The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-07-13
! Nv g: n. III PORTERFIELD

By W. H. PoRTERFTELD
DENVER July 1 3 = have just
sat for two hours in the most re
markab1e court room In America
and talked between cases., with
the most remarkable judge in this
country.
Before this clear-eyed, mild
hammered little man, IL o o way
ward girls of Denver County have
presented themselves during the
past two years. asking for help
and advice for themselves or pun-.
ishment for the partner of their
sin. and over 500 of these have
come voluntarily without even:
suggestion of parent, friend or.
probation officer!
'n.Ah,'", I hear you exclaim, this
Rocky Mountain city must be
much more immoral than my own
town. Surely, we have no such
list Of bad girls in our commun-
ity.''
Rats! The sole difference be-
tween Margaret of Denver, daush-
ter of a highly. respectable mer-
chant and a quite impeccable club
leader, and Margaret of Kokomo,
daughter of Deacon Stubs and
his equally impeccable wife, is
simply this: MI:
In Kokomo, Margaret never
tells until she has to and then Sit:
is usually too late. In Denver she
goes straight to- Judge Ben Lind
8seys with the age-old story. tells
4 him the truth and Ben Lindsey,
hi oy-ia q
knows j ustfwhat Is Indicated as
the doctor says and proceeds to
apply the rem edy.
Guards Their Secrets
The wayward girl or the bad
boy KIN ows shat here's man
who'll never tell. not If the pow
sers send him to Jail for keeping,
faith with his friends. They did
that, you recall, a few years ago,
but Ben Lindsey never told, and
now everybody knows that their
secrets are safe with him.
Judge Ben Lindsey is still a
young man in appearance and
when he told me that he'd cele-
brateS his 25th anniversary on the
juvenile court bench of Denver
next8April, it came with a shock.
Yes, S years and I've passed
through Ia elections, most Of s'em,
bitter ones in the past quarter
injury, said the judge. and
you may guess that it was some
satisfaction to me, when two years.
ago. Iran on the Democratic tick
ed and pol1ed 5000 more votes
than Harding. being elected by
$4,000 majority, while every other
Democrat was showed under by.
10000 in the Republican land
slide.,,'
Vote Shows Confidence
Maybe that shows better than.
anything else what the folks of
Denver think of Ben Lindsey.
During his rs years in office ev-!
cry conceivable sort of attack has
been made against his public and
private career and every attack
has failed, until today. I suppose,
no political official is more Sc
&curely entrenched in the hearts Of
his people than Ben Lindsey Of
Denver S 558 Z
AS a reported, I have visited
every kind Of court room from
Mexicali to Montreal. never saw
one like this one.
No robes for the judge, no
raised dais for his official chair
not even an official chair Just a
worn, old office chair, reminding
OF. the one occupied by Judge
Priest, the lovable old Kentuckian
created by Irwin Cobb
n 1s5.s No Court Officials
But, stranger still, 3 there Is no.
desk for the clerk, no chair for
{ the bailiff and no tables for the
court stenographers. or in47 this
court there is 81 clerk to take
down proceedings, no bai1iff,Ea and
no stenographer to take i. down
your words.
Ben Lind sey believes and acts
on the principle of law that a per
v son lis innocent until proven
guilty. :.
~ 81 do not need stenographers,
lawyers Tor. even black robe to
enable N eIto find out if a culpritI
accused Is gull ty or inn ocent..'
said Judge Lind sey.
s34s@...But how d Q, you find out?"'s I
asked. II 5i s35 II VI
"A why said Ben Lin dsey with
"a whimsical little twisted smile;
'.I ask the accused to tell me al
about / t. and they tell m with
few exceptions, the VIII ole &story!'t5
.AnybodyScould rake that as
founding statemen t. but II the
case n&LlnoSey,I1Ls1SS tue sGS
Tl1ousands Confess
IN - S years, thousands Of men,
women and chi Idren have come to-
him, onfessed their guilt and
told him th ey would take hat
ever punishment he pronounced.
but they say you always find
someSexcuse5 forSwrongdoing,
put In
they he eH dec haze IS,
spenite uEingg nj yearsSins