HEAD OF THE WOMEN'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1775, 13 June 1913, Page 6

HEAD OF THE WOMEN'S COURT.

TUB OFFICIAL MOTHER. NO PUBLICITY CASES. Women in tho United States are following with interest the work of Miss llnry M. Bartelmc, of Chicago, 2iow serving as first judge of the Woman's .Night Court, which is part of tho Juvenile Court of Chicago (says the New York "juvenilis Post"). Her appointmont'oarly this spring camo after many years' experience in educational, professional,-and 'social work. After' her' graduation from tho Chicago Normal School, she taught for eight years, them studied law, and was graduated from tlie North-western University Lwv Sohool. Sho served as an investigator in tho interests of juveniles' estates when Judge ICohlsa-at was probate judge. Governor Tanner appointed her. public guardian tonic fifteen years ago, .and in that capacity shtt made a record for the woman official by her personal interest in tho children whose estates came under her care. During Miss Bartelme's incumbency a new nam® i for the office was created, "official mother." I'oojile, men and women, camo to her for advice about the children to whom sho boro an nlhcliil relationship. She told them what to uc> anil what not to do in 8,11 matters of education, food, and clothing, It was while she was public guardian that she began to take an active interest in affairs of tho Juvenilo Court. Judge Pinckney, the head of tho Court, began to ask lior for advice about tho children. It seems to have been a habit in Chicago to ffo to lirsv for such advice. 1 mdnig tliut he was very generally following her suggestion, Judge Pinckney thought it would be a better method to put her m tho way of handling the delinquents herself. - ' Moreover, he got the idea, while handling these cases, that it might mean a good deal to a girl or a woman, who had made just ono mis-step, not to bo obliged to tell her story to -a man; to have a woman to hear it aad the benefit of a woman s advice as to how beat to bpiidle nor woman's problem. Judge Ben Lindsqr, of Denver, says that ho has the same idea in his Court. "I never sit nlono in am ciiso affecting a woman or a girl, lie said. "Mr*. Gregory, the cleric of tlio. couit, always sits with me, and in such cases, I do what Bhe tells mo to. It would o simpler and more direct to have , the doing as well as the telling m her own h T°hoiigh Miss Bartelmp did not roccivn I her appointment as head of tho JAoman s Court until March, she had before t at boon serving for somo months as Jud»e Pinckney's assistant.. Associate justicri . was her title in that In this new connection-, though she is a judge m her own right," she still rarncs the title of associate judge, because judges must. be elected not appointed by othorjudgcs._ Ono of Bartolmes wMvahons was the elimination of all publicity in trials in the Woman's Court, Th>© name of ft. Wtoonw «t tho Bar does not become public property. Curiosity seekers are not allowed in the courtroom, which is a pleasMWcwldng place that might pass for a «S-room, There are no men officers, !w tiie Grnrt is nspwd tho its problems promise to bo primarily for to cases, Judge Bar- . lis" "l" 1 d t]lc desire for recreaurges a girl into the commorrinlisod forms of entertainment, often pit??i tin unwary. Common sense is this s woman judge's only formula for the Sing of the human problems presentto her. Sho seeks to mako her Court f prevwt vo as well as a corrective.