haps she decides whether the atmos- phere is the proper one in which to bring up a child.
 < Al the trial the probation officer hands in her report and makes such suggestions as she deems necessary Tn regard to the disposition of the child. Ii is upon her report mainly that thsp judge basis his decision.
 Watches Young Offenders
 If the child is an old offender or Is found that the home is not fit place for him, he is sent to some reforGa- tory institution. But if 1t Is the hrst offense and the parents are capable or looking after the child, he is usually allowed to return home on probation
 For a certain period the probation officer visits the child regularly. keep ing strict tabs on his conduct and If he does not behave, a word from her. Is sufficient to have him put away.
 In the majority of cases the womanly kindness and the gentle admonitions Of the probation officer go much further toward reforming the child than all the well-meant efforts of the police officer clothed in the threatening ma jesty of the law.
 From the time the child is arrested until his case is decided he remains in the House of Detention. unless bail ed out. While there he is entirely un- der the care of the matrons. who watch oyer him in a motherly fashion and endeavor to make his detainment as comfortable and pleasant as possible, at the same time eXerting every effort to influence his character for the bet ter.
 Another very important position in police work. which Is open to women and which offers vast opportunities for doing good. Is that of matron in the police station. When a woman prisoner Is brought into the station she is first slated and then turned over to the matrop, who searches her in the presence of the lieutenant
 In cases where the prisoner is ac- cused of robbery or intent to Kill, she Is taken to the matron's room and searched more thoroughly. She is then given a cell. and during the entire pe- riod of her confinement Is in the ma tron's charge.
 Many Qualities Required
 Some of the prisoners give a good deal of trouble. While being searched they are likely to resist violently. so the matron must not be a weakling. Intuition plays no small part in the handling of women prisoners. Many of them attempt suicide when locked up, either because of the disgrace at tached to their plight or because of their misfortunes.' The matron learns to diagnose suicide case by instinct and is constantly on the alert to pre- vent prisoners from carrying out such designs,
 Tact is another quality which Is nec- essary. When woman of refined ap- pearance and manners is under arrest