New-York tribune., 1905-02-12
n SCHOOLBOY COURT
Where Pupils Are Trained IN al
n1iRisteTing Justice.

There is a public school in PhiIadeIpbia -.
Hollingsworth Primary. in which the effor, =.
train boys how to govern one another u bavt1
an exhaustive trial When Tribune co-re~,o,I
ent called there the other day. stern tustf~. -.
enthroned at the schools -c1ry court A s.so.I
boy judge presides over this court. scbools.-
policeman makes the complaints and the -,
Irit is another schoOIbOy. The court is o.,
with the usual cry by the attendant and -
the curtain rises on some such scene az this
SchoOlboy policeman. bursting with frnpasis..
to fmpart to the schoOIboy Judge his tale - =.
offence Of the criminal. waits not for oues,,.--
from the bench. but proceeds. In a shrf1 res
Your honor. Jimmie Mc(sinnus seen hin, So
ing things from Bob Yourg's pocket. Roh :
sitting on the bench in front OF him and he ~
his hand over and hooks some string srs ,
knife from his pocket He done this rizh, a.
ing school hours and teacher never noticed hi,.
His honor graveIy reminds the witness -.
the prisoner at the bar. and not the teacher :
on trial and begs him to confIne himself To n.
evidence.
The policeman scowIs. but proceeds volubr-.
Then he passes the knife and string n p-1
Mullen and they whispers tosether- BY ana h.
Bill takes the string. ties it to Jinuuie's s5o.
lace AID fastens the string 20 the leg Of n.
desk TheE the prisoner holds Bob You,-,,
knife up before Bob Young's eyes and savs =,
hfrr:
Bob says he. amt this your knife? I fg.a5
it or the floor just now
Bob seen il was his knife, your hosor s-5
he gets up to make grab for II and er eog-va
his shoe being tied to the leg OF the desk. a.
he goes in heap. All the boys laugh seb,,,
is all broke up, and so 1 arrests hin and bri,p,
him here"
Counsel for the prisoner rises soIeulnEy al ths
tuncture. He is a red headed hoy. with e.z
of cOuntenance that would attract attention On.
crowded trolley car He begs 10 inquire the uar-
ure of the charge against the prisoner. Tie 10
liceman informs him that the charge is "taki7g
Bob YOung's knife Learned counsel then gives
an opinion that the charge resolves itself I'M,
one of stealing a knife from one Bob Yos1-
This being admitted by the prosecutor counsel
then inquiries whether or not the knife found =
way back to it's rightfuI owner Being tod th.t
it was handed back Immediate after the e.
citing episode Of the tied shoe counsel ,hsa
tIandly inquiries wherein is the theft
ThereupOn there is a hurried laying together
of heads on the part of prosecutor and f5ss
and a hasty withdrawal of the charge Of TAX
ing things and the Substitution Of a crime of
lesser enOrruity. but more sweeping limits. tallei
disturbing school during session
The red headed boy with oratory evidency
well studied, argues that the individual EhO
should be at the bar is not his client the boy
charged with the crime of disturbing sch0Ol. 6at
the unfortunate Bob Young, whose pocket vas
picked
How" earnestly inquiries counsel for the de-
fence. ''can you accuse my client OF disturbing 1
school by uPsettins Bob Young when Bob
meant to work until the session was over. Then
Bob Young would have got up TO so. he VoId
have been upset, the Joke would have been %
him. but school would have been over and con
sequently. no arrest Therefore Bob Young