The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-02
BOY BURGLARS.


Books Read by Their Children.
For some months there has seemed
to be in England startling 'epidem-
ic" in juvenile crime. This has mainly
taken the form of theft on large or q
small scale. Scarcely week passes
that some bold crime on the part of
boys is not reported in the English pa
pers. Often these crimes ere petty
ones, such as the stealing Of hens or
pigeons. But now and then a serious
case of burglary takes place, in which
the boys who are guilty of it use all
the methods employed by older and
more experienced burglars.
Such an instance occurred at Hall
fax, England, a few months ago. A
man and his wife went out to make
call, leaving their house empty. On
their return they found that the lock
of the front door had been tempered
with and, on going in, heard footsteps
on the floor above. The man rushed
upstairs. The thieves had got out up
on the roof, which was slippery with
ice. They proved to be two boys, tif-
teen or sixteen years of age. They
were soon captured. Upon them were
found revolvers, daggers and dark
lanterns. In the pocket of one of them,
moreover, was bunch of skeleton
keys. So agile had they been while in
the house that they had already Sc
cured two hundred dollars worth of
money and jewelry. Even at their age
they had evidently become skillful and
accomplished criminals.
About the same time, it was found
that band of boys, from fourteen to
nineteen years old, had been formed
in Dublin for the purposes of burg
larry They called themselves the
"Black Gang" were leagued together
to break into houses, and were sup
piled with all the implements and APP
planes of burglarious crime.
The lesson of these crimes on the
part of boys is striking one. In
every instance in which the criminals
were caught, the fact came out that
their minds had been fed from child
hood on bad literature. They all con-
fessed, when ,sked, that they had read
nothing but stories of highwaymen, of
robbery and other crimes, from the
time when they had read any thing at
all. In these stories, the criminal was
represented as a hero, and his deeds
as brave and heroic ones. His adj
venture were set forth in every allur-
ing aspect, and he usually was honored
at the end with prosperity and hap
piness. Even if he came to the gal
lows, the final punishment shed around
him halo of glory and heroism.
Unhappily such books are cheap, and
easily got at in all countries. They are
issued by hundreds of thousands, and
are for sale in all the great cities The
badly brought-up boy, having acquired
a taste for this baleful, ruinous litera-
ture, spends his penny eagerly for the
last thrilling tale of criminal adventure;
and too soon becomes imbued with the
idea that there is something heroic as
well as exciting in stealing the property
of others.
The danger arising from this kind of
books is greater in the cities than in
the country. In the country the boys
even of the humblest class are beguiled
with healthy out-of-door sports and
recreations. In the city they are
tempted to seek other excitements, and
the cheap book of criminal adventure
is too easily obtained.
Parents can not look too carefully
into the books read by their children;
can not too jealousy watch the dawn
ing taste for reading in the young, or
too patiently guide that taste into the
right channels. Books do very much,
indeed, to make or mar character for
life. = Yoath'S Companion.