Franklin's paper the Denver star., 1912-11-23
Suggestion to Provide a Refuge
For Wdywdrd Girls
DETENTION HOME NEEDED.
No Place tablished In New York For
Sisteen-Not a Case of Charity or
senevoienee, but of Necessity, Says
Judge Wiikin.

An article in the New York Herald
of Aug. -. 1911. reads As follows:
"Of the many Institutions in the city
there is none where colored girls un-
der sixteen years OF age may be re-
ceived for care and restraint and the
judges la the childrens court are
greatly perplexed as to the proper dis
position OF the cases that come before
them. Neither Catholic nor Protestant
Negro children. II Is said. are received
hy the institutions OF their faith, and
the only place where they can be look
Z - rf,-r iu ~, cl,-- ~ a. 'ha Children
society. which can ouly keep these girl
Offenders for few weeks aud then T.
obliged to return them to their homes
for hack of suitable institutions 10 send
them to. The state Training school
will receive them. but the number OF
cottages SGT aside FOR Negro girls is al
ways nlled.
This matter. which Is now under in
ye<ti.a;ios. was brought up short
time ago when two Negro girls were
convicted of petit larceny by Judge
Wilkin In the chlldren's court. and the
Judge found that there WAS no place TO
which he could commit them. The law
prohibits tn. sanding OF children TO
Jail.
Judge Wilkiu Is particularly inter
.sird Iu this matter. as he many times
has occasion TO sentence young Negro
girls. Hr thinks such girls who are
not committed 10 any Institution con
tamiuate other children.
'''rbc question is one which demands
immediate attention. said Judge VIII
kin II is not case OF charity or be
ueyulpuce. but Of necessity. There are
many cases where these children posi-
lively need cducat ational care, but until
a place is founded for them we are at
,tnudsti'i In regard TO the admins
trntion of Justice.
The Childrcn's society TX also inter
esied in this question and will cooper
ntc with any movement which will pro
vide for relief
The following table indicates the dis
position OF thirty-nine cases OF colored
girls who were handled by the Brook
Iyn Society For the Prevention OF Cru.
city to Children between June /. 1910,
and Aug. II. 1911:
Returned TO their homes because Of no
institution to receive them...+........,. y
Refused admittancc to institutions upon
application Observation-Disclosures.
Committed TO institutions and received. $
z. T.. Housc OF Mercy accepted. ......
Howard orphan asylum accepted.
New York State Training school ac-
ccptcd .....ss......
Riverdaie Orphan asylum added art
cr FIRST report. U........................,
Total ................s.s....-s ~
4 footnote to the Brooklyn society's
report says that all of the twenty eight
were returned to their homes after be
ing committed because there was no
institution to which to send them and
that three OF the others should have
been committed. Adding to the TWEEN
weight these three. and four more out
OF the additional six since June l. two
of these having gone to hospitals, one
der the care of one organization from
June ]. 1910, to Aug. 10. 1911. thirty-five
girls who should have had institutional
care but who have instead been re-
turned to homes of bad influence. Nff
II. {. Preston. superintendent OF the
Brooklyn S. +. c. G.. esaid that the
number thirty-nine represents about 80
per cent OF the number that would
probably come under their care II the
workers knew there was any proper
way of disposing OF them. l.. r.. age
fourteen years. was taken from II