The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-17

a few days ago two boys were arrested for
signed order for the wages OF a man who
was sick. The money was paid to them
without question. Because they were sue
ceSSful one time they thought they might
be again and another order was presented
ana at that time they were arrested Take,
for instance, the cases OF these boys We
have had recently up FOR stealing ponies
and buggies. They were less than ten
years OF age, yet they did Things a man
would not attempt. They hired stables,
stole horses, ponies and DuggleS 10 put IN
them. stole feed for the animals, drove
about the city at will, took the horses To
be shod and the buggies TO be repaired.
They were eventually caught, but an inves-
tigation showed much cunning in planning
the work and in evading the police, whom
they knew would be in search of them. L
have found that most OF the juvenile
thieves have been neglected by their par
ents, either by a recreant father or an in
dulgent mother, and often by both. Tracing
their genealOgy we often find an uncle.
aunt. grandfather or other relative, or
perhaps more than one, who has served
time in county or state prisons for crimes.
The police have fully demonstrated the
theory of heredity Of crime.
MOTHER STANDS BY HIM.
ct almost invariably happens when a
boy is arrested for a felony that his mother
is the first to declare he IS not guilty, al
though she knows nothing of the facts
and the evidence which we have secured,
or even of a confession from the boy whom
she says is innocent. She says. oh, my
darling boy. He could not do it. He would
not do such a thing. 1 have trusted him so
often and never knew him to do wrong
Many such a mother believes at heart the
boy is guilty, but cannot overcome her love
for him, and even though her better judg-
ment tells her something must be done
she cannot abandon her son to the judg-
ment of the court.
MANY of these youths are too young to
be sent to the Reform School, which al
ways should be the last resort. The home
and the school are the places where they
should be taught and in some forcible man
ner made 10 follow honest ways until they
are able to realize more than most OF them
do the seriousness of the crimes which
they, or many of them, commit thought
lessly or for mere pastime. We have, it
a taught their children to steal, but
they are comparatively few. There are
more cases where parents are negligent
in inquiring into the actions of children,
taking for granted they have told the truth.
or feeling at heart elated because of some
achievement into which they dare not In
quire too closely because they would then
have to reprimand the child. There are
many Pagan parents in the world who
should receive the severest punishment OF
the law. The public whipping of some
enforcement Of the curfew law would work
wonders"
PROSECUTOR COLLINS TALKS
Police Court Prosecutor ]. E. Collins when
asked about his experience with boy pris-
oners presented some new ideas. He said:
During the. twelve months 1 have been
Police Court prosecutor l have had some
thing like $50 cases of boys charged with
crimes. They ranged the whole calendar
from lettering to attempted murder. One
of the most amusing cases I ever had, and
at the same time one of the most serious
was that of three boys charged with bur-
glary. The youngest was eight years old.
He waited on the outside of a store while
his brother, twelve years of age, and a
companion about ten years old, went inside
the store and robbed it. The States case
looked doubtful until we finally got an
| admission from the Youngest. The anus
ing part of the trial was the manner i'm
which the boys told straight forward stories
which could not be broken down. A few
turning a derrick. He just wanted to see
what he could do. 1t cost his parents $2l
to have the derrick repaired, after which
he was released on suspended judgment.
Just before Judge Daily left the bench he
was compelled TO pass judgment upon a
ffteen-year-old boy who had deliberately
shot a companion. In every case prosecuted
it was evident there had been a total. or
almost total, neglect by the parents in car
ing for the boy. In most cases ii seemed
that the parents paid more attention to
lDtl SOCldl uullGS ALI w tIJON
ment than to their children.
LAS prosecutor 1 have from two to n
dozen calls a week from women who are
desiriOus of sending their children, boys
and girls both, to some State institution
for the sole purpose of getting them out
of their own way that they may more fully
enjoy themselves. Only the other day a
woman. sobbing bitterly, came into my of
fee. She said she sobbed because her boy
would not go to school and was causing her
no end of annoyance. She was so anxious
tn send him ~ the Reform SohOOl that she
did not care how large the expense, she
would gladly pay 1t. The case was looked
into and it was found that the woman, qn-
known to her husband, was leading a double
life, and her boy was just getting old
enough to interfere with her plans.
'One of the boys arrested the other day
for stealing a pony and buggy was ar
rested several weeks before. At that time
he was acquitted. His mother appeared
and made a most earnest plea in his be-
half, telling what a good home she had
for him. I thought something about her
was familiar. but could not figure it out.
When he was tried for stealing the pony
and buggy the Judge agreed to let him go
if she would fog him in the basement of
the police station. She claimed her hus-
band was a travelling man and at the time
in Philadelphia. A few hours later I
learned that the woman was one whom
had prosecuted several weeks before for
keeping an immoral resort.
Il have many complaints about boys be-
ing arrested and locked up with men and
women prisoners. Only n few weeks ago
a number Of persons in the East End COM
planned because the boys in their neigh
headquarters in the partol wagon. 1t
strikes me there Is a good deal If false
pride about such things. or else the parents
are neglecting their children and are in
total ignorance of what they have been
doing, although they invariably come up
and vigorously assert that their children
have been properly reared and could com
nit no crime"