The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-22
YOUTHFUL CRIMINALS.

youth of this country is matter of gravest
importance. Some remedy must be found for
this feature of young Americas disposition to
''be a man" The almost weekly instances of
mere boys stealing money and starting off
heavily armed to make their way West to hunt
diaries, as was the case at Milwaukee, and
similar criminal manifestations by youth
in all parts of the country
have some significance. These minor
crimes startling as the work of school
boys who ought to be busy with books instead
of studying to initiate the deeds Of men like
the James brothers and their ilk. But the de-
velopment of crime in youthful minds seems
to be as progressive as in the brain of older
men. Arson and robbery and deeds of daring
naturally lead to the finale of crimes diapason,
and murder is done by these fellows of tender
years. On New Years, Stanley Griffith, aged
seventeen, of Salem, O., shot and killed his
father because of some trivial misunderstood
ing about some work that Mr.. Griffith wished
his boy to do. The lad objected, because it
was holiday, and when the father attempted
10 exercise his natural authority the boy,
after warning him to stand back, deliberately
SHOT and killed him. He then went to the
house, told his mother what he had done, went
to summon a physician, and Then fed He
was apprehended the next 3 dag, Is bat
made no sign Of rSinorse,I,m. but
complacently smoked cigar and
to all outward appearances was disinterested
spectator characteristics seldom possessed by
the most hardened criminals. On Friday, at
Chicago, Andrew Scuder, aged nineteen, shot
and seriously wounded his father, because the
latter presumed to criticise him for not being
more clearly in his personal habits. The
wound is not necessarily fatal, but may prove
so. Meanwhile the young desperate boldly
declares that he is not insane, as some pro-
posed to claim for him.
This abnormal tendency to high crime on
the part of the youth of the land is in meas
ure largely the result of education and exam
pie. The revolver is as familiar to the youth
of 1884 as was the Bible and Psalm book to the
youthful Pilgrim. It is present everywhere,
not only in the hip pocket within easSreaeh
for street and saloon brawls, but in fiction and
in the drama. Its use is exalted and its
user honized everywhere. DARE devil
Dick and HThea Texas -KidH Off the
ten-cent novel are elaborately equipped with
this arm and are praisedfor the readiness with
which they. draw and fire in defense of
honor The simpering idiot of the play be-
comes the envy of the gallery gods when he
rescues the heroine by presenting revolver
and easily driving back the Glow browed
scoundreF' who would harm her. The dress
ing-case that has not revolver in one of its
drawers in these later days is the
exception and not the rule. The
phrases of bar-room DULLES have become the
language of more polite society. The threat
to 'shoot one full of holes" or to '1et day
light through fellow" are heard too fire.
quently. The horror of the crime has lost its
restraining influence through the frequency
with which the crime is apparently contem
plated The tendency of the street is all
wrong. Men with no character worth hav-
ing earn the reputation Of DULLES and despera-
does in order to keep their false claims
to responsibility from being questioned.
Among these the American youth get their
first lessons in active life Long before they
are of age they spurn parental restraint, and
leaving the home roof to itself after nightfall,
spend their evenings in the saloons. The ways
of the world are open to them every hand,
and the ways Of the world are wrong. With
the week, and with revolvers every hour
of the twenty-four in each day of
seven, and from the cradle to the grave there
is little wonder that the boys go wrong and be-
come desperadoes before they come to mans
estate. Too many of the youth of the present
are hundred-fold more familiar with the
elves" of Jesse james and other Avengers
than they are with those of Garfield and Lin
coin. The tendency of the times is wrong.
The Qualification of revolver heroes on the stage,
in the novel and in active life should cease
Parental authority should be respected, and
to make it respected the father of family
should lose no opportunity to discountenance
these evils, the example of which has such
baleful effect upon the susceptible mind of
youth. The young man is largely what he
has been made. If the influences about him
are evil, he will be wicked almost beyond
question. One of the great duties upon soci-