The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-04
WILL PUT A STOP TO It
Boys Who Break Windows Had
Better Beware.
MAYORS PROCLAMATION
City's Chief Executive Offers a Reward
Of $25 for Information Leading
to the Conviction OF
Bad Boys.

Property owners Of Anaconda have
finally hit upon plan which they con-
fidently believe will abate one of the
worst nuisances that any city has ever
been cursed with For years and years
people who own renting property in
Anaconda have been compelled to sub
nissively look on while small boys de-
stroyed their houses, and had no re-
course.
But it is to be different now. Last
Monday night the city council passed
resolution wherein the mayor is au
thorized to offer a standing reward Of
$25 for evidence leading to the convic-
ton of any person breaking windows
or otherwise damaging vacant prop
erty. 1t is further provided in the res
olution that the owner of vacant prop
erty shall have a notice put up on
the property he wishes to protect in
accordance with the resolution.
Yesterday Mayor Madden issued
proclamation in connection with this
matter. The proclamation is as fol-
lows:
'By virtue of resolution passed by
the city council of the city of Anacon-
da, a reward of S25 is hereby offered
for evidence leading to the conviction
of any one for the misdemeanor of
breaking windows. defacing or other
wise injurirg dwelling houses or other
property within the city Of Anaconda.
JOHN NJ. MADDEN, Mayor
Dated Oct. 3, 1S99.'
1t is expected that this step taken
by the council will effectually put a
stop to the malicious tomfoolery that
has been going on here for SO long.
The property owners are all very much
pleased with the action of the council,
and the real estate men express them
selves as thoroughly satisfied with
what the aldermen have done.
II think this will put stop to it.
said a prominent real estate owner
yesterday. "They have this same plan
in opera ton in Helena and l hear that
you can't find broken window in
any of the vacant houses in that town.
The way we figure it out is this: Three
or four boys will be in a group and
one will suggest that it would be just
barrels of fun to break the windows in
g. vacant house. They OF course all
agree not to say a single solitary word
about it. That agreement holds good
for little while, but pretty soon those
self-same boys will get into difficulty
among themselves and the upshot OF
the whole thing is that one of them.
out Of spirit OF revenge for some
bcyish real or fanced wrong, will tell
about it. and there is where we VIII
have them.
Nobody wants to hurt the boys and
nobody wants to, have them punished
or put in Jail. Neither does any one
want to curtail their pleasure or
but this thing Of breaking
windows has gone altogether too far
and nothing suggests itself as more
appropriate remedy than the council
has adopted. Yes, l believe this will
stop it,
The general public does not realize
to what extent these depredations by
boys are carried. One IN
stance will serve to illustrate thous-
and and one of the same kind. Re
Gently a family moved out of well
built substantial cottage on the east
side The last load of furniture was
taken away at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing and at about noon the key was
returned to the real estate agent who
has charge of the property. AT
o'clock the agent was called upon by
prospective tenant who learned that
the house was vacant. The two gen
tlemen went down to look at the place
but to their surprise every window
pane in the cottage was broken. and
upon entering they found the wall pa
per torn in a dozen places and the
plastering knocked off in a score OF
places. The floor was covered with
stones and rocks of all sizes from
small pebble to a missile Weighing hNe
or six pounds. One rock weighed not
less than 10 i ,uds and must nave
been heaved thr-ugh the window by
several boys. The flooring where the
stone fell was broken. Thus in less
than four hours these lads had caused
damages to the amount Of not less
than $50.
Il am glad the city council adopted
that resolution" said a man yester-
day who owns a lot of property in
town do you know that we have
bad the devils own time trying to
rent our houses when they became va
cant? Why. not more than week
ago I took a man down to see one
OF my houses which had been vacant
only two days. I know the house was
in good shape when the folks left it,
but when we got there every window
was broken in and the place looked as
though it had been struck by cy-
clone. Why, I don't want that kind
OF a house. said my friend I guess
I'll take look on the other side of
town The result was that | didn't
rent my house to him. although !
haven't the slightest doubt in the world
but that he would have taken it ii it
hadn't been for the boys"
These are only instances. Anybody
who walks about the town can see for
themselves the destruction wrought by
the boys. But the proclamation of the
mayor will doubtless cause change,
and it behooyes parents who do not
wish to see their bows punished by fine
or Jail imprisonment to control their
and actions. The police
have been instructed 10 use the utmost
vigilance in regard to this matter and
no favoritism win be shown.
The story of the taking of CalooCan