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The day book. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917, January 17, 1914, LAST EDITION, Image 2

Image and text provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

Persistent link: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045487/1914-01-17/ed-2/seq-2/

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"I believe there should be laws
passed to make all men equal regard
less of their financial condition. If a
man is guilty enough to deserve pun
ishment no judge should bargain
with the man and offer to"sell him his
liberty for a certain stated-sum.
"If a man deserves punishment he
should be sentenced to serve a cer
tain length of time in jail. In that
way both the rich and the poor of
fender would be treated the same.
. "This problem confronts a judge
when dealing with prostitutes. It
does absolutely "no goodto fine these
unfortunate women. They can easily
get the money.'
"I .believe the problem of the fallen
women is the most serious that con
fronts us today. I think it's when
the. girls first fall that they should be
dealt with, and they should be dealt
with wisely. It's hardto do anything
irhen a girl is caught hard and fast in
Qi&coils of prostitution.
"And it's the young girls, of the na
tion who. need watching also. Right
now the Municipal Court is consider
ing the establishment of a court to
hear the cases of the juvenile offend
ers exclusively. That offers great re
sponsibility. "Young boys who trangsress
should never be sent to jail. They
need attention and guidance, but not
in. that manner. They don't deserve
a jail sentence because you never
saw an absolutely bad boy in your
life. Some of them are very wild.
And if a judge treats them harshly
while they are at that stage their en
tire life .might be ruined. What the
courts, need mostly right now is a
little more humanity, a little more
thoughtf ulness and not so much,
technique. Then some good will be
accomplished."
No judge on the bench has more
opportunity to study the -effect of
kindness on prisoners than Judge
Scully, No judge has practiced more
humanity than he.
In very court in Chicago one can
see always the same long lines of
friendlecs prisoners, hungering for a
word of kindness. They shamble up
to the judge wheh their case is called
almost overcome by nervousness. If
a judge greets them gruffly it com
pletely takes the heart out of them
and- they are Unable even to state
their defense,, but are led away un
der sentence to the Bridewell.
Judge Scully has found a way to
give the underdog a chance. He
greets each of them with some little
joke and'you can see the men bright
en up instantly. And he has accom
plished much good by treating' of
fenders as real human beings instead
of as prisoners.
Judge Scully is also against the
system of the police freeing men to
pose for Rogue's Gallery pictures be
fore their convictions.
"It's an outrage," said the judge,
commenting on this system. "No
man should undergo, the degradation
of having his picture taken until aft
er he has been convicted of a felony.
The police don't try to make prison
ers with any influence undergo this
treatment and they should not .try it
on the poor down-and-outs, who
haven't even got as much as a vote
to make them valuable. These men
should be treated in the same manner
as the others.
Another thing the judge protests
against is the unequal manner m
which bonds-are fixed.
"Some bonds are fixed now that
are prohibitive, they are so highland
a man is forced to lie in the county
jail on some occasions when he may
be innocent and be freed when
brought to trial,", said the judge.
"The judges should follow a- more
uniform standard in fixing bonds.
One judge- may hold a man to the
grand jury in bonds aggregating
$20,000 to $25,000, while some pris
oner for. almost the -same charges
will be held under $5,000 bonds.
"The average who is arrested
.doesn't knQw- where- to--turn to get
bonds, of $10,000 or even $5-,000. Me
just can't get them unless he can

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