The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-12-02

we can commit a delinquent boy to
that institution and have him admitted.
/ This is som etimes a very embarrassing
situation in the handling of a large
/ number of delinquents, some of whom
i it is very necessary to give to under
stand the industrial school will he his
home if he does not improve his de-
pertinent
Happily all delinquent boys are not
sent to the industrial school. In fact.
under the patient and exacting work
of the juvenile judges only small per-
cent reach this institution and then
only as a last resort.
Il had case like this which I
watched with interest. A fourteen year
old colored boy was brought in a year
ago for stealing a part of a bicycle an
offense which is a source of great
trouble in our city. He was paroled,
after a while no further reports were
required. Not long ago, com plant
came in that he had violated his parole
and was guilty of stealing a bicycle
lamp. My first impulse was to send
him to the industrial school and I Sc
cured permission from the board of
control for his admission. He emphat-
ically denied his guilt and insisted he
had purchased the lamp from a boy
of the same age. have always con-
tended that when child is charged
with violating his parole and denies
his guilt, that he is entitled to a trial
and in no instance should he be tried
for any offense without one or both
of the parents being present. Trials,
when spoken of in this connection, are
not conducted with the usual formality
of criminal proceedings, but the child
and its parents must always be present
and the child is entitled under every
semblance of law to be confronted by
his accusers.
In this case, the father and mother
both insisted on the child's innocence.
warned them against the danger of
taking the chiId's word for it and in
sisted that they investigate the case for
themselves. I told the delinquent he
must produce the boy who sold him
the property and gave him two weeks
to do it. In the meantime, I sent the
probation officer to find the boy from
whom he claimed to have purchased
the stolen lamp, and learned that he
had been out of the city for a period of
at least month before the offense was
committed. In two weeks, the de-
inquent came in with his mother, still
protesting his innocence and his
mother still believing him. The father
in the meantime had weakened and
stayed away. I had all along tried to
impress him with the Importance of
telling the truth under fire and tried
to explain to him the law of the rights
find the boy We were seeking and I
then said to him I thought he was try
ing to deceive his mother and also try
ing to deceive the court. I would not
dispose of his case until he had pro-
duced the boy who was absent and
continued the hearing for another
week This time he came alone, and
Informed me he had not been success
full. 1 pointed out to him again the
EN- EMBARRASSING situation he was in and
insisted that by the end of another
week, he must produce the boy who
sold him the lamp. 1 got up to leave
the room, but he stuck fast to his chair
and / knew something was coming.
1 sat down again and said nothing.
After a little while he broke the silence,
stammered. looked out of the window
and then looking up at me, said,
Judge, / took that lamp 1t was a
heavy load. but he had lifted it. I did
not send that boy to the industrial
best course to pursue in this last ex-
pertinent. I believe yet this boy can
be made a useful citizen.
Must Report to Court.
''The system of requiring delinquents
to report to the court is the most
effective method yet suggested. have
succeeded best in curing the persistent
truant by requiring him to bring two
reports each week, one from his par
ent and the other from his teacher. No
truapt can successfully escape both the
parent and the teacher We have found
q AuIllDSI O1 boys III our Guy VINO nave
successfully played truant for a month
at a time, leaving home in the morn
ing, hanging around pool halls and
other places of amusement all day and
then going home with the other child
rem in the evening. AS long as we can
keep a boy reporting regularly, wei
have but little trouble with him. AS
soon as he begins to drop out, send
the probation officer to his parents. If
the parent is the right kind, we get
him in line again.
The Girl Problem.
''The boy problem is comparatively
easy, but the girl problem-the girl
from fourteen to sixteen-it seems to
me, is far from solution. l believe
in the counties containing the larger
cities, a woman probation officer and
frequent home visitation would bring
about great results. In our county,
We have been obliged to depend on the
police n1atrons in dealing with de-
linduent girls and we have received
great assistance and help from these
officials
"A father recently came in and in
sisted that his fourteen-year-old girl be
sent to the industrial school. He and
his wife are foreigners When the girl
was brought in, 1 soon discovered she
was a product of our public schools, a
child of our civilization, and that she |
had outgrown her parents. The feel |
ing between the child and parents was
intense and bitter and all attempt at
reconciliation seemed to be fruitless.
With the aid of the Provident associa- |
ton, / placed the girl in a family home
and the father was very indignant that
I would not send her to Beloit. She
was a delinquent girl, in this: That she
was stubborn, conceited, arrogant and
in open rebellion against her father
and mother, but she had committed
no crime and was not a wayward child.
After while, l managed by the most
careful and adroit means I possessed, |
to bring about reconciliation between
the child and her parents. She is still
in the family home, and the father a