HEW YORK COURTS

Evening Star, Issue 19615, 22 July 1927, Page 4

HEW YORK COURTS

SENSIBLE AND HOPEFUL PORTENTS t have picked up a few ideas and facts about prisons and courts (writes a New York correspondent to the Melbourne ‘Age’). 1 spent an hour at the Children’s Court, 137 East Twentysecond street—two hours at the Family Court, 153 East Fifty-seventh streethoard a lecture by Dr H. 11. Hart on ‘Latest in Prison Reform’—and later, at supper, heard Attorney Albert Hirst speak on tho League for tho Abolition of Capital Punishment, si national organisation that is just getting under way, with headquarters at JU-i Fifth avenue, whose purpose is to “ abolish capital punishment in every State in the Union, :n the district of Columbia, and in the United States civil code. The society will be scattering leaflets nil over tho land, like one handed mo, a reprint of an article from the ‘Cosmopolitan,’ by Boyeden Sparks, entitled ‘You and 1 Killed This Man,’ being a description of the electrocution of Antonio Viandaute. Attorney Albert Hirst gave a provocative talk,, with questions answered at the close. He asserted that society should not stoop so low as to seek to avenge itself, one reason given for capital punishment. As for reforming rile prisoner, oi course, capital punishment put a Ilian beyond the reaches of reformatory agencies. As to deterring others from crime, the best observation is to the effect that capital punishment does not decrease crime, rather tho reverse. One objection, be asserted, to capital punishment was the fallibility of judges and juries. Further, it puts the State in. the rolo of a, murderer. The fact that it is difficult to get hangmen is significant. What mother would like “ to bring her boy up to be a hangman or the death sentence electrician”?

I confess tho three hours we spent in the discussion of capital punishment did not make me feel like running up the Star.-, and Stripes and starting the National Anthem, especially when 1 was told that of all the forty-eight States only eight had abolished capital punishment, and these were Minnesca, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, North and South Dakota. The Abolition League has a long row to hoe. Tho address by Dr H. H. Hart, of tho Russell Sago Foundation, was lull of meat. I doubt if any man in tho country is better posted. Ho has been on the problem for forty years. Ho insisted that everjono who becomes a. prisoner should pass through a clinic, and the truth as to his physical, mental condition and his inheritance ha fully ascertained. Before tie's who knows what to do with an apprehended man? The State of Ohio is dividing its prisoners into five classes and treating them accordingly. Dr Hart is'a strong advocate of probation. He asserts that there is no crime wave; public gossip tc tho contrary being incorrect. Juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime are not on. the increase —tho census clearly showing this. Crime in New York is ok the decrease. There is a «low improvement in the stylo of prison architecture the world over. For example, countries like Egypt have improved their prisons. Mexico and the Philippines have samples of the best prisons in the world. In America the State and Federal prisons are improving very fast, but country and city gaols—places of detention —-arc a disgrace. This is true in Washington, the capital city of the nation, and in New York; iu fact, in the great majority of the counties and towns of the laud. Any of my readers wishing to make a study of prisons and gaols in America should write Dr H. H. Hart, of the Russell Sage Foundation, IJO East Twenty-second street, who would be glad to respond, and while writing ask him to send information about New York’s ‘'model vocational school.” Tho Children's Court, of course, was entertaining. Wo first entered the waiting room, winch will hold about 200 people. At one end of the room is a counter, similar to the one where guests register at hotels. At tho side are at least two court rooms, where, cases are tried. There are five Children’s Courts in New York Ciiy. I saw but one. This ono lias two or more rooms, with as many-judges sitting simultaneously. The first Children’s Court ift New York City was established in the yer.s ]'JU2. The nature of tho proceedings and of the cases may bo easily imagined. Tho judges in both the rooms i visited might bo well described as wise fathers. The judicial air was not in evidence. No scales of justice were suspended above the chair of the judge. Tho only object .suggesting dignity and order was tho national flag, which now in America appears in nearly every place of worship. In the Children’s Court rooms tho judge does not sit above the people. Everything is thus done on the lei el. No attorneys are in evidence—at least, 1 saw none. His presence seemed as unnecessary as it would in a family council. In ono caso the children and parents waxed warm in a. discussion, when Judge Levy sent them back into .the waiting room “to cool off.” In talking to a fourtecn-ycar-old boy—who wanted “to do right ” —tho judge lemarkod that ho must pick out good comrades, instead of bad ones, and added: “'When you go wrong you can’t win.” 1 noted that several boys were guilty of staying out late, so late in fact that they wore ashamed to go home, .and also afraid that they would be greeted with a whipping, Result, remain away for several days.

The children’s judges occasionally returned to the idea “wc are thinking of tho welfare of tlio children,” or to parents, “ .sometimes those who arc closest don’t see”; or. “Ah, this is a case of moonshine,” or here is a twelve-year-old boy who ran away from home, and slept out in tho park because bis mother found cigarettes in his pocket. Tho judge soon settled this case. And here is a mother who can’t afford to send her boy to a private school. In one case only tho mother came to tho court, because the “ father is a private chauffeur.” As far as it is possible for the State to act as a parent the judges at 137 Twenty-second street are performing their part. Kindly, patient, child’s welfare always to the front, humorous at times, a kind of human reproduction of Poor Richard’s Almanac, these judges are daily receiving the hundreds of children —whose parents don’t “know them’’-—that are drawn in by the truant officers, casting their nets over their districts. Dr Hart is positive that the children’s courts have cut down perceptibly the number of delinquent child offenders, and rednfccd crime in a marked degree. At the family court, where I spent two hours, I lonnd over twenty-fivo “ workhouse cases ” being considered. It was just husband and wife. No children present, except very young children, that had to be brought. Before the court canio twenty-five men fresh from the workhouse, who had been sent there for wife desertion, ! or tor iiuiura to support, because generally of the money going into tlm hands of sonic other woman. Judge' Brady in this court had a tougher job than tlio one presented in the_ children’s court. Ho certainly knit his brows often in endeavor to be omniscient. In some cases there were no children involved, in others five or six, or even eight. It seems when the husband is shut up in the workhouse the -wife receives at least 6dol a week in support. She is therefore sometimes compelled to balance the question of whether to keep him in the workhouse, and get support, though small, or permit him to come out and run tho risk of losing all support. In some cases the judge commanded tho husband to come back to his homo and “ resume tho old order.” In other cases he was enjoined “ not to show his head around the house, and to leave his.wife alone.” In one or two other cases tho men were made to promise to give up

another woman, and turn his earnings to his wife. Hut half of them wore remanded hack to the workhouse because the husbands were not ready to discharge their obligations. And the judge was all the time trying honestly to be omniscient. And he sometimes lowered his voice, saying; ‘‘l am inclined to take your word, and remember if I let you out, she loses the city’s support, but I’ll take a chance on you.” One belligerent couple he sent outride with a helper with the words, ‘‘talk to them and sen if they can’t arrange to live together,” They went out, came back, and went away smiling, united. .nd one family was negro, one was Italian, one was a cook, one was a lady tailor (who had “ no job in the workhouse”), and one was sent home to see the baby ho had never seen yet. These courts are strange sights, but sensible and hopeful, with judges making a shot at omniscence.