Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-18
B OY S IN CO U4R T
Time of the Police Court Taken Up With
Young Prisoners.
Policemen Who Make Easy Records
Young Page, Who Served
Workhouse Sentence.

w. L. Coghill has been a member Of the
police force for several years. and, unlike
many of his brother officers, he has not
made record by arresting all the small
boys on his beat. Under ordinary circum-
stances he lectures boys or takes them
home to their parents when they do wrong,
for he believes that"compellins the youths
to consort with old and hardened criminals
does them more harm than good. But
Saturday night he had to break the rec
ord and lock up two colored boys, Jesse
Chew and Thomas Morton. These boys
are base ball enthusiasts, and, like scores
of other boys, their parents permit them
to remain On the streets at all hours of
the night, where they learn and engage
in all sorts of boyish pranks, as well as
conduct which the police cannot overlook.
Saturday night between II and II o'clock
they were on the sidewalk on Pennsyl-
vania avenue playing ball under an cleo
trio light. The policeman had ordered
them home several times, but they had re-
fused to go. On previous occasions the
officer had taken one of the boys home,
but his conduct justified the belief that
his mother encouraged him in his badness.
One of them, it was charged, had accident
ally smashed a BARRIERS window before
the officer arres ted him.
This morning they were in The dock of
Judge kimbaliS court, charged with dis
orderly conduct. The policeman related
his version of the affair. He told of how
he had warned the mother Of one of the
boys, and said their conduct was so bad
Saturday night that he felt compelled TO
arrest them.
Il am not in the habit of arresting these
small boys he said to the court, but l
couldn't help it this time
The first boy arrested, he said, cursed
and abused him and bit his thumb.
While on the way to the box" said the
officer. the other boy shouted to the pris-
oner KIN the -. J., ,,o, ~ -
Tense. They denied that they were so bad
as the officer had painted them, and one
of them said that the officer had struck
him. 1t was claimed for them that they
are newsboys and had been selling papers.
Judge KiInball lectured the boys about
their conduct on the street and warned
them that if they continued TO run the
streets at all hours they might expect 10
land in prison. Their personal bonds were
taken.
Seated in the dock was George Flanner,
eleven years old: but he had not been
locked up over night. He had only beer
arrested this morning, and the charge
against him was throwing stones. a citi-
zen named Phillips arrested him and took
him to Lieut.. McCathran's police station.
Policeman Miller would not lock him up
and have him sent in a prison vehicle to
court, but took the boy With him ON i
street car.
Judge kimball heard the testimony, and
a colored woman exhibited e large stone,
which, she said, the boy had thrown at
Mr.. Phillips.
The judge gave the little fellow some
good advice and released him on his per-
Sonal bonds.
This is Justice.
James Page, the colored boy who was
fined and sent to the workhouse by Judge
kimball Thursday because his bicycle lamp
was not lighted was released from the
workhouse Saturday. A citizen. one of sew
eral who called at the Police Court and in
CURED about the case, paid sl.G7 for the
freedom of the boy. The legality of the
charge of S1.67 is now questioned, and 1t
may be that the money will be returned to
the citizen. Page was tried and sent to the
workhouse Thursday, his sentence being
- or three days Under the law, it is
claimed that he was entitled to his dis
charge from custody Saturday, but the
Workhouse officials. it appears, were Of the
opinion that he was not entitled to his re-
lease until yesterday. Should Judge KIM
pail conclude that Thursday, the day the
boy was committed, counted on his SEN
tence, the money paid by the citizen will be
refunded