Big Brothers For Little Boys Many cities, most of our larger cities in fact, are trying the "Big Brother Movement" with very satisfactory results. Quite a number of these departures in the routine of the juvenile court have been under way for some time, while in other cities the movement is a new issue. The results are well worth the consideration of any community wishing to enlarge and improve the work of its probation system, and the plan could be adopted to advantage. If properly conducted, no other departure will do as much good in the way of assisting the little fellows along the somewhat stony path of boyhood. If we believe that the time to handle a man is when he is a boy, why not do all we can at that period of the boy's life to help him be a man in the true sense of the word. When one speaks of the Big Brother, the Big Sister is included as well, for the plan works equally as well with the young girl as with the young boy. Incidently we might add that many an adult might benefit if they had the same movement applied to their case, but that is another issue. Big Brothers are now being provided for the boys who have been released on probation after hearings in the juvenile court. It is not necessary that the Big Brother should be a probation officer or an attache of the juvenile court. He should, however, be a man of unquestionable character, for it is evident that the boy will strive to emulate his Big Brother. Therefore, the Big Brother should not only believe the movement to be but a matter of theory, but should look upon it in a practical light, and conduct himself in the same manner, all of the time, that he wishes the younger boy to do. The older one should follow all of his precepts, and do so while not in actual company with the boy. Boys are apt to learn quite a bit out of school. you know. In many of the cases in which young boys are taken into the juvenile court, charged with misdeeds, it has been found that the youngsters either have not had proper home training or have been spoiled by bad companions. The Big Brothers will make the acquaintance of the little fellows after they have been released on probation, will become chummy with them and do their utmost to keep them in the straight path. They will interest them in games, in work, or in anything that will develop a boy in the right direction. The object is to enable the boy to overcome the evil effects of bad companionship, or to make up for any lack of home training. Little boys always have confidence in larger ones, and if the latter treat them right, win their respect and affection. This is now being used to good advantage in reclaiming youngsters who have gone astray. But it has been stated that whenever a boy goes wrong it is always advisable to investigate all the circumstances with great care. Now and then when a father complains to the authorities that his son has become incorrigible, investigation discloses that it would be more proper to make the charge against the father himself. He simply will not do his duty toward his family. Not long ago the father of a boy complained to the authorities that his son would not do things the way he wanted them done, and that generally he was a bad actor. Investigation disclosed that the lad had not been living at his home in the city for some time. He had been working on a farm. His mother had died and his father had remarried. As nearly as the investigators could learn, his father and stepmother did not want him around. The boy soon found this out when he came in from the farm, desiring to learn a trade in the city. The father ordered him to go back to the country-to "clear out"-but the youngster was determined to learn a trade. The father then reported the lad as incorrigible; that was the easiest way to get rid of him, and he was soon in the juvenile court. He was a bright boy and impressed the authorities as being honest. It was not long until a job was found for him in a pattern-making shop, and his foreman says that he is one of the best boys in the place. He also has a Big Brother looking after him, and he bids fair to grow up into useful citizenship. "Incorrigible, eh?" commented one of the authorities. "This boy already has shown himself to be worth about a carload of such men as his father. All he needed was a chance." Teach The Boy To Appreciate Money money to purchase it. Perhaps you say they are indolent and refuse to work. If you are of that opinion, take a trip over there and try and get them work to do. Philosophers of the present day seem to be of the opinion that the almighty dollar cuts but little figure in this old world of ours,-that riches do not bring contentment, nor does wealth bring health. They cite as examples the very wealthy men of today, many suffering from ill health and other things of like character that do not tend to make their life one of happiness and contentment. That, however, is but one side of the question. There is the other extremity ing one and spending one are totally different phases of to be considered, the really poor man. It is perfectly safe to make the assertion that no man ever wrote that money was an unnecessary adjunct to contentment, and did so on an empty stomach. For every unhappy rich man, there are a hundred thousand unhappy poor men, so their argument works equally well in both cases. If a little of the world's wealth is not absolutely necessary to one's existence, it is a pretty handy thing to have around, nevertheless. In India and China alone it is claimed that over 400,000,000 people never know what it is to have a full stomach from their birth to the day of their death. It cannot be proven that it is through any fault of their own that they are poor. Food is there, but they have no way of obtaining If a dollar is such an important item in our life today, why not each the boy of today what a dollar is. While you are showing the "young idea how to shoot," why not also show him that one dollar means one hundred cents, and that earn valuation. Let him know that if he really wants to know the value of a dollar the only way to do is to earn one himself. A dollar never looks the same to the man that has plenty, that it does to the man who earns it by the sweat of his brow, and the toil of his hands. Work for it and you appreciate it. Possibly that accounts for the squandering in a few years by the son what his father saved and slaved all of his life to accumulate, in many instances. The true value of a dollar is not taught in the curriculum of any university or college. When a boy really understands just what a dollar really is, fifty per cent of the difficulties in the road to Success are surmounted-difficulties financial and otherwise. The Fence or the Ambulance (We have received so many requests for a copy of this poem, published in the Juvenile Court Record, December, 1902, that we are reprinting same, as the former issue is now out of print.-ED.) 'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed, Though to walk near it's crest was so pleasant, But over it's terrible edge there had slipped A duke and full many a peasant; So the people said something would have to be done, But their projects did not at all tally, Some said, "Put a fence around the edge of the cliff," Some, "An ambulance down in the valley." But the cry for the ambulance carried the day, For the cliff is all right if you're careful, they said, And if folks even slip, or are dropping, It isn't the slip that hurts them so much, As the shock down below when they're stopping. Then an old sage remarked, "It's a marvel to me, That people give far more attention, To repairing results than to stopping the cause, When they'd much better aim at prevention." "Let us stop at it's source all mischief," cried he, "Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally; If the cliff we will fence we might almost dispense With the ambulance down in the valley." Oh, he's a fanatic, the others rejoined, He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could, Aren't we picking folk up just as fast as they fall? But a sensible few, who were practical, too, Better guide well the young than redeem them when old, For the voice of true wisdom is calling; To rescue the fallen is good, But 'tis best to prevent them from falling. 274,409 42,353,041 Number convictions.... Number large animals killed.... Number small animals killed..... Total population involved (estimated).......... NOTE. The above statistics are necessarily not exact but serve to convey a fair idea of the condition of the anticruelty crusade in the United States, of the number of societies, of those which are active, of those which have died out, of the number of employees and voluntary agents, of work accomplished, of endowment and buildings, of the sources and amount of support. The income from various sources and total receipts do not agree in amount for the reason that many societies do not give any information as to financial condition except total receipts and disbursements. These figures represent over 40 years of growth and endeavor. The "Honor System" Not a Failure Judge Lindsey Scores Denver District Court Clerk and Deputy SheriffJuvenile Court Officials Uphold Their Judge Everyone interested in boys, and juvenile court wards in particular, has doubtless heard of how Judge Ben B. Lindsey has sent boys alone, unaccompanied by officers, to various institutions, relying upon their trust and honor to carry them to their destination. Judge Lindsey is also of the opinion that adult offenders could as well be put upon honor, and would deliver themselves to the respective penal institution to which they had been committed. Commenting on this he states that it is his personal belief that just as many of the adult offenders would reach their destination alone as when accompanied by officers. Of course it would be absolutely necessary to have a clear understanding with the adult criminal as it is also with the juvenile offender. The judge declares that during the period in which he has been sending boys alone to institutions, none of them has ever been lost, while forty or fifty adults have broken away from the sheriff's officers and the jail during the same period. Perry Clay, erstwhile editor of Clay's Review, and clerk of the district court at Denver, has made the statement in a daily paper of that city reflecting upon the work of the juvenile court in sending boys alone to institutions, and the further assertion that the system was a failure and that officers of the court or the judge himself had accompanied the boys. In connection with this Judge Lindsey says: "The statement made by Perry A. Clay that I went to Buena Vista with boys sent to that institution by the juvenile court is an unmitigated falsehood. I never went with any boy sentenced out of this court, even as far as the outside of the courthouse." Judge Lindsey also denounced Deputy Sheriff Charles Burkbart for his attempt to arrest boys who had been sent to Buena Vista on trust and characterized the over-zealousness of the officer as due to the clash that had happened between the sheriff's cffice and the juvenile court, which had resulted in Sheriff Nisbet filing a protest with the board of county commissioners, complaining that the office was being deprived of the fees resultant from the carrying of prisoners to state institutions. Judge Lindsey was compelled to go before the board and the consequence was that the board was advised by the county attorney that the juvenile court had no right to deprive Sheriff Nisbet of his fees in that respect. An amicable agreement was then entered into between Judge Lindsey and Sheriff Nisbet by which boys were to be sent to Golden on their honor, but that, in the case of Buena Vista, they should be accompanied by a deputy from the sheriff's office. "The records of this court will show," said Judge Lindsey, "that it costs the county $140 to take two prisoners to Buena Vista when they pass through the hands of the sheriff, while in the cases referred to by Clay, the two boys in question were sent to that institution without costing the county one cent. The only cost was the $12 railroad fare, which I paid out of my pocket. "In the matter of one of the boys mentioned by Clay, Deputy Sheriff Burkhart threatened to rearrest him should I attempt to send him to the reformatory alone. In order to avoid this, I did not let even the officers of my own court know the time when the boys were to leave. Burkhart went to the residence of one of the boys the next morning and his sister tells me that he was very much disgruntled at not being able to arrest the lad. "Clay says that my officers shadowed the boys when they went to Buena Vista and to Golden. That is untrue. The only shadowing done has been by Burkhart and others from the sheriff's office. That is where the story originated, and Clay knows it. I wanted to have the satisfaction of having the boys go it alone." The officers of the juvenile court have issued the following statement in reply to the one made by Perry Clay, with reference to their having taken boys to the various institutions when it was reported the youngsters were sent alone and on honor. "In regard to a statement from Perry Clay in the Denver Post reflecting upon the work of the juvenile court sending boys alone to institutions on trust and honor, we wish to say that several hundred boys have been trusted to go alone on trust and honor to several state, county and city institutions, and not one single prisoner ever has been lost, and we have had trouble with only five or six that we recall, all of whom have been eventually returned. We believe it has had a good influence upon the boys in teaching them self-respect and honor. "About three years ago Judge Lindsey announced that he believed he could send the older prisoners alone on trust and honor to Buena Vista. The officers of this court know personally that he did try this experiment with several. We are familiar with the cases mentioned in the statement by Perry Clay, and each of us know positively, and so state, that no officer of this court ever accompanied any of these boys thus sent to Buena Vista alone, even to the depot. SCORES SENT ALONE. "Occasionally in the case of little fellows going to Golden, sometimes some of the officers have taken them to the train in order that they would be sure to take the right road for Golden, and to encourage them on their way; but this is exceptional rather than the custom. Of the entire number comparatively few of the younger boys have been given that much attention after the judge had placed them to trust and honor. "Scores of boys have been sent by Judge Lindsey to the state industrial school for boys, on trust and honor, without any watching from any of us, when, in many cases, every officer in the court doubted if it could be done successfully. We feel perfectly confident in saying, as Judge Lindsey has himself announced, that he not only never attended any one of these boys to Salida, as stated by Mr. Clay, but we never knew of him going outside of the courthouse with any one of them thus committed on trust and honor. SHERIFF OBJECTED. "We know, as officers of the court, that this work resulted in some friction with the sheriff's office. A large amount of money was being saved to the country from fees of that office, and when the system had thus proved successful with boys who were sent to the state reformatory at Buena Vista, we heard that the sheriff objected, and Judge Lindsey stated to us that he had compromised his differences with the sheriff. "Judge Lindsey agreed, as we understood it, that while he would submit to the ruling of the county commissioners as to the prisoners sent to Buena Vista, he had a friendly arrangement with the sheriff whereby he could continue, if he chose, to send boys alone to Golden. "None of the boys sent to Buena Vista ever claimed to any officer of this court that either Judge Lindsey or any officer of the court accompanied them. "C. H. Bates, J. P. Wright, Mrs. J. P. Wright, Ida L. Gregory, H. D. Colburn, J. S. Phillips." Judge Says Juvenile Courts Unnecessary Down in the city of Richmond, Virginia, lives a man, a police justice at that, who is responsible for the declaration that juvenile courts are unnecessary. If such really is the belief of Judge John J. Crutchfield, he certainly deserves credit for not being afraid to stand alone in his opinion, even though he does not agree with the other gentleman on the bench in his state. At the recent meetings held by the State Conference of Charities and Correction in Richmond, the committee of legislation asked the General Assembly to enact a general law requiring courts to be held for juvenile offenders at some other time than the regular police court session. This action was taken in obedience to the apparent public sentiment on the subject, as expressed by the social and charity workers, and as ascertained by questioning the police justices and mayors of Virginia. In answer to the question, "In your experience among youthful offenders has your attention ever been called to the necessity of a juvenile court?" Justice Crutchfield answered, "Not necessary." In reply to a question as to whether he thought such a court would be attended with beneficial results, he said that legislation should be enacted giving larger discretion to the courts in charges against juvenile offenders. Street Work Degrading. "Probation is doing some good, as carried on in Richmond," was his comment on the query as to his views on the subject of probation. Asked as to his opinion of the policy of putting short term prisoners to work on the roads or on the streets, Justice Crutchfield said: "The work would be further degradation without good results. This policy is a good one in cases of larceny and kindred crime." Other officials do not agree with the Richmond justice. Mayor Cutchin, of Roanoke, says juvenile courts are “one of the pressing necessities of the age." Mayor Rice, of Bristol, favors a separate court, for "the young should never be allowed to come in contact with the hardened criminal." Police Justice Simmons, of Norfolk, favors the court, to "remove the idea of criminals from first offenders." Book Review The Crime Problem. We have received a copy of "The Crime Problem" at this office, and after reading the book must congratulate the author, Colonel Vincent M. Masten, upon his addition to literature pertaining to criminology. The author, who is at present military instructor at the New York state reformatory, Elmira, N. Y., has spent most of his life working with the criminal classes, and as a student, we should say as an authority, of criminology, he is well qualified to handle this serious subject. The book is brief, void of superfluous matter, and to the point. We advise any one interested in the problem of crime and kindred subjects to read "The Crime Porblem." Those interested in the delinquent boy would also receive practical knowledge and assistance from this work, for is that not the stage of manhood where proper preventive measures against crime itself should be taken? "The Crime Problem, What to Do About It, and How to Do It," fully explains the remedy for crime, and the needs of institutions, as well as specifies means for fighting criminal motives. We advise our readers to get this treatise on criminology and to read and digest the contents. They will be well paid for their time. Denver Court Rights a Wrong "Jedge, I come for justice." This was the appeal made to Judge Lindsey yesterday by Solley Pasternick, aged 7. Outraged and disfigured, according to his ideas, Solley produced his evidence by pulling off his cap and pointing to his head, tragically exclaiming, "Look at me nut!" The judge looked and tried not to smile. Then Solley called in Jake Martchick, aged 6, who also wanted justice. The particular brand they wanted was a half hair cut. The boys told their stories. They are the sons of Isadore Pasternick and Sam Martchick, who are partners in the ownership of a second-hand store at 1724-26 Larimer street. The thrifty fathers had obtained two tickets issued by the Moler barber college. Solley, better known as Nick, was the first to make his application for the free hair cut offered by the ticket. He fell into the hands of a student at the college named Steve Podwys. The student put on the clippers, but after half of what Nick called his "nut" had been closely clipped, the student thought he detected a movement of live stock on little Solley's head. He stopped quick and called the proprietor, Tom Killeen, who told him to quit the job, and Nick was thrust into the street, one-half of his head closely cropped and the other resplendent with brown curls. Later in the day little Jake, all unsuspecting, entered the place and showed his ticket. He fell into the hands of Joseph Landry. After the operation had begun Jake fell under suspicion of being a brother to Nick and he, too, was turned loose, partly shorn. Nick and Chick held a council of war. The situation was serious. If they went out on the streets with their heads half shorn it would be only to meet the jeers of their companions. Their thoughts turned towards the "kid's judge" and Nick went forward to make his demand for "justice." The judge ruled that they had a just cause and that justice in their cases meant a hair cut. Probation Officer Gore went down to investigate. The barber college admits that the new style of hair cut was their own product and defended the act on the suspicion of "livestock," declaring that they were not in the herding business. Judge Lindsey, however, took a different view. He could find nothing in the tickets issued which referred to excuses. Nick and Chick stood on their rights. "What's a gid going to do with a coco like dis?" asked Nick. "He is going to have the rest of his hair cut," responded the judge. "And, say," he added to Gore, "you might see that these boys get a shampoo while they're at it." The college capitulated. The operation was concluded. The heads of Nick and Young were properly shorn, shampooed, manicured and frescoed. "Dose guys really ought to go to jail, judge," declared Nick. "But I guess you better let 'em go dis time. Me nut's o. k." A child's eyes those clear wells of undefiled thought-what on earth can be more beautiful? Full of love, hope, and curiosity, they meet your own. In prayer, how earnest; in joy, how sparkling; in sympathy, how tender! The man who never tried the companionship of a little child has carelessly passed by one of the great pleasures of life, as one passes a rare flower without plucking it or knowing its value.-Mrs. Norton. There is absolutely no hope today for the magazine without a distinctive policy. If you wish to be successful, your publication must be of an original vein, in a little class by itself. There are at the present time over 26,000 periodicals in this country alone. Some of these are trade and class publications, while others are on a more general and broader basis. Of these many publications with a national circulation, THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD is one with a disstinctive policy. That policy is the publication and dissemination of matter embodying the problem of the dependent and delinquent child, juvenile court and childrescue news, and items of general interest that appeal to anyone interested in the welfare and future of our boys and girls of today. Men of brains, money and power have alike gratuitously sent us from time to time, splendid articles to grace the pages of this little publication, and never in its history has it had the number of friends it has today. Many of our contributors are men and women of high official position, who regularly turn down offers from publishers, with enormous compensation. They refuse, under the plea that they are too busy. Nevertheless they seem to find time to send THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD an article now and then, on their own initiative. Good articles, too. That is because their heart is in their work, and with us also. And that is the point. We want you all with us. If THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD, 1910 THE JUVENILE COURT RECORD 637 UNITY BLDG., CHICAGO, ILL. Please find enclosed One Dollar, for which you may send us the "Juvenile Court Record" for one year. |