Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1833-06-27

SUIcIpE-AND ITS MoRAL.-A young
man by the name of Decker, of respec-
table parentage, and who had been APP
prenticed to the tailoring business in
Hudson, had indulged, from time to time,
in plfering from his employer. From
these petty distractions he proceeded to
the more serious crime Of entering dry
goods store in that city last winter, and
stealing about 10 dollars in money. Be-
ing suspected, and charged with the Of
fence, he acknowledged it, and returned
the money to the owner. To avoid pun
ishment, he left the State, but returning
short time since, found himself Stunned
by his former associates. Stung with a
sense of guilt and shame, he repaired on
Sunday last, whilst his friends were gone
to church, to an apothecary's shop, and
asked the lad who attended it, for some
arsenic. The boy doubling the proprie-
ty Of selling it to him, went into the back
room to request his mother to attend to it.
Decker knowing the jar in which it was
contained, in his absence supplied HIM
SELF, it is supposed, with the poison-rc-
turned to his fathers house, took the ia
tai dose, which put an end to his exis-
tence on the following morning.
L This is one among the thousand in
stances that are daily occurring, to shew
the necessity Of checking the first bud
dings Of vice; and it is so intimately con
nected with particular subject, brought
to our consideration by letter from a
correspondent in the country, that we
take this opportunity of introducing an
extract from his communication:-"The
worthy members of your police, so intent
on searching for the guilty, have, no
doubt, innocently overlooked the source,
or direct and evident sourse ofguit, par
ticularly in the juvenile part of the pun
ishable class. They do not see the fruit
full nursery of young plants, in the incip-
lent stage Of guilt, because it is too vsi-
! BILE, too near them, and too familiar to be
observed. invite the good and humane,
who abound in your fair city, as MEM
bers of various charitable & philanthro-
pic societies, to open their eyes to the
numerous young children, made for bet
ter scenes, now wandering the streets in
search of vice. Visit that part of w all
street, opposite the Tontne, where goods
are exhibited to be sold at auction, and
you will see boys and girls, from years
to old women Of GO, picking up grains OF
coffee, tea, nuts, Sc. which have been
drawn from packages by those who wish
to ascertain their qualities, before the
sale. These ragged boys and girls be-
gin by picking up these articles from the
pavemcnts, but soon learn to look about
and see if they are observed; ifnot, they
slyly extract from the packages, and Sc
crete the goods. They are often frayed
away by the man who aids the auction
eer; but they return to the work so soon
as he disappears-thus learning to plfer
in manner, which those little urchins,
nor those who see them, regard as ve-
ry reprchensible crime. But, after hav-
ing become familiarizcd to thismode OF
collecting what has been in part thrown
away-and by initiating those who cx-
anime the goods with view to purchase
by extracting from packages to carry of,
in which they exhibit evidence of guilt
by looking to see if they are noticed
they wander about the streets, and soor
learn to take goods placed at the doors o.
shops for show; and from that 10 enter
Iihouses and shops Ito burglary and mex