The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1918-12-17
RESIGNS POST AS
HEAD OFFICER OF
JUVENILE COURT
Mrs. Mary B. West Tenders
Resignation to Mayor and
Commissioners in Letter
Written at Little Rock.
MRS. ALICE SAXBY IS
PROBABLE SUCCESSOR
Local Probation Court Under
Mrs. Vests Regime Was
Recognized and Patterned
After Throughout Nation.

NNSSNStltENN NfNNf
After Throughout Nation.
The unfortunate children Of Mem
phis have lost tho services ot their
most devoted friend Tuesday the res
lgnaton Of Mrs. Mary b. West, chief
probation officer of the juvenile court
was handed to Mayor MontoVcrdo ana
! the city commissioners,
For several Years storm has RACED
about the head uf Mrs West because
! she served notice that the hand oi no
! politician should soil tho work of the
court or Interfere with the woftN OF Il
| great institution dedicated to tho wei
| fare Of childhood. And no politician
| or lawyer was ever able to sway MIS-,
| West from the straight path ot con
| scientious duty 70 those who came un-
| der her care,
Mrs West IN not seeking to avoid
| charges She made that pain in her
! letter Of resignation, but, on the con-
| trary she asks for an opportunity 10
answer them and to face her arcusers
| II there be any,
The Juvenile court has had an event
ful and successful career and with the
! exception OF only a few nloutha, MTS,
| West has been the director Ut itA ca
rCcr. II was tostertd and practically
l organized rs u result Nl Wv buNNNANN
! Of the Nineteenth Century club Fhe
| l,rst hoard " directors, whom It. was
| formed IN 1907, was composed ot Geo
W l'easc. Mrs. West aud Mrs. SUsanne
| {. Scrugge.
After a short time the hoard was re
| oIganigNd, with Thomas Il. King sue
| ccedmg Mrs SCruggs and Mrs. NoSt
became chief probation officer, giving
her entire time to tho work without
pay. Judge Harry Kelly was tho FIRST
Judge OF the Juvenile court, and his
broad sympathy and Kindness contrib
uted much to the success Of the insu-
tuition.
The court forged it's way to the
front and soon was recognized Rs tho
nearest approach to- the ideal Of any
institution Nf itg Kind in the lnitcu
states Mrs. West was the recipient
of many hopors from organizations de-
voted to child welfare work and was
perhaps better appreciated elsewhere
than In Memphis
In November. l9lI Mira, West ro-
Ceivod a curt note from Mayor Lttty,
saying that her services were dtppenscu
with for reasons Of economy, hra, West
replied that she appreciated the ttnan'
cial difficulty of conducting n city anC
that she wns WILLING to @orR FOR moth
ing, as she had done FOR several years
II developed then that tho raas9n Of
economy was Il Buhterfuge ana tht
real motive was 10 be RID OF Mrs
West. 1t was stated that charges had
been filed against her. Mrs West
never learned the nature Of the charges
A committee with X. X. ELLIS as chair
man was appointed at "A mass meeting
nj the Chamber Of Commerce 20 in.
] vostigatc tho affair. and in Compre-
hensive report the committee found
that there was nothing upon which
to base II charge OF any kind Mis-
Elizabeth Brady succeeded Mrs. West
Al Il hA t.lnl A.tn
when Mrs, West was reelected. Soor
after her reinstatement she left to b'
with her son, who WhH soon to sail fol
France and the work was continued
In her absence under tho capable di,
rection Of Mra. Alice II Saxby.
Mrs. SaEby probably will succeed Mrs
West She has been in the work for q
number Of years. 1t Ia her life work
She began It whilo her mother was in
terestcd In II a number of years ago
and gradually assumed a part OF the
, burden and finally succeeded her moth
9 or She Is we'll recognized for her re-
} markablc efficiency In the work Sh,
has been in the work continuously tul
, four years, and with the exception o
, Mrs. West probably Is more familiar
! with the juvenile court than any othe
person connected with IT,
I Mrs. Vests letter, mailed from X. +
p, 3, Little Rock, to the mayor and city
! commission follows:
when you reinstatcd me In the Of
! flee at the Juvenile court, did no
expect to accept the position, as | knew
G II was more than likely that family af
g fairs would keep me away from Mem
l phis for several months. However
O when | learned that certain person
n wished TO prefer charges against nv
which you would not hear until | wa
ID actually In office again, II seemed t
q me there was only one course open 4
+ an honorable woman, VIZ " accept tn
h position and be ready to answer an
charges that might be presented,
For that reason accepted the plaC
r and while | awaited myself OF the Op
] portunity, with your permission, l.
6 leave tho office until my son sailed 10
! France (Which date was some week
later than we expected, | returned a
= soon as possible. In fact, | left NeN
y York, tho day he went on board shir
n and went directly from the train t
e the mayors office when | reaChe
Il Memphis to tell him l had returned 10
the express purpose of answering an
n charges against mo that any pcrsO
a might wish to present to the commits
Q sioners.
q II also gave this notice 10 the genera
public, and then took charge OF the of
s flee at the Juvenile court where | re
r malned at my desk every day for
!, month issuing instructions to the ot
> fiCers, making requisitions for the dc
| partmCnt, CounterslgnlnR checks, II
dorstng vouchers, meeting probationcrt
- Investigating pension cases and demon
strating In every way ! could that wa
in charge of the juvenile court
~ was then called to my sick daugh
ter and left with the written permissio
of the mayor. | am aS yet ignorant
the nature OF the charges preferre
against me, but am ready and mor
than willing now. or at any other tim
to race my accusers with the firm n
suranCe that | was never guilty Of any
thing worse than mistakes In the mar
u agemcnt of the affSirs OF the juNeni
u court, and was never actuated by an
" other impulse than a sincere desire
" help the children who came under n
~ care.
10 "On account OF my husbands Il
n health ! win not be able to make Men
N phis my homo again for many month
so ! am rendering my resignation !
10 chief probation officer Of the juvcui
a, court to take effect At your earle
~ convenience, with the one condition n
=, attached; that this letter shall
~ spread upon the minutes OF the eli
!" books and that 7 shall bo given Il
4 privilege Of answering the charges thu
were made against me, whenever sc
:, find an opportunity to discuss tho cas-
III Il trust you Will visit and thorough
investigate tho detention home and Il
", work Of the court as done by it, cor
~ Ecientious and capable officers, and tn;
. l Al