Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-04-02
The Arrest OF Boys.
Richmond. Va. April /, 1899

| iHChinoiu, va, April i, 1879.
To the Editor of the Dispatch:
In your report OF the proceedings before
| Justice Crutchftld in the Police Court
in fridays paper, in the matter of the
hfteen boys arrested on the charge Of set
| ting tre to an old house | saw included
some reference 10 what / Though my
name was printed st. john said before
| the court on that occasion. | sincerely
wish you had quoted me further. VIII
| you grant me short space in your COL
| umns to explain? My remarks were in
| spired by. and know l voiced the senti-
ments OF outraged and indignant parents.
rms indiscriminate dragging of our chill
dlen, some OF whom are scarcely out Of
Kills, into the Police Court, without an
atom OF evidence against them: forcing
them TO see shades OF life at an age when
decent parents every effort is exer-
cised to prevent their even hearing OF
such things, has been carried to the
limit by Captain Angle and some OF his
men what spectacle was there, The
wholesale arrest Of some fifteen boys.
with all the pain and anguish involved to
parents, forcing frenZied mothers, In the
absence OF fathers. who were attending
to their business. to hunt around the city
Tor bail, and heavy bail at that, the cir
chmstances being taken into considera-
lon. After all this heaVing Of the noun
tain mouse came forth-a ridiculous
tempest in teapot, were it not for the
pain TO parents.
In the case at hand an old shack had
been set on fire by two boys-one Of whom
lived on Leigh street near Tenth. the
other near Fifth and Leigh. Some ten or
twelve little chaps-mine among the num-
ber--were playing ball nearly a block
away when the fire burst out, and soon
ran 10 IL. These are the facts. and evil
dence showed IL: Justice Crutchfield ap-
peared amazed at the evident injustice
that had been done. and discharged all
the boys except the two referred to. II
this method were pursued to its logical
ends In cases of suspicion OF shoplft-
ing, all the customers In a store might be
hauled before the Police Court! About
how often would this be tolerated?
Notwithstanding the position of the po-
leo at this junjcture, Captain Angle vol
unfairly took the stand and commented
upon the terrorism" inspired by this
"Eighth-street gang of boys ranging
from TO - years of age. That the char
acter OF my boys and their playmates
should be so wantonly and so recklessly
maligned by public official and by infer
ence. the moral status Of their parents
impugned. was rather more than could
listen 10 without protest on the occasion.
My sons name is Willie Johns. Among
those arrested was While St John. who
does not live anywhere near Eighth
street, and who has rarely been in COM
pany OF our children. Captain Angle
has force Of detectives at his command.
Why does he not let them hunt the true
culprits in these and similar cases, in
stead of making arrests that cannot be
justified? To our MIND, the police are the
holy terrors. not to the culprits. but 10
oeaceabe, law-abiding parents. There
are many policemen of discretion and
good judgment on our force--splendId fell
ows. efficient in every respect-but what |
shall we say OF an officer from whom a |
mail l3-year-old boy would without fear |
~ to rescue another boy.
This business Of indiscriminate arrests |
now three tines must stop, and i Will |
axe this opportunity to say that IL ii |
occurs again so ruthlessly our commu-
lity will go before the City .-ounci and |
zee that proper redress is given.
Respectively, w. s. JOHNS.