The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-08-31
TO CRIME.
Wrong Ways of Dealing With Chill
drcn-Necd Of Summer Schools.

Wrong Ways of Dealing With Chill
~drcn-Need of Summer Schools.
From Address by Jacob A. Riis.
I will tell you of a little occurrence which
took place yesterday in the little town I
live in down on Long island, just to show
you how some people will call a policeman
because they are annoyed, when the cir
cumstances do not justify the act at all.
There are lots Of children in the block 1
live in-I guess as many as ffty-and you
can see it's a very healthy block. The chill
dren do make quite a racket; but. then, it's
legitimate noise, and something a policeman
has no right to interfere with. My neigh
Dor across the street complained to the
police, and an officer was sent up, not to
arrest any one, but simply to drive the
children away. I went over and called on
the man who made the complaint, and went
with him to the station house and told
them there that if another policeman was
sent to scare children away who were doing
no wrong 1 would make charges against the
whole caboodle. The idle mischief and
harmless play of the children should not
be interfered with by any officer. 1t is their
privilege TO take all the childish pleasure
they want. and to make all the noise they
desire. Correction, when administered,
should be made at home. Oftentines a po-
llceman and an irate s~torekeeper VIII con-
denim a child when the little one is blame
less.
was talking a day or so ago with a man
who has addressed this school, a man
known and loved throughout this great city.
He told me a true story of a boyish prank
where he was the guilty one, which result
ed in the penitentiary for the innocent boy.
He planned to kick a watermelon from the
stand outside a grocery store, and told the
other boy to pick it up and make away with
H. saying ne could assert IL caught, thaI
he had found 1t. He was caught and locked
up, while the real guilty one went free.
Twelve years later, when inspecting a large
penitentiary, he opened one cell door and
found himself face to face with the man
who, in bOyhOOd days, he had persuaded
TO do a mischievOus act.
y great many towns and cities in this
country have a curfew law. l admire that
law greatly, and only wish that ii was prac-
teal for New York. But it's not practical
here. for the very good reason that it would
take the whole police force of this city to
drive the children off of one block.
l repeat. don't let a policeman interfere
in mere child's play. The first thing a man
does when he feels annoyed is to send
straight for an officer. 1t is a fact that
there is a time in every boys life when he
tive and small as they may be. 1t is only
natural for him to do so. He likes to read
fiction where heroes are pictured. But boys
love real life better than all the fiction in
the world. Their games of playing soldier
fade into insignifcance when a real police
man comes upon the scene. They will run
from him with a Joyful awe, and the condi-
ton of being pursued instils a hostility
and excitement into their lives that mere
games lack. This is dangerous. for it leads
eventually into Jail. The spirit of do and
dare is awakened in the youngest-that
something that makes a hero on the battle
field, but here it makes a thief. The police
man simply wants TO scare them away, and
this action is purely a fraud. and a fraud
is always bad policy. Boys pursued by a
policeman for some insignificant offense
soon begin to brag of their action. gangs
are formed. and before long the policeman
will chase a boy in the neighborhood of the
gang on general principles.
Most of the boys will grow from bad TO
worse. but occasionally one will hold off and
remain good through it all. standing a silent
witness to the crimes of the others. Their
fate is sometimes dealt out 10 them in MUIR
derous fashion. I remember one crowd
called the ALLEY gang" who used to con-
gregate about what was then known as
Poverty Can on West Twentv-eighth
indulging i'm the wickedness of the rest was
eventually beaten to death by the other
members of the gang. 1t was one Of the
most atrocious murders | ever knew. The
immoral propensities of those boys. I have
no doubt, were the hostility engendered by
being chased by a policeman for no cause.
Until a boy is given his own playground,
where he can do as he chooses. don't have
signs prohibiting this or that, such as
Keep off the grass" I like green lawns
but If it's necessary let the boys have the
pleasure on the grass and plant ii over the
next year. Signs are temptations which
lead a boy to violate the law. Bows must
have companionship. There must be some
place where the boys and girls can come
together. The where the poor
The question for the solution of which
we have been cropping year after year Is
being insured at last. We need sometime
to replace the saloon. and that something
must be the public schools. Public senti-
ment demands them, and the Board of Ed,
ucation has already evinced a Willingness
10 give them over TO the peoples use il
some plan can be provided for a building
suitable for such needs. Give the boys 4
chance to enjoy themselves: let them have
a club; let them dance; give them good
music and let them have social GATHERINGS
What we van 10 do is To lift up such gath
erings from the level of the dance hall and
saloon TO the level of the schoolhouse
Those who live in the tenements are equa
TO the opportunities if we will only furnisl
them the opportunities. Don't be squeam.
lSh about allowing dancing in public
schools. See the conditions that c. c.. Bur.
bingham. president of the Board of Educa.
ton, and myself found recently in the pub
lie school at Mulberry Bend" as it 4
called The boys who so there to schoO
are mostly Italians. who have an inordinat,
love for gambling. The janitor had re
moved the Symnastic apparatus and substi
tuted in its place scores of tables. at which
a hundred or more boys sat playing cards
OF course. they were not real playing cards
but some geographical game, but still tn,
boys were gambling just the same, and
right under the eyes OF a watchful police.
man. / protest against putting boys anC
girls in the hands of a janitOr or some sim
liar wretch. When say wretch mean il
for there is another case which explains my
position. Mr.. Birmingham and l went Il
a girls school near by. where there wa:
room for "A thousand young people TO enjoy
themselves. About a score Of girls were il
the place sewing under the stern eve o
some energetic woman. A number of littl,
l girls outside rushed up 20 us and asked /
they could come in, with the result that
big man with a grun voice ordered then
OF r. Rnr1fnuhnpn fnHfana nf1~ n~.1,s-,1I
What are you doing?"
The man answered: "Obeying orders"
Whose orders?" said Mr.. Birmingham.
2 THE janitor's," answered the man.