Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-04-13
THE CASE OF OLLIE TAYLOR;
HOW COUNTY HELPS HIS KIND
Fulton Industrial Farm at Hapeville
a Morals Factory---The Whole
Story of This Noted Affair.

DEAAAE AtNANEh dhAE9 ny SNhlhE VI TO-
tiers to the editor" which come from
men and women everywhere, seeking
information about the case Of the
l0-year- Atlanta boy who il on
The Industrial Farm for stealing a
bottle of soda water
Writing generally in an angry
strain, lawyers and laymen want to
know all about the case. all about
the Supreme Court decision, and II
ollie Taylor, ten years old, really was
sentenced to an absolute term Of
eleven wears because he looked too
Iongingly with childish eyes on a
tempting brown bottle. lie was not.
A long list Of complaints regarding
the boy preceded the charge that he
stole the bottle OF soda. His ASSOC
Citations were bad. At ten years old
he was not innocent Of many things
that child should not know. His
father before Judge Calhoun, signed
a statement that the boy was incOr-
T1gible. He was sent to the Indus
trial Farm. Here is his sentence, The
sentence of hayward boys under the
Georgia law:
For the term OF his minority. I'M
less sooner discharged"
Released After Two Years.
II was an indeterminRte sentence,
its length contingent on the boys
readiness to forget the old associa-
ton and to learn good, new, clean
things He was sent not for punish
ment. nor even for reformation, but
to be surrounded by influences that
discountenance idieness and Its con-
seQuent vice. lie was sent to be
taught things, and to be released
when no learned his lesson.
wears later, ollie Taylor, Offering
signs that he had learned his les
son, was released on his fathers as
surance that the boy would be
watched. educated and cared for.
Back home, Ollie Taylor did not at
tend school. His father, according
70 officials Of the Children's Court
and Of the Reformatory, seemed care
less Of him. He was too small To OBJ
tain work. and was drifting back TO
the questionable associations Of the
street and OF the surreptitiou9 craps
game. They took him back
Ills father. angered, sought his re-
lease. and lost the habeas corpus
suit in the state courts. The SUI
preme Court. in its opinion consid-
cred the case from the strict legal
aspect and said that the sentence
must hold because the law which
sanctioned il was not invalid.
So ollie Taylor il on the Fulton
county Industrial Farm II ne ~
good boy and Superintendent Means
eave he is good and is learning his
lesson of right and wrong--he VIII
he released this year. Boys never
arc kept in the Reform School dur
ing Fall the years Of their minority
They learn their lesson ana are sent
out at once.
Farm Not a Bad Place.
The farm IS not n bad place at All
Take ollie Taylor and MS ire on
the farm and you viii see. READ
here what the farm is;
Fulton County. Georgia, went into
business eleven years ago that 90
day Is netting bigger returns TO the
public. perhaps. than any other IN
vesimcnt the county ever maoe'
The business the county engaged
Oh was the making over OF bad boys
into good men.
The profits have been enormous,
and tile income is compromising with
every new month-nOt in dollars ana
cents. perhaps, but measured accord
Ing 10 the worth OF good citizenry 10
= the community.
shop for youths with i0p-sides and
neglected morals Is the Fulton Coun-
~ Industrial Farm. located at Hape-
VILE. about eight miles south OF the
heart Of Atlanta and more than a
mile from the end OF the car line In
the suburb Of Hapeville.
Here delinquent but not hopeless
ads who. IL left 10 pursue the paths
of their inclination. would grow up
INTO lives of crime and dissipation,
public liabilities Of the most costly
and serious kind, are taken and
gently reshaped and remade into
men OF honor and character-trans-
ferred 20 the assets aide OF the ac-
count OF public worth.
Place TOR Bad Boys.
The school farm al Hapeville is
where Fulton County sends boys like
! ollie Taylor. who II thinks might
after AN grow mp 20 be good. useful
mem where ollie Taylor has an OPP
poIunity 10 learn right from wrong,
which opportunity he might not have
had before There are los besides
ONE.
The farm was established for that
purpose eleven years ago 10y the
state Legislature
The school farm is under the DE-
rectiou of r. a. r. Means as super
inteudent. am old Confederate soldier.
who has taught boys and woke !
with BOYS OH his Hfe-ana Who I'M
lerstanls boys like ollie Taylor
The domain OF Superintendent
Means covers f25 acres Of rolling.
gently swelling land. ON the highest
knoll. where the cleauest stiffest
breezes sweep. are 'wo dounitorigs s..
comfortably appointed. In the dor
mitory buildings also are rooms for
instruction. and workshops, ia which
THE boys learn 20 plat chair bottoms,
where they mend their own shoes
and where they DO q little carpeu-
tering.
Industries on Farm.
a fair-siZed canning factory is In
stalled in another shed. There is q
great boiler and reCeptaeles for thu
cans. and soldering machines
Against the canning outfit IS @ shed
check full OF Gems which the boy,
themselves have filled with preserved
fruits ana vegetables which keel
fresh ana vary the cuisine OF IN,
farm schools dining .oom.
They are putting up a sris- MIL
now az the farm. working under sd.
poHcy % absolute seit-suppor- uGiei
Superintendent Means affects 8
wI be finished soon. and the boy
81 md their own corn and vncr
-EefH bread .r4F- HrH.. rH.a