The evening times., 1899-08-16

The recent conflict between two crowds
of boys, which resulted fatally has caused
the police authorities to think deeply or
the problem of how to prevent boys from
congregating in the streets and alleys
Major Sylvester has spent much time il,
trying to solve this problem, and in this
connection he gave out the folloa ng in
terview today:
mo one but the officer who must con-
tend with the small boy and the youth of
today appreciates the difficulties attending
their regulating. My sympathies are large
ly with the boy, whose shortcomings, if in
evidence, are largely the result of paren-
tial Indifference. If the lad is permitted to
'.go as you please" what must the har-
vest be? The indifference to which / re-
fer, on the part of parents, amounts TO
acquiescence of any course they may pur-
sue. If SO, and an officer interferes, the
boy or youth at once assumes the defen-
sive, and the farther and mother, whose
sons in their sight are always good boys
come in conflict with the authorities, and
the member of the force is charged with
harshness and threatened with dismissal.
My instructions have invariably been
for the police to warn boys and youths
who congregate on corners, who make To-
calities disagreeable by their actions, not
to do SO; if they persist in such conduct
to report them to parents, and finally, If
the end sought is not accomplished, to
make arrests. ! know officers endeavor to
do this, but their efforts are attended with
scorn and insult in many instances, and
it must be a kind-hearted, levelheaded
character who will face such music with
out making arrests at once. There is a
law against assemblages on the corners
and elsewhere, which | believe one of the
judges Of the Police Court was instrument
tai in securing, but it is poor consolation
and discouraging to police officers who
make arrests, and generally in response to
complaints, to appear in court and have
their efforts go for naught, through the
dismissal of cases.
The parent has a duty to perform in
the premises, the judge is charged to as
sist as we'll as the officer. The latter is
not officiating as such for his health, nor
is it a pleasure for him to take persons TO
court, but he does it in response to the
public demand for good order as made by
invoking the law. The young unrestrict-
ed rowdies who have hostile contentious
do not come out from cover to quarrel,
but they scamper from square to square,
ambush to alley, and alley to ambush, un-
der cover of the night, and ii would re-
quire a regiment of police to cover them.
1T is unfortunate that boys are deprived
of the streets and lots for ball playing and
other outside amusements. All Of them will
not go a-fishing, hence poolrooms and Sc
eluded indoor places, become their rendez-
vous, and cards and drink a pastime. II a
public playground existed in the Northwest,
Southwest, Northeast, and Southeast, with
guards 10 preserve order, where ladders,
bowling alleys, bars, trapeze, bicycle path,
and ball ground could be had, the streets.
alleys, and lots would be vacated, as well
as the stable lofts, and an improved condi-
tion would follow.
Boys should not be left TO the police TO
run, 10 frighten and arrest, but should be
so provided for that life would be worth
living, that their moral and physical health
would be protected, and improved, and not
molested and impaired.
Il receive many complaints against the
little fellows and young men, the latter
being charged with smiling at and annoy
ing ladies.
THE law does not allow such, and it
will be enforced on my part, if possible.
/ have directed against it, and if the warn
ing in due time does not have its effect,
more severe measures must follow.
"0ther agencies than police should i'm
prove the conditions, and | look for them
to do the part which belongs to them"