The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-20
AN OUTRAGE OF THE Law.

tommy Cordle is a boy fifteen years
OF age. He has had no chance. When
he was a bit of brat he was LEFT
an orphan and has had to do the best
he could. which has been very poor
do. He does not "know his letters
mas not been able to attend school and
mas had no one to care for him. He
got his start in Norfolk and has been
picking up odd Jobs whenever he could
md any one who would give him en-
ployment. He worked for time In
Raleigh, North Carolina, and laid by
little money, but not enough to
reach Richmond. whittier he was bound
In search of a sister who Is said to
live somewhere in this great town He
got Us far as Petersburg on his jour
ney and started to walk from that
place to Richmond. He was footsore
tired and hungry. and In Chesterfield
county appropriated watermelon
from a convenient patch on the road
side. He was pursued with a gun by
the owner OF the melon, turned over
to the tender mercies OF the Law, and
was sentenced to thirty days at hard
labor on the public roads OF Chester
held county. In tho daytime he was
compelled to bend his back and strain
MS muscles on the highways and at
night he was herded with criminals
OF mature years in the quarters pro-
vided for their safekeeping. All this
happened nearly month ago. and.
with only six days OF his cruel SEN
tence TO serve, the boy sought to es-
cape from his unhappy lot by flight
He was pursued by the vigilant officers
of the law. recaptured and returned
to his place in the prison or stockade
for such punishment as his keepers
might inhict
This is the story that was told In
The Times Dispatch yesterday. It is
story that should bring the blush
of shame to every right-feeIing man
In the community. and calls for thor
ough investigation. At the last ses-
sion of the General Assembly of yir-
gtnia, An Act was passed authorizing
and empowering every court OF gem
eral criminal jurisdiction in this State
to commit to the care and custody OF
any society. association or reforn,a.
tory approved by the State Board Of
Charities and Corrections any child
under seventeen years OF age who Is
charged with any felony, or who is
charged with or convicted of a petty
n Ian
further and provides that mo Court,
unless the offense Is aggravated. or
the ends OF justice demand otherwise.
shall sentence or commit a child under
seventeen years OF age charged with
or proven TO have been guilty of any
crime in Section l (among the crimes
named in Section / Is that of larceny,
to a jail. workhouse or police station,
or send such child on to the grand
jury, nor sentence such child to the
penitcntiary."
The language of the statute is very
plain. 1t says shall" We hope that
the State Board of Charities and Cor
rections will make a searching inves-
tigation for all the facts connected
with the case of Johnny Cordle. On
the surface. the Court which con-
demned this little waif to confinement
with criminals for an offence of the
most trivial nature was guilty of
violation of the law and of infiicting
cruel and excessive punishment upon
him. II the facts are as they have
been stated and cannot be properly ex-
planned. the Legislature at its next
the offending magistrate to the end
that justice may be done and the I'M
fortunate children of the State pro-
tected hereafter from the cruelties of
the law.