The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-02-03
THE BOY,
| THE LAW,
RESULTS
\ REVIEW OF TEN YEARS
OF THE JUVENILE COURT
IN AMERICA
STATE As PROTECTOR
OF DELINQUENT CHILD
Prevention Of Crime Rather Than
Punishment Of WrODgdoIng
New Wdlchw0Td

| Before pretentious bar of JUS
tice and begowned and frownlng
judge stands ten year old Grimm
al charged with crap shooting. A
burly policeman Is at his side and
behind him with attentive ears, sits
"a court room half filed with listen
ers eager to- see what "the kid will
get Another haf dozen frighten-
ed boys are waiting their turn on the
docket. The prisoner pleads mot
guilty" and after every small detail
of the childs story Is told to the
listening idlers, sentence Is suspend
ed on the ground of insufficient evi-
dence. Next. time the court may not
be so lenient. Through The court
room the boy is led and outside he
meets the rest of the gang. Most of
them have been through the mill be-
fore and all have learned to hate and
fear the judge and the court as much
as they hate and fear the policeman
on the beat. This Is a daily scene
in the Child ems court of Manhattan,
New York City.
Across the bridge in Brooklyn, an
other boy is being tried for a similar
offense. In plainly furnished room
sit the Judge and the boy, a plea Of
guilty or mot guilty" is not en-
tered and there are no spectators,
excepting perhaps a probation officer
and the child's parents. The Judge
talks over the case with the boy. tries
to show him tha II will be much
better 10 tell the whole truth. con
vinces him If possible that he Is his
friend and adviser and then when The
prisoner is discharged without an
overhanging sentence places him in
the care OF probation officer who
visits the home and endeavors to get
the boys .egard and confidence
start "a process OF education by con-
structive friendship as one proba-
tion officer puts It.
These are two examples OF two ju.
venile courts that have developed in
this country within dhe past ten
years, the former still clinging to the
old idea of punishment, and the lat
ter going little further and becom-
ing counsellor instead of lnqnisitor
A special nurnbe. of The Survey,
New York, out today, reviews for the
first time the work of this kids
court. Judge Lindsey of Denver,
Judge Mack of Chicago, Judge Baker
Of Boston, Bernard Fiexner Of Louis
vile, Henry w. Thurston OF Chicago,
Homer Folks of New York and Victo.
Won Borosini of Be- lin tell what this
rev court is doing for the deiinquen,
child. AfHi
4.n years OF life has by no means
made the juvenile court in the I'm
ted States perfect institution, bu'
IN. a, good many sta ,es, 1t has chang
ed the entire procedure against the
boy. The state has stepped in as a
| guardian because OF the inability o.
unwillingness of natural parents tc
assume the responsibility and is ap
plying the judicial slipper mixed
with wholesome advice that means q
lot moe to boy than trip in "tht
wagon" alongside a clever crook.
Before the time OF the juvenile
court the criminal law did not differ
entiate between the adult and tht
minor who had reached the age oi
criminal responsibility"-seven a
! common law in some states and tei
in others, with a possible chance o
escape up to twelve IL the child wert
I lacking In mentality. The whole
4 idea OF the old method was 10 punisl
wrong doing. The child was arrest
ed, clapped into jail. indicted by ;
4 grand jury, tied BY petit jury, AM
ii found guilty, sentenced 10 prison
with adult offenders from whom ad
4 vanced lessons in crime were easily
! learned, II the boy happened to b.
ready to learn, as most boys are,
Since the first court was establish
ed In Chicago in 1899 about so pc
cent OF the boys put on probation II
4 that city have not returned 10 th'
cou,t. OF the delinquent girls onl
So per cent have nor shown up agail
in court. a pretty plain evidence tha
the social agencies of the cities ar
not filling the girls wants. Bur TAX
ing the situation as Whole the evl
dence is strong. not only In Chicago
but in every city where juyenii
court legislation has been introduced
that neglected. dependent and delir
quent children are better and NOR
raiionally cared for under the nel
|. method.
lust what sort Of procedure is
:. chat the yoIngsier goes through In
enodern juvenile courf2 Take tb
II ca-e Of frusnt, Nhoae hasd vofl
,rc mr., her fas u lid OF ifsr bn