, 1880-04-24
A WARNING TO PARENTS.

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There seems to he little use In bewaillnr
the circulation of vicious juvenile literature
or the h~l9iwayman type. Every intelli-
gent man admits that it does a tripbtfiIl
amount OF harm among BOYS, but no one
takes any effective step to check it's circula.
ton. The story which teaches bows that
robbery, stealing, lying, profanity. and
drunkenness are manly and noble sports
does not offend against any existing
statute, and Mr.. Comstock cannot interiors
with Its circulation. 1t IS clear that if this
evil is to be checked, our laws mist he
amended, and it is to be lopel that the
recent painful incident IN North Adams,
Mass, which is directly traceal,lc to the
influence OF denloralizing juvenile Jitera.
ture. will arouse a public indignation
which will lead to substantial results.
The two boys who are now eypiatinr
their crime III North Adams Jail in broNn
paper and sweet oil, to wit, Master Charles
Briggs ana Master James Plunkett. are
both under fifteen years of age. 1t il
knoWn that TOR the last two wears they
nave ueeh Ill tne constant habit of reading
the desperate Sinai boys Of America, and
other story papers of like reprebrnsiblo
character. Mr. Dahforth, the teacher of
the Laneeboro boarding, school. which
these boys attended, ~testifes TINT thcv
established an underground railway hy
which feams of piratical literature were
smuggled into the school, and that thew
openly confessed that they had rather read
the desperate SmaU boys than solve the
most attractive problem in fractions. or
bound the most abStrHSe South American
Republic. The natural result was that a
week ago they ran away. There was
nothing to hinder them from walking down
stairs and going out through the front door,
but they preferred to tear their sheets into
strips, and with the help of ropes thus
eX%tempOrized, to lower themselves from
the window. Their subsequent adventures
are set forth in their Joint confession made
to Esquire Hickock, of North Adams. and
VIII be painfully suggestive to any active
fathers who may read it.
1t appears that, after much debate as to
what particular field of crime they should
cultivate, the boys decided to become
plumbers. 1t may seem incredible that
the sons OF Christian parents educated
amld the Wholesome Influences of the we'll
known LanesbOro school, should be capa-
bic OF entering upon so shameless and
wicked a careers; but such is the conse-
quence OF the constant rea ing of vicious
literature. Masters Briggs and Plunkett
found much difficulty in obtaining the
1AS
necessary tools for the prosecution of the
plumbers netarious trade, since, of course,
no respectable and law-abiding mechanic
VIII make or sell them. 1t is believed that
the boys must have made the acquaintance
OF some member of the gang of plumbers
that shas so long infested Western Massa-
chusetts, and that they were supplied
with tools by him. AT any rate. they sue
ceeded i'll obtaining a portable furnace,
two pairs of gastongs, two soldering irons,
and a supply of solder. These they con-
cealed i'll their mattresses until the day,
or rather the night, of their escape, and,
OF course, they took them with them when
they fled from the school,.
AS both the boys lived. when they were
not at school, at North Adams, they en-
deavoured to battle pursuit by taking the
road from Lanesboro to South Adams.
They walked rapidly during the night, and
at about eight o'clock in the morning they
began operations. Approaching a house
in the outskirts of South Adams, they
concealed themselves until the man of the
house'had gone to his work. They then
boldly entered the house and confronted
the mans wife, informed her that they
were plumbers, and intended to put the