The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-03-19
AN INCIDENT
Of INTEREST
HOW A SMALL BOY, ARRAIGNED
BEFORE THE CRIMINAL COURT,
WAS SAVED FROM THE PENl-
TERTIARY.

1t happened the other day in the
criminal court. The court officers,
witnesses and jurors were slowly as
sembling, an occasional toothpick and
the evident physical satisfaction eX-
pressed in face and figure indicated
that the noon recess had been suitably
employed. The men who had been
called to serve as jurymen naturally
gravtated to one corner and, while
justice was balancing her scales, be-
gan to question each other as to what
nature of case might be brought be-
fore them, when it dawned upon these
men that only one prisoner was left
in the deputyS charge. There he sat,
small tan legs with dilapidated shoes
and no stockings, pants four sizes too
big, tattered coat and shirt struggling,
but not quite succeeding, in an effort
to conceal the small yellow body. \
woody head and a sheepish grin com
pleted the criminal whose fate must
engage the attention OF the jury.
1t was said that the defendant had
stolen pair of number nine rubber
shoes about forty-five days ago and
Escambia county was now ready 10
mete out justice. The merchant who
lost the shoes did not care to see this
boy go to the penitentiary, but things
kept disappearing and an example
must be made of someone; the sheriff
did not care to keep this boy forty-five
days in Jail before his trial; justice
moves slowly and the sheriff couldn't
! help it. The county solicitor felt an
! aversion to prosecuting a child. The
six men, taken from their work for
jury duty, were nauseatSd as they
thought how unavoidably they must
report guilty; how inevitable was
the sentence.
Everyone revolted before the task,
but Justice has balanced her scales,
the handkerchief is being bound tight
; ly over her eyes-it is . o'clock, and
Escambia county is ready to set in mo-
ton her expensive machinery Of JUS
tice for an unwilling, a sadly ridiculous
| task of trying boy according to laws
intended for the hardened criminal.
But there seemed no help for it. A
note, of WEAKNESS might have been de-
tected in the voice of the kind-hearted
Judge as he ordered that court be
opened.
i Very little attention was created by
| the quiet man in gray clothing, with
glasses, who hurriedly came i'll and
now stood talking with the county So
! licitor.
! The jury was being called, and one
! by one they were coming forward,
when something unexpected seemed to
| be happening. The man in gray and
| the county solicitor were talking to
| the Judge while the bare legged boy
! tiptoed in all effort to see over the
! desk before him. Finally decision
seemed TO be reached and leaning over
| the desk that he might see the pris-
| oner, the Judge said in q tone far diff
ferent from the cold letter of the law,
Billy, you stole the shoes, didn't
! YOU"
| Vas sah," came the sheepish reply
| Then the judge just had talk with
the boy, explaining the evil of theft
and the necessity of its punishment for
! the good Of society and for the good
| of the thief. But said the judge, Il
/ am not going to send you to the peni-
| Tertiary now. l am going to suspend
| sentence in your case and place you
under parole to Dr. Hall, this gentle
| man here, who has asked for you. You
| must report to him as often as he says.
| you must do as he tells you, and if
you behave yourself l won't have to
send you to the penitentiary. Now go
! with DR.. Hall.
The entire court took long breath
It was decidedly relieved Even if the
! Associated Charities should fail with
| this case the principle appealed to
ones sense of justice.
The present laws always fail III such
cases.
| 1t is naturally asked: why can't
| Florida have juvenile courts and laws
to fit juvenile wrongdoers, such as
| other states havoc