Ripley County democrat. (Doniphan, Mo.) 1905-1920, 1912-12-13
QUERY-..WAS He A BAD B0Y7
An Example Of the Way In Which
Mlschlevous Boys Are Turned
Into Useful Lives.

He had stayed away from home two
nights when a policeman found him
roaming the streets. Being only If
teen years old he could not be kept
in the police station very long The
policeman then took him to the house
of detention. AS the law does not
allow boy of his age to be conveyed
/ In the patrol wagon, the policeman
/ took him on the street car. In the
house Of detention he was received
by a kindly lady who made him COM
Portable. No one made him feel that
he was q criminal and that he had
lost forever his chance Of becoming
a good boy and finally good man.
He was told that his first offense
/ would not count against him, provid-
ed he would change his conduct and
do what was right,
Two days later he was brought into
the juvenile court Here a kindly
Judge made him feel at ease. He was
told that 1t is wrong to run away
from home and was shown the conse-
quences of going with bad company.
rhe father thought 1t would be best
to place the boy on probation. The
lad was told to wait.
After court adjourned he was asked
to come to the chief probation offi-
GERS office. Here he was given q
card and sent out to see an assistant.
The assistant, having familiarized
himself with the case, spoke to the
boy He made it clear to the lad that
the Judge could have sent him to the
city industrial school Or even to the
state school at Boonville, but that he
gave him another chance to do better.
The boy promised to behave himself,
to get job and report every week to
the probation officer.
After the first two weeks 1t became
apparent that the boy took 1t all as
joke. The probation officer warned
him several times and finally took him
to the house of detention. The boy
appeared in court again and was sent
to the city industrial school this time.
In the industrial school he "cut loose"
Eight weeks passed and the boy be-
came lonesome. He had had enough
OF the ref" When his father wis.,
tied him he begged to be taken home.
He promised he would behave. The
father came to see the probation offi-
Ger about It, and was informed that
the boy would have to make his "E"
marks. The probation officer ex-
planned that when boy behaves well
In the Industrial school he gets
good mark every day and at the end
Of the week he gets an "E." II boy
., is In for the first offense, his six con-
secutive "E" marks will gain his lib
erty for him. The probation officer
went to the industrial school to visit
the boy and explained to him that no
pull" In the world could gain his
freedom for him and encouraged him
to get his marks. In six weeks the
boy was out US a result Of good con.
duct.
He behaved for two weeks. Then
his mother, with tears in her eyes,
came to see the probation officer.
She said the boy refused to work,
abused the little children in the house
and behaved miserably. The boy was
warned again. But again 1t became
necessary to take him to the house OF
detention. The probation officer this
time recommended that the Judge SEN
tence the boy to the state training
school at Boonville, but advised that
the boy be given two weeks during
which he might prove that he could
behave at home rather than go to
Boonville.
! When brought before the Judge the
boy pleaded for another chance, The
Judge gave him the chance with
Boonville hanging over his head. At
the end of the two weeks he was
given more time. He found work,
changed his conduct and was allowed
to stay at home. Six months later the
father and mother of the boy, with
tears in their eyes, thanked the pro-
baton officer for his work. The boy
Is holding a Job which pays nine dol
lars a week He brings home his pay
and gets out of Il what his mother
gives him. He docs not "sprout
Wings" as the saying is. but he is one
boy sTed. Was he worth whileH
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