The Dawson journal., 1884-10-30
A DETECTIVES SERMON.

tloh W dS CtCSSd upon J0ie1 VINO
had given his age as seventeen
years and who looked even young
er His clothing and person were
clean and his features were Of
type indicating intelligence. The
brutal expression often noted in
the features OF law-breakers was
lacking entirely in his. ATlibune
reporter, who saw him locked up,
noticed tears in the youths eyes.
The detective who had made the
arrest had served many years in
the Police Departmentand was ia
milliar with the history Of many
thieves. The boy ought not to
be a thief" he said. His father
is dead, and he has a respectable,
Woodworking mother, to whom he
might be a comfort instead Of a
curse. He has been on the Island
twice already, now he will go up
for burglary"
"What kind Of boys become
burglars?' the reporter asked.
All kinds"
Do good boys ever get to be
thieyes?''
Yes, when they fall in bad
company"
"What influence Do yoa consil-
or the most powerful in leading
boys on to crime?"
Rum"
HAS not the natural dapravity
much to do with their fall?'
II DO not believethat human de-
pravity is natural" the detective
said.
"It IS unnatural"
The lives Of the worst Grim
inals in the city prove as much.
Old it ever occur to you that
there is much less Of what you
call natural dsprayity in country
places than in the city? People
ge5 TO be bad because their sur
rounI;Ggs are bad, because they
cannot resist temptation, because
their better instincts are taken
away by evil influences. Thatb'y
here lives in tenomant-housa.
His mother is poor, and there is
not much pleasure for him in the
house. 50 he runs about in the
street. IF he lived in the country,
as | did when 1 was a boy, he
couldn't fad much mischief away
from home. Here he associated
with all kind Of boys, ard there is
not much wickelnas5 which q New
York 'gam;u' 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 beer, and
are fascinatel with the game.
They must have money to enjoy
the sport, and drink leads them to
steal 1t. This lal began stealing
from his poor mother Arst. She
would not have him punished.
Then he stole from his employer
andwas discharged l caught him
picking pockets and sent him to
the panitantiary. When he got
out he robbed d money drawer in a
grocery. Last highland his pals
broke the shutters off a cigar store
and carried off a small amount Of
The stock"
after he gets out Of prison
again he m1y become Il more ex-
pert burglar, but his mother viii
die of broken heart
A sob, within the cell, sounded
Ike an expression Of assent The
officer noticed it, and turningaway
from the door he added in lower
tone: at is the fault OF the pa
rents sometimes. IL his home life
had been made lijle better and
pleasenter, he might have been a
steady boy. His mother was al
ways complaining and fretting in
| the house before he began steal
/ ing and since then she has tried to
shield him from the police, while
she kept nagging him while they
were alone. Boys are growing II.
to be sober, honest men il the
worst tenement houses in the city.
Yoa viii find, as a rule, that the,
have been taught by their parent
to expect punishmentfor evil doin;
and that they have amusement a
home"
FDbnra nnvp nvnloip,al Mre