Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-04
FEEBLE MINDED
HOMES NEEDED
TO TEACH GIRLS
Waverley House Fills Gap
Until Means Are Found to
Care for Hayward.
PRETTY FACES FAVORED

III l. 4 i Il ANLO Il "A OnLD
NEW YORK CITY-The need for col
onies, where feeble-minded men and
women can be confined so that they will
not propagate feeble mlndedness to the
detriment of the race and nation was
strikingly brought out / nan interview
with Miss Stella Miner, who with her
sister, Maud Miner, is at the head Of the
New York Probation and Protective AS
ISOLATION.
These two women probably know more
about the problem of the delinquent girl
than any other women in New York. And
one of the things they know is that
girls who have been examined by
psychiatrists and found to be feeble
minded, and who have given proof Of
their feeble mindedness by bringing two
or three illegitimate children into the
world, are constantly turned loose by the
courts to breed more feeble-minded chill
dren. judge will hardly ever turn
such a girl over to the authorities If she
has a pretty face. they say.
you see, the city hasn't any place TO
put young, delinquent girls" Miss Miner
explained, while their cases are being
investigated, unless 1t puts them in the
! Tombs or in the cells over the Jefferson
Market Court. And as many Of the girls
are not immoral, or at the most are first
| offenders, it isn't at all desirable that
they should be placed IN such quarters,
together with seasoned prostitutes A
detention house was authorized and then
forgotten years ago, and so until some
proper provision is made--if it ever is
Waverley House is maintained by our
association to fill the gap.
eve get girls from the bureau Of miss
ing persons Of the police department, and
from ninety different New York agencies,
interested In the protection of young
women. Most of them are runaways from
home, largely from other cities, but many
OF them are New York girls, who need
help At Waverley House they are sorted
and classified, Intercepted and investi
gated, and adopted by our association
until our probation officers, or a city
magistrate can decide what to do with
them. Waverley Is really a clearing
house-a clearing house for wayward
girls"
This unique institution is at she end
OF a row Of old-fashioned houses on West
Tenth street, in Greenwich Village. On
the second floor was a large. cheerful
room, with te-curtained windows, a
plano and Victrola. and a long table,
about which a dozen girls were seated.
sewing. All Of them were noticeably
young and some of them were quite
pretty, in spite of their harsh calico
uniforms.
GIRLS TAUGHT
TO WORK.
This is the sewing class" the matron
explained, and led us in to examine
the garments the girls were making
a -
make" she added, taking out of cup
board a pile OF attractive Indian bas-
kets.
THE work serves to keep their minds
occupied" she continued when we were
once more in the hall, and 1t is OF great
practical value. Many Of the girls are
able to make their own clothes after
their Introduction here. We don't keep
them long enough 10 give them important
vocational training, but we do what we
can"
The girls don't stay long them"
NO" said the. matron, some OF them
only a few days. Others, whose cases
need much Investigation. or who are
waiting to testify in trials, are sometimes
here for a month or more"
Across from the sewing class were the
mental clinic and medical departmet, III
cha rye of an expert psychiatrist and
physician. whose reports are used as a
basis Of all rehabilitation work. The
mental examination is considered partic-
ularly important. Not all of the girls
stopping at Waverley House are exam
ined in the mental clinic as they leave
for their home towns before an exam
ination can be given them. but of 466
girls so examined during the last year
30 per cent were mental detectives Many
Of these. although unmarried, had had,
two or three children before they were
twenty. In view Of their past experience
with girls OF this type the probation Of
hcers believe that they should be placed
in colonies for the feeble minded.
But II a girl has pretty face 1t is
awfully hard to get judge TO do this"
said DR.. Bingham. the psychiatrist.
And many of our high grade morons
and even low-grade ones are quite good
| looking. Some Of them can write their
names well enough. too, and answer
Questi MS with apparent intelligence dur
ing the brief interval they are on the
witness stand SO the Judge is often
misled. 1t is very discourag ing because,
unless the girl is committed, 1t Jusr
means that in a comparatively short time
she Will be back on our hands, with an
other baby. And, of course, the poor
babies are just as bad. il not worse. than.
their mothers. 1t is merely feeble mind
edness repeating itself"
When a girl is OF normal intelligence,
however, with a fairly stable nervous
system, the probation officers turn to
her environment to discover the causes
Of her hayward tendencies With the
great majority Of girls the environment
| Is obviously to blame Their homes are
crowded tenements, their parents too
strict, or else immoral, and they have
practically no opportunities for healthy
| recreation. The girls cared for at Waiver
ley are nearly all Of the type you would
see I'm a factory or a tenement house or
commercial dance hall The matron
estimated that at least third of their
number were foreignbOrn. and that the
other two thirds had foreign-bo par
| ents
ATTENTION GIVEN
TO ENVIRONMENT.
While each girl, In a sense, represents
different problem, she usually falls
into one of three classes She is either
girl who rebels against the harsh and
unsympathetic attitude Of her parents
one who has developed wayward tend
encies through the dance hall, or one
who has been encouraged to immortality
in her own home.
Some girls with foreign-born parents
have a particularly difficult time at home.
Il