The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-02-24
C. 0, S. VOTES TO
PUSH JUVENILE
COURT CAMP AIGN
Mrs. Andrews Discussion of
Such Tribunals Interests
Many Bridgeporters.

IIIdL WOlh OS COuI1uuSO " al u Cil0
establishment of Juvenile court in
this city, two hundred enthusiastic
men and women listened yesterday af-
ternCOn to a most interesting and in
structive address upon the work of
such courts by Mrs. Julius A. Andrews
Of Boston, in the sun parlor of the
Stratfie1d
Zone of the best things a Juvenile
court can do is to handle it's cases
outside the court said Mrs. Andrews
during her talk.
George L. Warren, secretary Of the
Charity Organization society which
mas been investigating the subject Of
Juvenile courts and which was instru-
mental in bringing Mrs. Andrews to
this city, opened the meeting. Judge
Frank L Wilder introduced the
speaker. Judge Wilder briefly re-
viewed the situation in Bridgeport,
which, he said, has been dumping
ground of all kinds of criminal char
acters," and told of the need of
Juvenile court here. Now, he said,
there was a place, The Bridgeport
Protective Association, for taking care
of the girls but there was no place
for the boys The city, he said, had
OOS~-~
hope to have a building set aside for
Juvenile court work.
Mrs. Andrews is a member of the
Massachusetts Prison Commission and
for years has devoted much of her
time to the work of the Juvenile
court.
she briefly reviewed the history Of
the execution and Imprisonment of
hot n Fin 019 nd
about nine children have been hang
ed for minor offenses according to rec
ords and that as late as 1888 little.
boy was hanged there for stealing a
shawl. II
The first law which opened the way
for Juvenile court work in this coun-
try was the Massachusetts probation
bill passed in 1863 But it remained
for the west to work out the idea
which was born in the east and so
in 1899 the real Juvenile courts were
established in Chicago and Denver.
Mrs. Andrews contrasted the work
of Judge Lindsey of Denver ana
Judge Mack Of Chicago with the Ju-N
venile court. Judge Lindsey's rather
sensational method while disapproved
of by many, had great erect
throughout the country by arousing
public interest in this subject and its
good was inestimable. Judge Mack
worked upon more quiet linesA ana
the wonderful effects which hF at
tanned would not have been known
to the world nearly so quickly had
not the country been interested
through Judge Lindsey's methods.
The history of the court in Boston
and the work it has done there was
briefly explained by Mrs. Andrews.
Investigation is the fundamental
principle of the Juvenile court" said
the speaker. Gin Boston, judge
will not hear case until it has been
thoroughly investigated and all it's
facts can be reported to him. We
have no theories and don't believe in
being sensational. It is essential that
the Judge be sane and kind and have
an unusual amount of those quail
ties which thoroughly understand
every characteristic of childhood.
With him must be a group of proba-
ton officers, of that type of mind
which can understand child, can
use good common sense and is capa-
BILE Of giving thorough investigating
into every phase of a case.
.tYou ask What of the Volunteer
A volunteer is only valuable when
he or she will give the same atten-
ton to the work as though they were
regularly employed as an investiga-
tor. It is but rarely that volunteer
worker is found who is of any real
service. In all my years of expert
ence I don't think there have been
more than rs volunteers who proved
of value"
Mrs. Andrews illustrated her talk
with many stories of boys who had
been brought before the court on
various offenses and who, through the
excellent work of the probation off,
GERS had been gradually brought to
position where they were credit to
the community.
1.-THE Juvenile court insists upon one
thing, the boys must make restitution
for whatever wrong they do" she
said. She told of cases where boys
ha,i stolen articles from stores, had
been brought before the court. They
had agreed to make good what they
had stolen, but as they had not the
money and their parents were poor the
storekeepers were asked to employ the
boys to work out the value OF what
was missing This they agreed to do
ami the boys thus made restitution.
The parents are not fined by the court
because it is realized that fining the
parents does not help the boys at all.
Boys are never put into a cell in Jail
while they are awaiting trial. After
they have been apprehended if it is
necessary to hold them. they are en-
trusted to worthy families who have
been found willing to do this work for
the court.
AS for the girls, said Mrs. Andrews.
the fact that only 10 per cent. of the
offenders brought into court are girls
does not prove that there is no girl
problem Their problem is SO pecu-
liarly different from that Of the boys
and then policemen do not like to ar
rest a girl unless it is necessary.
What is the matter with the girls?'
said Mrs. Andrews. Have you visited
your dance halls? You'll find your
answer there"
But the work OF the juvenile court
is not all in the court room,' she said
in conclusion. "It does not all lie with
the judge and probation officers
You've got to have the cooperation of
public minded citizens to make it a
success"
When Mrs. Andrews had completed
her talk, and had graciously answered
the questions OF numerous people at
the lecture. a motion was made by DR..
John r. Brown Of the First Baptist