Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-03
MINISTER ASKS
fair CHANCEFQ
BYRON MICHAEL
Urges Same Treatment God
Would Give for Youth Sen
fenced to Reform
School.


Rev. Charles w. Savidge at the
Peoples Church yesterday took a.
/ his subject, Byron Michael" the IL
year-old boy charged with stealing
books from the library at Beatrice
Neb. The text was taken from
Proverbs 22-6, "Train up child In
the way he should go, and when he
is old, he will not depart from it.
In part he said:
The city of Omaha and the whole
state of Nebraska has become great.
ly Interested in the fate of Byron
Michael, the 12-year-old boy Of
Beatrice.
The crimel 1t appears he stole g
/ books. was tried in the courts Of
i his city And was sentenced to nine
years in the reformatory, or until he
became n years old.
Not Born \Criminal.
II "As I understand it, this boy is
not a born criminal. He is some
what mixed on property rights, but
he has lot of company all over this
land and that, too, of people much
older and better instructed than
himself. One night last week Is
houses were robbed right in Omaha.
If a man in Omaha leaves his auto
unlocked some thief will get away
with it.
"This boy has read the papers and
knows this and he has fairly
! breathed thieving atmosphere. So
\ he took some books.
This state, by the very condition
Of its people and by the example
which it has set, has trained this boy
and raised this boy to be what he is.
Give Him Chance.
God does not treat offenders as
this boy has been treated. God never
sent a person to hell, and never will,
without giving them at least one
good, fair chance. This boy never
had that | know this by his youth
and by his surroundings and his OPP
portunities. What light has this child
had? Has he been able to weigh the
results of human actions? What
teacher has instructed him in the
matter of right and wrong? That
boy has a right to demand that he
be given a chance outside of prison
walls and with proper surroundings.
Another consideration ! beg you
to think on. He is child II years
gold. His habits are not fully formed.
His character not shaped.
"He is a student, a reader. He
has a "wolfish hunger" for books.
He thirsts for knowledge. This is
fruitful ground for the making of
8manhood.
Must Have Home.
Some will reply to me that he will
9be taught in the reformatory. l reply
that the reformatories Of the coun-
try and the prisons of the country
have not made any great record in
Sthe creation of model citizens. But
the very thought that they have been
aconfined for term of years sticks
for evil. The result is bad.
Another thing-they are taught ways
of sin and wickedness by evil asso-
Citations, which result in further
harm.
1--WE have a noted case of this
very thing now in this city. A young
man, Il, who has spent most of his
life in the reformatory. hired car
for three days, ran off with it, and
the authorities are now offering $500
for his capture. They will get him,
and when he comes out of prison the
next time he will be confirmed
criminal.
Painting Bertha" Example.
flaming Bertha is a more des-
perate woman with every year she
serves in prison.
"Wha. that boy needs is not pub
lie home, nor private home in a
city. He ought to be on ranch
with a good, wise man and woman.
He ought to be in the open. He
ought to have books, interesting and
helpful, and inspiring. He ought to
be taught the principles of right and
wrong. He should be taught of God
and the Word of God. You can't
make a man without this"
The following people signed a
protest against sending the youth
rs the reform school: Fife Brinck-
man, William Brinckman, Eva Will
|Gby, Mrs. G. w, Conklin, John
Smart, Guy G. Buehse, ]. N. Dur
vel, Adam w. Deright, Anna Bur-
bulge, Matte E. Dewell, Mrs. R.
e. Martin, ]. D. Fasle. Louise Prud-
ley, NJ. v. Brown, w. w. Higgins
and Mrs. T. M. Calkins.