Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-05
Many Homes Open For Byron
Michael Judge Will Reverse
Decision and Praises The Bee
Neither Parents Nor Anybody Else Seemed to Care
For Boy Until The Bee Championed His Gauss"
Says Magstrate-to Choose From Offers-Wo-
man Details Horrors of Reformatory Life

Byron Michael, the l2-year-old
Beatrice boy who was given nine
year prison sentence for stealing
books from the public library, no
longer is homeless and friendless.
The youth win not have to spend the
best of his boyhood days in re-
formatory, if the many interested
and kind-hearted mothers and
fathers are permitted to have their
way about it.
The doors of a number of homes,
where the boy would be surrounded
by proper influences, showered with
kindness and affection and educated
and trained under watchful and low
ing guidance, have been thrown open
to the child.
District Judge L. M. Pemberton,
Of Beatrice. who committed Byron
to the reformatory, yesterday de-
clared he would be willing to set
aside his ruling in the case provided
a suitable home is found for the
boy.
Judge Praises Bee.
ut appeared to be hopeless case
at the time | imposed the sentence
declared Judge Pemberton. "The
boys parents were not interested in
him, and no one seemed to care any
thing about him until The Bee cham
pioned the youths cause. | am ex-
ceedingly glad it has been made pos
sible for Byron to be placed in a
good home"
Since The Bee directed attention
to the lot which had~befallen Byron,
the boys grandparents and his uncle
have manifested desire to adopt
him. Judge Pemberton declared
Scores of persons have read OF
the child's transgression, of the Sc
we're punishment administered, and
their hearts have been touched.
Numerous letters have been received
in The Bee office expressing desire
on the part of fathers and mothers
to take the boy into their homes.
Many Homes offered.
F.. ]. Moydell of Wilbur, Neb.,
writes: 81 believe there could be
found no better home for this boy
than on farm. | am going to
move on farm in order to bring
up my five children properly. We
have two girls and three boys,
ranging in ages from 3 to 10 years.
We are raising five children and
believe we can raise six just as we'll
and save Byron Michael from be-
coming It bad man. We would like
to take this boy and raise him as if
he were cur own"
81 want you to know there is
man, father of three boys, over in
Schuyler, Neb., who appreciates
what you are trying to do for Byron
Michael" writes G.. L. McDougaN.
Il do hope something can be done
for this boy. A serious blunder has
been made in this case. 1t hardly
seems possible that intelligent men
could make such mistake"
Woman Writes Appeal.
\ A woman who has experienced
the cruelties of reformatory life and
unkind treatment and neglect in her
parents home, but who now is an
Omaha wife and mother, sends an
appeal through The Bee to spare
Byron from the sentence the judge
has imposed on him. The woman,
who withholds her identity, writes,
an Gods name spare this child
from the cruelties | have endured,
from hardships and inhuman treat
ment which would have wrecked my
life had it not been for the good man
who made ME his wife"
The woman declares she was sent
to the Mitchellville, Ia, Reforma-
tory for Girls when she was IS
years old. She was kept there I'M
I'll she was Is.
"We were compelled to work iii
the fe1ds~and labor likes men," she
declares. "We had to go to school
half a day and do the work of a
horse the other half We were not
allowed to talk among ourselves or