The Red Cloud chief., 1881-11-17
Pernlcious Literature for Boys.

PernIeIous Literature for Boys.
The baneful effect of the pink and
yellow backed literature On the sus-
ceptible mind OF boys is made striking
ly apparent in this city from day TO
day. The number OF lads who run
away from home TO be free from all pa
ternal restraint and seek such adyen-
lures as their fancy may suggest. is by
no means on the decrease. Bradford
has been made an objective point for
numbers Of these young runaways from
all sections of the country. Almost
daily during the summer the police
have been in receipt Of kilograms aud
letters of inquiry from anxious parents
and the authorities in other cities con-
corning boys who have disappeared
from home. In quite a number oil in
stances the lads have been found here
and restored TO their friends. Their
arrest has almost invariably been effect
ed through descriptions OF the boys
furnished by their friends. Such adopts
do the boys become in evading the
truth when questioned by the authori-
ties that it is necessary TO have further
evidence Of their identity than the
statements which proceed from their
youthful lips. A case occurred one
day last week that is not without many
parallels during the spring and summer
months. A man named Mohre. resid-
ing in Oil City, appriscd the police OF
his son, aged thirteen, having run away
from home. The father thought it
probable that the lad had made
his way TO this city. A description OF
the boy was furnished. ant the officers
soon found the lad in company with a
squad of other boys in the lower part
Of the city. The youth at first assumed
to bo surprised, and claimed that he
could not be the boy in question. The
police have long since learned to deal
with such cases. and the little fellow
soon conceded that he vas the run
away. He had been wandering about
for some time. and finally reached this
city by stealing rides from station to
station on passing trains. He had in
his possession a small sum of money
about thirty cents. This was ample,
however. the lad stated. as he had no
difficulty in procuring food without
money and without price. Some of the
boys about the city of his W age pur-
Joined articles of food at home and kept
him well supplied. In return for this
young Mohre permitted the youthful
cOmmissariat to peruse a plnk-backed
book on which high treasure was
placed. The title of the book was the
"Slang Dictionary of New York, Lon
don and Paris" 1t contained an ex-
tended list of the technical lingo of
tramps and thieves fused in the lead
ing cities of the world" with theft
meaning and application. Also a Sc
cret system of enumeration and wriV-
ten communication, with portraits
of celebrated criminals and sketches
of their lives. There were in the book
numerous illustrations OF garrOting,
s'cracking a crib" and cuts showing
how other criminal acts are performed.
A more pernicious book to place in the
hands of a boy ranging in age from ten
to sixteen years cannot be conceived.
After acquiring the arts and language
of this work, some of the boys had in
contemplation the foundation of a
band of venturesome spirits to go forth
and lead a vagabond life, and depend
on criminal cunning and new recruits
in other cities where they might So
journ for subsistence. 1t vas certain
ly a fortunate thing Tor some Bradford
parents that the youth owning the book
and having views on the organization
of q school of young thieves. was APP
pretended and sent safely home to his
parents. 1t would be well, indeed, for
the parent of the boy to adopt meas
ures to keep him at home and guard
against his procuring literature such as
was found in his possession. There
are a number of runaway boys who
reach Bradford after whom no inquiry
is made or anxious parents seek. at
least SO far as known. Some of these
boys remain here for weeks and months.
They readily fall in with the news
boys and b~Ootblacks, and manage
TO gain money enough to buy
food. They practice the Lifting
art in trifles merely to gain ex-
p~erience and skill. There is a
larger growth of boys from sixteen
to twenty, who adopt the guise of boot
blacks to quiet the suspicion and carry
on their questionable mode of life. The
younger boys find them capital precep.
tors. They have all the characteristics
of ''hoodlums," and cunning sufficient
to escape detection i'm many of their
petty criminal acts. Some of these per-
sons by times fall into the hands of the
officers and get their deserts. While
the number of boys who run away from
home. and are Immediately sought after
by their parents, is quite large, those
after whom no care seems to be taken,
or a least no inquiry is made. is. indeed,
much greater. In this w~orking-day
world there seems to be many parents
Indifferent to the welfare of their sons.
The tendency of these boys is directly
to the bad. Sufficient has been shown
in this city, from time to time, to make
it plain that these boys, or at least nine
tenths of them, drift into the army of
tramps and thieves. The police can do
little to remedy the evil, because the
boys demean themselves to escape ar
rest and avoid detection. Even should
it be known that they are runaways.
their parents failing to make demand
for them, and their homes being un.
known. nothing cau be done to restore
them.-Bradtord (Pa.) Era.