New-York tribune., 1919-02-15

no outside interest except drink, cards
and shooting crap. Ever since he could
remember he had been subject to fits.
AS he described it, once in while he'd
stlften out and become unconscious,
even wien sitting down. He wasn't in
tcrested in the examination the doctors
made of him. taking it all very phleg-
matically. The doctors diagnosis was
that the man was mental defective.
Nothing could be much more certain
than that if the machinery of law and
order keeps on sending him to jail he
Will keep on committing crime when
ever ne comes out
We had one rather extreme case, of
boy eighteen years old, who was born
IN Massachusetts and brought up on a
farm there. He went to school until
about four years ago and, according
to his own account, got along passably
Recently it became clear to him that
he couldn't continue doing nothing, but
would have to get some work, so he
headed himself toward the Mecca of a
great many persons from all parts of
the earth and landed in New Y ork. He
didn't have any money to speak of, and
in the course of his explorations of the
city fell in with a thief, who suggested
that he pawn a watch which the thief
had stolen. They we're caught while
doing this and placed under arrest
When we sent this boy to court letter
was addressed to the magistrate stat
ing that the boy was feeble in mind
unframed in useful work and might
easily be led into crime. He was found
guilty and sent to the New York City
Reformatory, and unless something ont
of the natural range of expectation in
tervenes he probably is starting out on
life career Of crime. He should, of
course, never have been sent to jail
and should have been treated not as a
criminal. but as an irresponsible pa
tient. Although eighteen years old the
mental development of this boy was
that Of child Of about eight years.
Judge Rejected Advice
A week later another boy was arrest
ed, charged with burglary. He was
fifteen years old, had previously been
before the Ch''dren's Court and there
sentenced to the House of Refuge. A
brother of his had been arrested for
she oting n girl in 1914. When we sent
this boy to court we wrote to the
magistrate that he was "notably feeble
minded" and suggested that arrange
ments should be made for his perma
nent residence in an institution for the
feeble minded, but he was committed
to the House Of Refuge, and will prob
ably join the boy who went in a few
days ahead of him in career of law
breaking.
In the same month that these two
bo.1s were brought in q girl of sixteer
years old, a native of New York State
was arrested. We found that she hac
wretched school record that her fam
lily had always been busily occupied
trying to keep her out of trouble. She
married year ago because she thought
she was pregnant. For a while She
separated from her husband, but re.
Gently had been living with him in {
most squalid state We called the at
tention Of the magistrate to her. she
was acquitted in the Court of Genera
Sessions and is now at liberty, free te
pear brood of feeble minded children
AND that IS, of course, one of the mos
serious aspects of the whole situation
the undoubted fact that these menta
detectives, being permitted to stay a.
large, are bearing children and thereb,
increasing their numbers.
A few days after the arrest of the
girl just described a New York bol
sixteen and half years old was
brought in. His employer left him ir
charge Of a truck in which were fou,
bundles, while he went away to get 6
horse blanket. AS soon as he disap-
PeaTed the BOY drove OIL, delivering q |
the bundles properly. but then trying
to sell the horse and truck, going tt
several persons. He drove to Brooklyn
and then back again. The loss of the
truck was reported to the police ant
after seven hours the boy was located
He explained he didn't think he hae
been we'll treated by the family he
lived with, SO decided to sell the horse
and wagon in order to get some money
with which to 60 and live by himself
Examination showed that his menta
ability was about that Of ix-year-olt
child. His queerness was so clear tina
the arresting officer had noticed it ant
had planned to send the boy to Belle
vue Hospital for observation w.
wrote the magistrate, telling him i
was plainly case of feeble -mindednes:
and suggesting tnat he be confined t.
an institution. He was, however, helt
IN $1,000 bail for the grand jury, whicl
discharged him, and we have not beer
able to locate him since 1t is wronI
that such a boy be permitted to be a
large.
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