The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-25
ANACONDA NEWS.
INTOXICATED On BEER
Two Small Boys Found in an
Alley, Beastly Drunk.
HAD "RUSHED THE CAM"
One Was Thirteen Years Old and the
Other Only Twelve-A Third Eight
Years Old, Had Conc
Home Helpless.
HAD "RUSHED THE CAM"

In the last few days 10 small 5oys
have been arrested in and about An
aconda for offenses ranging from
drunkenness to cattle stealing.
An epidemic of crime seems to pre-
vail among the juveniles of Anaconda.
Boys who have heretofore been merely
mischievous are hardening into Grim
inals. Children barely out of their
baby clothes are becoming drunkards.
The cigarette vice has a strong hold
on hundreds of children in the city. A
generation of evil doors seems to be
springing up and the authorities are
not little alarmed at the possibili-
ties ahead.
Of all the juvenile arrests made re-
Gently the saddest was when Constable
Lynch brought to the Jail in a buggy
late yesterday afternoon two little in
toxicated boys. One, Michael Bracken,
IL years of age, was utterly helpless.
He lay in the buggy, completely stu
pefied by the liquor, and had to be
lifted out and carried to the Jail be-
low. When placed in cell he drop
ped to the iron floor like a dead thing
The other boy was Albert Lebeaue,
IL years of age. He, too was beast
ly drunk, but not helpless. He shout
ed and tried to sing and beat upon the
iron cage and howled forth stream
language.
AS the boys were placed in the cell
q boy imprisoned in a cell on the OPP
posite side of the corridor looked out
and laughed. He was Willie Bracken
brother of the drink-sodden child just
stealing cattle. 1t is not long since
he was released from the state reform
school.
People who are much about the city
know it Is no uncommon thing to see
children more or less under the influ-
ence of liquor but rarely have any
been seen so thoroughly and wretch
eddy drunk as were these two boys.
Driving in buggy, Constable Lynch
had seen the two youngsters in the
alley between Commercial and Park
avenues, just west of Ash street. Lit
tie Michael Bracken lay as one dead,
fiat on his back with the sun beat
ing down on his face. Beside him
sat Albert Lebeaue, looking stupidity at
him.
What's the matter with him?" ask
ed the constable of Lebeaue.
"Oh, he's just drunk; that's ALL
said the child.
The two were placed in the officers
buggy and driven to the station.
After Bracken had fallen about the
cell several minutes Lebeaue threw
him on bunk and then began to con-
verse in curses and obscenlty with Tic
other Bracken boy in the cell oppo-
site. s.. ..-- r@. ~
In reply to questions put to him by
Standard reporter, Lebeaue said:
We've been rushing the growler;
that's all. There were. three of us at
first. The other kid was my cousin,
Gervais Sliney. He's about s years
old and he got drunk pretty quick
We had to take him home
Where did you get the beer?"
I'm saloon on East Park avenue"
ut is a disgrace that children should
be able to get liquor" said County
Commissioner T. c. Davidson, who wit
messed the bringing in of the boys.
Efforts should be made to seek cut
the people who have violated the law
in letting these or other children have
liquor and see that the offenders are
punished"
The sending of children for beer has
become a practice in several quarters
Of the city barkeepers and saloon pro-
prietors readily giving the children all
the beer they want when the money
is Forthcoming. 1t thus becomes easy
for children to get beer for themselves
on the representation that they have
been sent for it by their elders