Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-10-13
JUVENILE CRIMINALS
New York Man Has Started Criminal
Class in Public School.

Class in Public School.
A class of boy criminals in a pub
lie school the only one Of its kind in
the world is the startling innova-
ton which Richard Feier has in
troduced in Greenwich village. New
York, says an exchange. Following
the old rule of keeping bad boys in
after school," Feier is having such
good success with his work that he has
become known as the Ben Lindsay"
of New York.
| F'eier's class is made up Of young
burglars, truants, forgers and dis
turbers of the peace. 1t is recruited
from the children's court, the truant
school, the superintendent's office and
the Catholic protectory-a Catholic re-
form school. The boys all attend
school No. 95, situated in Greenwich
village. where Feier teaches during
the day. At $50 when the pupils are
let out for the day, Feier's class meets
with Feier for handball games, foot
ball or some other form Of exercises
for an hour. Then they are taken to
the carpenter shop where they are
kept until six o'clock. After then
they are allowed to go home
Feier is very modest about his
work. He says that it Is very simple
and that the boys themselves made it
success by the way they take hold
Of it. But he doesn't explain what an
observer will notice that the boys
take hold of it" as he says for the
reason that he knows just how to
reach them. He wins their conf
dence right away and it is Feier large
ly and not the plan that is such a
success.
The boys average about IA years in
age. They are normal in mind and
body, but are just reaching the age
when bad influences-fast women, evil
men, drink and gambling -fasten upon
them.
It's the bad company the boys get
into that makes them go wrong" said
Feier. THAT is all our plan Is for
to keep them out Of bad company.
We keep them off the streets after
school and in that way they avoid
making bad companions. They are
beginning to enjoy studying with the
class. In fact, some Of them after
their terms of probation have expired
have asked to be allowed to stay
with the class.
And none of them are really bad
boys Here's one (pointing to a lad
in a group picture) who was fence
for a clothing thief. He had a lot or
clothing. He is a bright lad but just
got into bad company. Here's anoth-
er (pointing to another lad in the
picture) who forged a check a.
couple of months ago. I've found out
that he isn't really vicious at all at
heart. He had just got into bad
company. He'll come through all
right now.
Il never have much trouble with
the boys. oh, I've taken lots of
knives and blackjacks off of them.
I've got the finest little collection OF
blackjacks you ever saw.
Had one boy in here who had
stabbed a playmate. After being taxi
en- to the reformatory he stabbed
keeper. When he Joined the class l
found a cheese knife about five lnch-
es long on him. l never had a bit or
trouble with him, however, and he Is
making one of the best members OF
the class.
II have one boy in the class now
who is shifting coke! You know that
is getting to be one of the biggest
dangers the boys Of today face. There
are so many unscrupulous persons
coke hends-going about teachlng
children to use the vile stuff. Thls lad
soaks the inside elbow Of his coat
sleeve with coke before he comes TO
school. Then he leans his head down
on his arm a dozen times a day or
more and shifts it. 1 don't know just
how 1 am going to help him.
THE parents? oh. the less said the
better. Usually the father is drunk
ard and the mother is too busy rails
ing more children and Shaving for
living to watch the boy. When her BOY
is arrested she shrugs her shoulders as
if to say it is too bad and she hopes
the others will turn out better
Another feature Of school No. 20
which tends to make it one of the best
if not the best in the city-is its de-
partment for mental detectives.
These are children not normally intel
ligent but who are not deemed back
ward enough for a special institution.
There are about thirty of these chill
dren at school No. 95 who are given
special attention. Two women teach
ers have charge of these pupils and
they teach them basket weaving, the
making of brushes, simple sewing and
the very simplest form Of arithmetic.