CHAPTER 363.
AN ACT IN RELATION TO "THE DELAWARE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR GIRLS."
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State Of Delaware in General Assembly met (two-thirds of all the members elected to each House of the General Assembly concurring therein):
Section 1. That Chapter 637, Volume 19, of the Laws of Delaware be amended by striking out all of Section 1 after the word "it" in the eleventh line thereof, and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "may act as guardian or custodian of any girl under the age of eighteen years who shall be committed to its custody, charge or guardianship according to law, for the physical, mental and -moral training of such girl, and during such time as any girl is in the custody, charge or guardianship of this Corporation the guardianship, custody or control of parents, guardians, or any other person whatsoever shall be thereby superseded; and may make such by-laws, rules and regulations and appoint such officers, agents and committees as may be deemed necessary or proper to carry out the purposes of this Corporation."
Section 2. That Chapter 637, Volume -19, of the Laws of Delaware he further amended by striking out all of Section 3 after the figure three in the first line of said Section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "It shall be lawful for the said Corporation, it assenting thereto, to receive into its charge, custody or guardianship any girl under the age of eighteen years, when committed thereto in any one of the following modes:
"First. A parent, guardian or next friend of any girl under the age of eighteen years, or any constable or police officer, or any three respectable persons, may complain to the Judge of any Municipal Court in this State, or to any Justice of the Peace of any County in this State, alleging that such girl, by reason of incorrigible or vicious conduct, cannot be controlled, or that she is leading an idle and immoral, or vicious life, or that she has been found in circumstances of manifest danger of falling into habits of vice or immorality, and request that she may be committed to the charge, custody or guardianship of the said Corporation; upon due proof of the facts alleged in such complaint, and it appearing that the welfare of such girl requires it, the Judge or Justice of the Peace, may, with the assent thereto of said Corporation, commit such girl to its charge, custody or guardianship until discharged by the said Corporation according to its rules and regulations."
"Second. When it shall appear to the Judge of any Municipal Court in this State or any Justice of the Peace of any county of this State, upon complaint made as aforesaid, and satisfactory proof of the allegations therein contained, that any girl under the age aforesaid, in consequence of vagrancy or other improper conduct is a proper subject for the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation, and that the parent, guardian or other person having the charge or custody of such girl is, from moral depravity or otherwise, incapable of exercising or neglects to exercise the proper care and discipline over her, such Judge or Justice of the Peace may, with its assent, commit her to the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation until discharged by the said Corporation according to its rules and regulations."
"Third. Any girl under the age of eighteen years may, with its assent, be committed to the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation, by the Court of General Sessions in and for any County of this State, the Judge of any Municipal Court in this State or by any Justice of the Peace of this State, upon conviction of vagrancy or other criminal offense before them, or upon acquittal of such girl, if the Court, Judge or Justice of the Peace, upon testimony, shall consider her a proper subject for the said Corporation; such commitment shall be until discharged by the said Corporation according to its rules and regulations; and any girl under the age aforesaid, against whom a crime, other than murder or arson, is charged before a Grand Jury, if the charge is supported by sufficient evidence to put her on trial, on the recommendation of the Grand Jury and without presenting an indictment, may, with the assent of said Corporation, be committed by the Court to the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation until discharged by the said Corporation according to its rules and regulations."
"All girls, committed to the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation, shall remain wholly subject to such charge, custody or guardianship wheresoever they may be placed by said Corporation, in private homes or elsewhere, or wheresoever they may be found, until discharged by it according to its rules and regulations."
Section 3. That Chapter 637, Volume 19, of the Laws of Delaware be further amended by striking out all of Section 4 after the figure four.
Section 4. That Chapter 637, Volume 19, of the Laws of Delaware be further amended by striking out all of Section 5 after the figure five in the first line of said Section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "If any girl in the charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation shall be guilty of an attempt to set fire to any building, or to any combustible matter for that purpose, or of openly resisting the lawful authority of any officer or agent of said Corporation. or of attempting to incite others to do so, or shall by gross or habitual misconduct exert a dangerous and pernicious influence over the girls so in charge, custody or guardianship of said Corporation, the said Corporation when such case arises may through its proper officers submit a written statement of the facts to the Court of General Sessions of the State of Delaware in and for New Castle County, or, if the said Court is not in session, to the Associate Judge resident in New Castle County and apply for an order authorizing a temporary confinement of such delinquent in the New Castle County Work House."
"The said Court or judge shall forthwith inquire into the facts, and if it appears that the allegations in said statement are substantially true, and that the ends desired to be accomplished by the said Corporation will be best promoted thereby, the Court or judge shall make an order authorizing the confinement of such delinquent in said Work House for a time to be limited and expressed in the order; and the Board of Trustees of said Work House shall receive such delinquent and detain her during the time expressed in such order."
"At the expiration of the time limited, or sooner if the said Court or Judge shall so order upon a further application, the Board of Trustees of said Work House shall, with the assent of said Corporation, return such delinquent to the charge, custody or guardianship of the said Corporation."
Section 5. That Chapter 637, Volume 19, of the Laws of Delaware be further amended by striking out all of Section 6 after the figure six in the first line of said Section and inserting in lieu thereof the following: "The said Corporation shall cause the girls under its charge to be instructed in the branches of useful knowledge adapted to their age and capacity, and in household employment, needlework and such other forms of industry as may be suited to their sex, age, strength and disposition, and as may be best adapted to secure their improvement and future welfare. The said Corporation shall have regard to the character of those to whom the girls are entrusted,
either in private homes or elsewhere, that they may secure to them the benefits of good example, wholesome instruction, improvement in virtue and knowledge, and the opportunity to become intelligent, moral and useful members of society."
"The authority and duties conferred or imposed by this Act upon said Corporation may be exercised and discharged by said Corporation or by such of its officers, committees or agents provided for herein, or provided for in any by-laws, rules or regulations adopted by it, as shall be severally charged therewith."
Approved March 31, A. D. 1903.