The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-04-18
JUVENILE COURT
IS VERY BUSY
A MOTHER FEARS GRANITE PEN
ITENTiARY AND BEGs FOR HER
SON.

County Judge w. +, Freeman and
Assistant County Attorney Andy Har-
dy have on hands now the most puz-
zling and in way the most useful
part of the county government. Re
Gently there have been reported
scores of offenses committed by boys
and the juvenile court has had many
cases to come before it, Some Of
these boys have parents, some have
not. Some of the parents are aware
of the misdeeds of their boys, while
others are not.
Mr.. Hardy was engaged today i'll
writing a contract which is the first
of the kind to be entered into in the
county. A negro boy named Zebedee
Hurt has been in trouble with the
juvenile court for more than year.
He is fourteen years of age and one
year of his life has been spent n
Jail. He is before the court again
charged with crime and the court
is entering into a contract with =
B. Nolen, well known here, who now
operates farm near Hewitt. Under
the terms of the agreement Nolen
agrees to take the Hurt boy to his
home, gives him reasonable work
upon his farm in keeping with the
boys years, feeds him well, clothes
him comfortably and sends him to
school at least three months in each
done by the boy. The contract COR
tains a provision that gives the coun-
ty judge the right to terminate 1t ct
any time he desires and if the negro
boy cannot be controlled by Nolen
then other means will be resorted TO-
All these boys are by no means
negroes. One mother was in the
court today. She has a boy in jail.
She has seen the reports from Gran
ite and greatly fears for her son to
be sent to that place. She has the
same fear for the Pauls Valley home
and promises to be very watChful for
the welfare of her son if he is turned
ever to her again.
Judge Freeman and Mr.. Hardy will
make a visit soon to Pauls Valley
for the purpose of investigating the
State Training School to determine
in their own minds whether these
boys can be properly cared for thero
and given good moral training.
The situation demands some relief.
rhe Big Brother movement applied
at this time in Ardmore would be
worth much to boys. Judge Freeman
sees the great need of an active Y
VI. c. A. in Ardmore and says such
work is one of Christian love and
he would like to associate himself
With such a movement. 81 trembie
under the responsibilities of the iu
this morning Parents often neglect
their children, some of them are too
poor to give the boys spending
money and in order to get the money
they fancy their necessities require
they will take things that do not
belong to them. Any kind of type
metal or copper will sell at some
price and these boys take this prop
erty wherever they can find it and
sell it to get some spending money.
| need the help of the press, of the
churches and Sunday Schools, of the
!. NJ c. A. and of the day schools,
need the help of all in doing this
work and | invite the cooperation
of the Christian citizenship of this
town to help me be of greater serv-
ice to the youths who are inclined
to go wrong
In order that parents and their chill
dren, also, may know what offenses
subject children to trial in the juve-
nile court, the Ardmore publishes
herewith a portion of the statutes:
The words delinquent child" shall
include any child under the age OF
sixteen years who violates any Law {
of the United States, or of this I
state, or any city or village ordi
nance: or who is incorrigible either {
at home or in school, or who know
ingly associates with thieves. vicious 9
or immoral persons. or who, without {
lust cause ana without the consent !
of its parents or custodian, absents /
itself from home or it's place cf
abode, or who is growing up in idle
ness or crime; or who knowingly c
frequents a house of i'll repute; or J
VINO knowingly frequents any policy {