Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-06-22
Boys.
New York Evening Post.

The western press has been giving a
good deal Of attention lately to thesub-
ject Of crime among boys. and Z for
midable list of atrocities committed by
them has been made out. In Belleville,
Illinois, girl has recently been mur-
dered by dissipated boy of nineteen
because she refused to marry him on
account of his habits. In Minneapolis
boy of fifteen tried to kill girl OF
fourteen because he was prevented by
her friends from visiting her. The "re-
suits of a rabbit hunt" in Arkansas led
to quarrel between two colored boys
of sixteen and fourteen, which was set
tied by the elder smashing in" the
head of the younger with an axe. In
st. Louis boy Of twelve stabbed a
schoolmate with pocketknife be-
cause the latter had been teasing him
for his ignorance OF English" A West
Virginia boy of seventeen shot another
West Virginia boy Of eighteen, the
cause being "a girl whom both OF them
wanted to walk home with" Jacob
Pitman, an ungrateful colored boy
of twelve, "put sugar Of lead in the
tea of his benefactress" because she
had punished him for miscon.
duct. In Texas a boy of eighteen
''shot the face Off boy of eleven be-
cause the latter did not lay down
something" he had in his hand, as he
was told to. A couple of days ago
boy in New Mexico fatally shot a
little boy only six years old. Early
in January two boys, age seven and
five, in Short Creek, Mo-, quarrhlled
at play, and the elder one went into
the house, got revolver, and murder
ed the other one. A negro boy of thir-
teen was recently arrested in Kansas
for drowning white boy, year ago
last winter, by pushing him under the
ice and holding him there until he died.
Two boys of sixteen and eighteen, in
Wisconsin, were lately arrested for
maltreating and nearly killing little
boy of eight. Two boys, aged fourteen
and thirteen, inmates of the Cleveland
house of correction, conspired to kill
boy of eight 80 that they would be
transferred to the county Jail, the mo-
tive OF the crime being that they "would
not have to work and would be sup
piled with tobacco" A couple of
weeks ago an Iowa bank was victimized
by torgeries committed by boy OF sew
enteen. A "ten- yesr-old street arab" in
Palmyra, Mo-, has been amusing him
self with arson. Three boys, ranging
in age from eleven to thirteen. pleaded
guilty in the criminal court of Cook
county to an act of highway robbey
committed on a boy OF ten. A boy
eight years old was sent to the reform
school of Colorado as horse thief.
The latest case of the kind is that of
John Tribbetts, the "boy murderer"
who was caught and hung by lynch
ing party at Perham, MINI. Before
his death John made full confession,
which is interesting ascontaininga boys
account of the causes which lead to
the growing depravity Of the large
and dangerous class to which he be-
longs.
He had early developed fondness
for literature, his taste leading him in
the direction of biography. AT the
age of fifteen he had read the lives of
the James Boys the Younger Broth.
ers," BILLY the Kid Burton the Stage
Robber,' and other prominent crimi-
nails. Hearing Of the crimes commit.
ted by the Cowboys in Arizona, and
perhaps falling into a natural mistake
as to their age, be often beasted in the
family circle at Perham that he would
make astrike.' and join these boys on
the plains. He was not encouraged in
this by his parents, who have the repu-
tation of being very worthy people,
though careless As to the development
of their children"