The record-union., 1898-04-08
BAD BOYS HAD BEST BEWARE.
JUSTICE DAVIS WILL PUNISH
THEM If THEY DO NOT.
a Gang Who Annoyed the Resi-
dents OF the Northeast Part
Of the City.

Six boys, named Wilson, Ward, Rip
pom, Lohman, Stevens and Hildebrand,
were arraigned yesterday in the City
Justices Court for disturbing the
peace.
Mrs. L. c. Hitchcock, who lives at
615 Fifteenth street and who swore
out the complaint against them, testi-
fed that for the past two years she had
been annoyed by a gang of boys who
congregated on the sidewalk under her
windows to smoke and play cards, and
that they used bad language. She had
repeatedly demonstrated with them,
and last Monday fifteen or twenty of
them came there while she had COM
pany and played cards close to the
window. smoking and using bad Ian
guage. They played ball, and struck
the house several times with the ball,
to the danger of the windows, which
had several times been broken on
former occasions. She asked them to
desist, and took the names of num-
ber of them, but they would not go
away until she threatened to telephone
to the police station.
Two other ladies testified to the same
effect. Mrs. Williams saying that the
gang had been so annoying that she
had lost several tenants, and thought it
was tina sh had some protection from
them. When she went out and told
them to go away one of them threw
a bundle of rags at her, and told her
to shut up.
c. L. Shinn said the Ward boy had
been known to him for a number OF
years, and he had always considered
him an exceptionally good boy and
had been glad to have him associate
with his children.
The Ward boy testified that he just
came to where the other boys were a
few minutes before Mrs. Hitchcock
spoke to them. They had been throw
ing sacks at one another when he
came, and he joined in the game. He
went away when she told them to go.
officer Hayes said that the Wilson
boy had been complained Of to him
a number of times He had threatened
his mother, and when his brother was
sick he would not carry the milk to
supply her customers, and she had tC
hire a boy to do it.
Justice Davis said there was no doubt
that the ladies had given correct
version of the affair. The boys had
no right to congregate anywhere and
make themselves a nuisance. There
was no doubt the boys were guilty
and he should find them so. 1t was
singular that none of the boys saw any
cards played. He wanted to catch the
other members of the gang, and hoped
the ladies would be able to do SO. He
wished to catch all the boys who mis-
behave so. He could send them to
Jail for three months and fine them
$500 besides, but he hated to send them
to jail He thought the parents were
to blame sometimes, as they do not
exercise sufficient authority over them
He did not object to ball when prop
erly played, but they should not break
peoples windows They were allowed
to stay out too late nights 1t is a
bad thing, and he wished he could have
the curfew ring again and the law
enforced It would save a great many
boys who now become bad.
He cautioned Rippon not to be
brought before him again. If he was,
he would send him to Jail. He would
suspend sentence in all but one case
if they and their parents would prom
ise that they would behave.
The boys and their mothers all prom
ised. and were allowed to go He
then scored Wilson severely, saying
that he had heard of him a number
of times before, and there was no doubt
he had abused his mother. He would
therefore sentence him to twenty days
in the County Jail.