[88] “Preach the Word, be instant in season, out of season.”—2 Tim. iv. ii.
[89] “And the dragon was angry against the woman.”—Apoc. xii. 17.
[90] The age of some of the “children” in this institution actually runs up to twenty and even twenty-one.
[91] Possibly the superintendent, Mr. Israel C. Jones, and such as he, have had much to do with bringing about this magnificent result. Their course of treatment of the unfortunate children committed to their care is sufficiently well known to many of our readers. Here is a picture of Mr. Jones and his associate reformers, painted by his own hand, and exhibited to the public gaze in a court of justice. It occurred during the trial of Justus Dunn, an inmate of the Institution for the Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents, for the killing of Samuel Calvert, one of the keepers. In his cross-examination Mr Jones testified respecting various modes of punishment used in the institution. One was as follows: “I know of Ward being tied up by the thumbs. (The witness described this mode of punishment.) In the tailor’s shop there is an iron column five inches in diameter; around the top of that was placed a small cord, and another small cord was run through it, and dropped down; the boys’ thumbs were put into the ends and drawn up until the arms were extended, but their feet were not moved.
“By Judge Bedford: How long were they kept in that position? A. From three, perhaps to eight minutes. To Mr Howe: I tried the effect upon myself; it was an idea that struck me to deal with that particular class of boys. I think seven, not to exceed eight, boys were punished in this way. I was present during the punishment of one of the boys part of the time. I went out of the room.
“By Judge Bedford: You do not know of your own knowledge whether they were raised from the ground? A. Not of my own knowledge.
“By Mr. Howe: You saw the boys put up by this small whip-cord? A. Yes, sir.
“Q. And you would leave the room when they were spliced up? A. Yes, sir; I stepped out of the room once or twice. I have seen boys beaten with a rattan, but not so severely as to be able to count the welts by the blood.”
There is much more of the same character, but the extract given is enough to show the means adopted in this estimable institution and by this eminently pious superintendent for the reformation of juvenile delinquents. It is like reading again the pages of another but an earlier Reformation.
[92] This answer was actually made not long ago to a Catholic priest by a Protestant clergyman.