The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-10-04
a DETECTIyE,s SERMON.
{ Snch-tPosi Rot Drinksn nnd Hotis

The cell-door in the police station was
closed upon a thief who had given hi,
age as seventeen years, and who looket
even younger. His clothing and persor
were clean and his features were Of {
type indicating intelligence. The bruta
expression often noted, in the features, O
i, law. breakers was lacking entirely III
| his. A Tribune reporter, who saw hin
locked up, noticed tears in the youth.
blue eyes. The detective who had mad,
the arrest had served many years In tn,
Police Department and was familiar Will
the history Of many thieves. "The bo,
! ought not to be thief" he said. "Hi
father, is dead, and he has respectable
working mother, to whom he NIGH
| be comfort instead of d curse. He has
| been on the Island twice already apf
now he will 60 up for burglary
| "What kind Of boys become burg
lars q the reporter asked.
"All kinds"
"Do good boys ever get to bo thieves p
eyes, when they foil in bad company. u
''What influence do you consider the
most powerful in leading boys on to
crime?"
"Rum!"
"Has not natural depravity much to
do with their fall ?"
"I do not believe that human de-
pravity is natural" the detective said.
"It is unnatural. The lives of the worst
criminals in the city prove as much.
Did it ever occur to you that there is
much less of what you call natural &c
gravity in country places than in the city !?
people get to be bad because their sur
roundings are bad, because they cannot
resist temptation, because their better i'll
stincts arc takcn away by evil influences.
This boy here lives in n tcnement-housc.
His mother is poor, and thero is not
much pleasure for him in tho house. So
he runs about in the street. If he lived
in the country, as l did when was q
boy, he couldn't find much mischief
away from home. Here he associates
with nil kinds of boys, and there is not
much wicko drcss which Now York
'gamin' does not know about. Every
grog-shop which bears the sign pool for
drinks is training school for young
thieves. The boys get heated with hecr,
and arc fascinated with tho game. They
mist have money to enjoy the sport, and
drink leads them to steal it. This la,1
began stealing from his poor mother first
She would not have him punished. Thcl
he stole from his employer and was III -.
c 'arged. 1 caught him picking pockets
and sent him to the pcnitcntiary. Who
he got out he robbed money drawer il,
Z grocery. Last night he and his pals
broke the shutters off cigar storc ani
carried off small amount of the stock
After he gets out of prison again II,
may become more expert burglar, bu
his mother will dio of broken heart.
"A sob, within the cell, sounded like NJ
expression of assent. The officer nuticct
it, and turning away from tho door II,
added in lower tone: cit is the faul
of the parents sometimes. If his hom
life had been nude little better All,
pleasantcr, he might have been stead,
boy. His mother was always complain
ing and frettmg i'll tho house, befor
he began to STEAL md since then sh
has tried to shield him from tho police
while she kept nagging him when the
we're alone. Boys are growing up to b
sObtr, honest men in tho worst tenement
houses in the city. You will find Ms
rule, that they have been taught by thei
parents to expect punishment for evil
doing and that they have amusement q
home. IN Y Tribune.