New-York tribune., 1902-02-22
LED To BROOKS TRAGEDY.
DIR. BABBITT ARRAIGNS BEDFORD DIS
TRICT MORALS AND "GANG."
HE DECLARES BOY TOLD HIM HE COULD
NOT REMAIN PURE AMID LUNCHEON
TALK AT HIGH SCHOOL.

The Rev DR.. Dean Richmond Babbitt, at the
evening Lenten lecture at the Church of the
Epiphany protestant EpiscopaD. McDonougP-
st and Tompkins-ave.. Brooklyn. spoke last
night on Youthful Morals in New-York
DIR. Babbitt said in part:
We live in one of the most moral ntellisent in
socially advanced regions OF the CITY OF sriie5
New-York the Bedford Region, as II Is called,
which thr9ugh the PgPnG PTe bfore the bar Of
rublic opinion all through the exposure OF the wees
women Who are said 20 be from our best famil es
This Bedford region is thicky so%n WITH shurGn m
schools are the pride of Brooklyn. whose schools
% 6nt the boue the % G abode Of homes Of culture and
hnement stretch in blocks Tor miles a"1S Id 6oI I
supposed that this is the elect place OF the Amer
hands with good morals and both were walking
onward under the bendiction OF the Church- Jhen mon
biackest crime known to human law young
mans life is snued out, fair girls character is
% LASTED; and the same l1rld oot from GarkeIie e
the the brink OF moral abyss ! need not go into % the
nafed voTt5 f oa iai SS nsa S a. & ar
oaiinS, ogng of passing girls, through stage after
they end in shameless debaucherieS
And first, to High School, by way of pref
ace a & may say honor H. ! respect its teachings;
OF OF youthful aspirations. of manliness Of excellence
him as Christian gentleman and capable
know personally and rejoice to recognize their in
telgenee. their moral cleanliness. their strenuous
lieye that the great body of these boys of ex-
word of unjust criticism of Unfounded structure
against them. But in the capacity of pastor
month-that it was difficult for clean, Christian
10y 10y 70 10 al te @ Ieche0H ti nUga ~i.noua Ii M
unchaste innuendO. one young fellow from this
ereatIv troubIed In the most casual way he Iet
m diffcnlfiRS .
pure. he felt. if he took his luncheon at the High
and yet living at a distance. it difficult seem
9gy mposSib for him to go home me 10 , l4nSnsoni f
luncheon hour as thoroughly bad taintlng and con
tamuating. His earnestness, his seeming truthful
ness, his voluntary coming 20 me for help MS
gradual unburdening of himself of the story OF
pression m on |e me now what is our duty as ct
zens. in the face Of such fact as thatc II Is 10
the mathematics and bellies lettres. shall not BE-
from WORK in the school they Shall have some sort
Of a guard thrown by the school over their purity
But look at other facts. We have gangs OF
rowdy and corner loafers. not only In the now
of this favored region We can pSroon Hluch 20
youthful blood as long as IL Is h0S 90 IHssrC IIIe OF
naturally 10 effervescence. but when aims
boxes in our churches are often broken open Nhere
church property is abused. when youthful swaS-
SeT d9FeqpS 2 af2 T c sree,s When
Raines law hotel not far distant from this church
by a physician to me to dismiss her az early
morning hour with tearful eyes ana cFJhplVu
virtue-all Of which facts have come 10 my o"h
knowledge from indisputable evidence-then Is II
moral minded. resPecta6le well educated Church
members should apply some remedies TO moral
disease deep seated and destructive? 81.
PauTs Injunction TO the youthful Timothy may well
ring in the east Of the Bedford region, Keep thy
self pure
Let grant the facts as published; they are not
nearly vOumInOuS as they might We'll De made,
they not nearly ugly. as deformed as mon
they can be- and may yet be painted. as
of the parents may yet learn TO their personal
sorrow II they do not act promptly and wisely
We need streets every where a SIrtcter
guard youth by numerous police They
often wink youthful depredations and depre-
dators. They smile merely at wild oats sowing
that is half criminal and lawess IL Is possible TO
conceive that the Bedford gang could not have
been better restrained in their offensive oglng OF
girls. their gambling bouts their prize rings and
their petty theveres and lawless escapades. IL the
police had done their vgilant duty And when we'll
tO-dO boys who ne'er-dO-wen criminals
arrested. there had ought 10 be such a banning of
them by public sentiment as to give moral sup
port 10 the court who should need no support but
their aths do their duty against the rich Scape
grace well against the ldWless poor boy.