The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-06
NEED THE CURFEW
BOYS BURGLARIZE A STORE AND
LEAVE NO CLUE
Police Officers Think the Boys are Getting
Them Have Their Path Hewn Quite a
Distance Toward the Penitentiary-Store
Robbed Was Grocery Located on South
Emporia Avenus-Class of Goods Taken
Consisted of Such Things as Boys Would
Have Tendency to Take.

| II seems that the failure of the city
council to pass the curfew ordinance of
| DIR. Minick has created in the minds of
some Of the boys, the idea that they can
do just as they please. In yesterday
mornings paper an account was TO be
! found of some boys stealing all the lead
pipe from vacant house land twisting a
| terday morning disclosed another hap
pening in the city, which occurred while
the other account was being printed.
In this case the grocery store at zol
South Emporia avenue WAS broken into
and robbed. Harry Sutton was on the
ground yesterday morning, and he pro-
nounced il to be undoubtedly the work
of boys. The character of the goods TAX
en- is very significant, also. The -four.
bacon, ham bread, butter, and all sub
stantial goods which are necessary for
the maintenance of life, were left I'M
| touched, but the thieves made large in
roads upon the cigarettes, especially, al
so, smoking tobacco, cigars, plug tobac-
cofi chewing gum, candy and lead pen
ellis.
IL the robbery had been made by some
one who was hungry and in need of the
substantials, the cigarette showcase
would never have been approached. II
the object had been TO obtain something
which could be sold again, an entirely
different class of goods would have been
taken. The boys seem 10 have started
out 10 break into jail slowly, or TO see
how close they can come TO being caught
without that happening. But some OF
the odd-come-Shorts a blue coated po-
iiceman will descend upon nicely got
ten up affair, and several boys will fail
TO come in along about 10 or IL O'Clock.
Next morning some few papas who have
wilfully closed their eyes 10 the existing
state OF affairs into which their boys
have wandered, will be furiously indig-
nant at the officers for having their nice,
good, pure-minded, innocent little son
| locked up in the city building. 1t is
only natural for parents, especially the
mothers, to regard their own children as
the nearest TO perfection. Especially is
this SO of a mother while her child is
a boy. II is only natural but when
these things are going on to the extent
that they are in this city, it is the duty,
not to say the privilege, Of every parent
and guardian, to see that their own are
HUI up III lISSc
When the curfew ordinance was IN
der consideration, the one thing which
defeated il was the fear that its enact
nent would take the control Of children
to considerable extent out of the hands
of the parents, and the civil laws would
take it's place. This was not deemed an
advisable move, whether expedient or
not and, consequently, the measure was
defeated. The boys are worse since, to
all appearances, than before. The police
say that crime at this time is compare
lively scarce in this city among the
usual line of criminals, but that the
boys from 6 to 10 years were gettir +;
worse steadily. Where this thing Will
end is hard TO say, but he police have
turned their attention more in this di-
rection lately than usual, and they hope
to be able 10 either stop the frequency OF
these occurrences In quiet way. or 10
apprehend the culprits which, in the lat
ter case, would mean the reform school
for ma ioritv nj them,