The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1882-06-18

The papers lately have been full of az
counts OF tile doings Of youthful desperadoes, made
such by the reading Of pernlCOus lltcrature-hat Is
to say, not such As Is directly obscene but simply
Awlcss, violent, and stimulating To- crimes OF dFor-
der. Especially is this true In the West, where list
has lately been compiled that is positively startling In
Its extent as well as shocking In its details;
In Belleyine, H., girl has recently been murdered
by dIsspated boy OF nineteen, because she refused
TO marry him In Minneapolis II boy Of fifteen tried
to Nil girl Of fonftecn because he was prevented by
her friends from visiting her The " results OF II
rabbit hunt In Arkansas led to aquarrel between
two colOred boys OF sixteen and fourteen which was
settled by the elder smashing In - the head of the
stabbed schOOlmate with pocket knife because the
latter had been teasing him for bis ignorance OF
English West virginia boy OF seventeen shot
another boy Of eighteen, the cause being ga girl
whom both Of them wanted to go home with Jacob
Pltman ungrateful ColOred boy OF twelve, ''put
sugar OF lead In tho tea Of his benefactress - be-
cause she had him punshed for misconduct. In
Texas = boy Of eigh'sen nsnot me iaIe on m
something he had In his hand, as he was told to.
A couple OF days ago a boy In New Mexico fatally
shot little boy only six years old. Early In January
two boys, aged seven and yc In Short Creek, Mo-,
quarreed at play and the older one went into the
house. got a revolver, aud murdered the other one
negro boy Of thirteen recently arrested IN Kan
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 malteating and
nearly killing little boy Of eight Two boys aged
fourteen anu tliitel, Inmates Oh tnc 'tNclaUu
Of Correction, conspred 70 XIII boy OF eight so that
they would be transferred TO the county JAM the
tive Of The crime being that they 'woud not have to
work aud would 10 supplied with tobacco
couple Of weeks ago Iowa bank was Yctimlled by
forEerles committed by q boy Of seventeen a ten
amusing himself with arson. Three boys, ranging
Criminal Court Of Cook County to an act of highway
robbery committed ON boy Of ten. hoy NJ eight
old was sent to the Reform School Of Colorado as
q horse-thlef.
Thlsis 'lnnocent childhood - with Vengeance.
Hut the case which has attracted most comment Is
| thus reportod'
| ON tho 2sth Of May, at PcIham, Num-. a Rfteeu-
year-old boy named John Tlbbets murdered sur
yeyur and his helper In the woods, robbed their per-
sons and led a week Of riOtous living until he was
| found and arrested. On his way 10 jail he main
tained the most daredevil attitude aud even ioked
| about 1.-The ''plcnlc' probably In store for him
Friday morning last he was lynched aud his body left
hanging TO telegraph pole, The boy parents are
| brothers aud sisters enjoy good standing. Iiut he
| was much absorbed In blOOd-and thunder stories.
me ambition oI MS nio MeS 70 neuo'1 m 10 aIomly' aiip'
when arrested, le was ON ~ way lo le blaok l!ll7
having expended his ilgutten gains In purchasing
| passage and cowboys oulht ol revolver rough
| suit Of clothes, and a bumbrerO hat,
There are ouly few establishments in New York
which issue and profit by these romauces Of robbery
and murder. If they cannot he suppressed, At least
let the reputable journals Of the country keep up the
note Of warning aud parents educators, and Cust0-
dians Of children make II their special business tC
keep such moral poison out of the heads Of their chill
dTen replacing It with good, sound literature Their
are plenty of tales Of adventure aud daring whcl
| tend to make boys better and manller, instead o
maklug them thieves and ut-throats. II used to b.
complained that Cooper and other baulcal romance
made numbers OF boys "fun away TO sea- bu
surely an escapade which gave sailors to our Nay
was far preferable to the modern innovation Of sorC
which make them yearn to be callc'llfters on road
agents. Unless our boys can be kept brave and hon
est, tbs stream Of national life IS poisoned at IN
source, aud when such things as the above arc don
IN the green leaf We may wen ask what win ne don
iu the dry.