The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-06
TRAPS FOR BOYS.
Men Who Supply Liquor
to Minors.
THE CHIEF CAUSE OF CRIME.
Judge Campbell Believes That 1t
Arises From the WiIIfui Neg
Iect Of Mothers.
THE CHIEF CAUSE OF CRIME.

Martin Levosich. who keeps q coffee
house at % Folsom street, was arrested
yesterday by Detectives Crockett and Dill
Ion and charged with supplying liquor 10
minors.
1t was at this house where the six boys
were gambling and drinking beer last Satur-
day night when one of them. John O'Brien,
stabbed companion, John Collner, in the
abdomen with a pOcket-knife and was after
ward arrested.
Levosich has a license to sell beer, and the
boys state that they were shaking dice for
the drinks when O'Brien and Collner quar-
relied.
The five messenger boys arrested on Sun
day night in Rose alley for being drunk
were again brought before Judge Campbell
yesterday. The waiter of the Peoples Res
taurant, 100 Fifth street. where the boys got
the liquor, turned States evidence. and a
warrant was issued for the arrest of the pro-
prietor of the place.
Judge Campbell had also three boys be-
fore him charged with vagraney. The evil
dence showed that none of them went to
school and that they were often seen Gu the
street rs late as 70 o'clock at night.
The parents had engaged an attorney to
defend the boys, who contended that they
were exceptionally good boys and that the
police were preiudiced in having them ar
rested. Ii came out in evidence, however,
that the three had been arrested once he
fore, but had been dismissed on probation
by Judge JOachjmsen.
Judge Campbell severely lectured the
parents. There was time," he said.
when | believed crime 10 DE hereditary,
bet since ascending this bench have come
to the conclusion that the crowding of the
dock Of this court every morning Is due to
the negligence Of parents.
1ou mothers allow your children to run
wild, keep late and unseemiy. hours, asso-
ciate with persons they have no right to be
seen with, and frequent places where even
man would be con taminated. Then you
come into court, burst into tears and expect
the Judge to dismiss the charges
You cannot expect your sons 10 receive
much compassion from me. 1t is not the
liquor stores and pool dives that are drag
ging these boys down, but it is the Willful
neglect of their mothers.
Hereafter | don't intend to be moved by
tears, but whenever ! consider that the
parents are not acting properly by their
children l will seHd them to some insttu-
tion where they will he looked after anu an
effort made to bring them up as peaceful,
law-abding citizens
The Judge then questioned the boys as to
their occupations. One of them said that
he washed bottles, another helped around a
peddler's wagon, while the third minded
house" for his mother. Their excuse for
being out late at night was that they had
been to one of the cheap theaters.
II have never been to the theater men,
TONED" said the Judge, but nine out of
every ten boys brought before me claim
that they were on the streets late al night
because they had been TO this same house.
From the posters of the theaters | see on
the walls and fences the plays are senSa-
tiOnal blood and thunder affairs that can dc
boy II good.
'AS TO these peddlers' wagons | have
been Informed that in many cases they are
conducted to cover petty larcenes. l nave
had boys before me who, under the guiSe of
peddlers. entered houses and carried off all
loose articles upon which they could lay
their hands.
while | believe in boys working, I also
believe that they should be sent to school.
This alleged working ut home. which con.
ssts in loatng around the streets at ali
hours Of the day aud night, must be stopped.
t."Iu the present cases | will allow the BOYS
to 90 on probation for twenty days. II dur
ing that time they behave themselves the
complaints will be dismissed
But II the officers should al any time
have occasion TO arrest these three boys, or
any one of them, at any time l want
item brought before me, rs | fully under
stand the circumstances of the case while
one Of the other Police Judges, not know
ing the boys. might be imposed upon and
made lenient by the tears Of their mothers"
The mothers declared that they would
look after their offspring properly In future
and went away with determination stamped
upon their features.