Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-22

When the boy defendant stepped to the
'front.' man and woman, together with a
couple of children followed. Near the door
another small boy stood among similar
group These were spiteful chances ex-
changed between the members of the two
groups.
The boy in the party near the door, who
was the complaining witness, was the first
to be heard. He told the judge that while
walking along the street he was attacked
by the boy defendant, who struck him in
the face before he could run home.
And he picks onto my boy all the time,
Judge. exclaimed a shrill-voiced woman,
who accompanied the complainant, and was
evidently his mother.
Your children call my boys names, .
piped up woman from the group identi-
ned with the prisoner at the bar
My children are too polite to call
names, fired back the first woman
Ladies, l am surprised, reprimanded the
court. And-order was restored in the court
room.
After hearing a little more of the evil
dence and calming down the women again,
1t became evident to the Judge that the
case was In reality a parents quarrel
Cant you people live in the same local
ity In peace? questioned his honor. .'Your
children do not have to play with each
other"
Il don't want my children to go with her
boy" chirped up one of the women.
silence, madam" ordered the court
The children were instructed to pass each
other without notice in the future, and the
charge of assault was dismissed.
AT IL o'clock every day in the wear ex-
cepting Saturdays and Sundays the Ju-
venile Court Of the District meets to con-
slider cases like those described. On Sat
urdays the court sits at II a. M While
the business of the court varies, still the
average business will include the consid-
Grafton of about seven cases day. This
number Is frequently much augmented
particularly on Monday. The two judges
OF the Police Court-Judge Ivory G.
Kimball and Judge Alexander R. Null
lowny-alternate in holding the court, and
no matter what the rush Of business In
the regular Police Court, time Is taken
out shortly after noon for the juvenile
cases.
AS at present constituted, the Juvenile
Court has no legal standing as separate
institution Over five years ago, or on
March IA, 1901. to be exact. the Juvenile
offenders were first tried Ia a separate
court Previous to that time there was
no distinction made in the regular Police
Court business between young and old de-
PENDANTS. But a little over five years ago.
at the instance of Commissioner H. B. +.
Mcfarland. the Police Court judges con-
sented to hear the cases of the younger
offenders-those under seventeen years OF
age-at separate hour and by them
selves. The harm which the minglfng of
the first offender and the hardened crimt-
1nal engineered was recognized clearly.
At first the Juvenile Court was held but
once week. After few weeks the bust
ness and needs showed that two sessions
were required Then for several years 1t
was held three times week in the after
noon. That continued until May, 1904 when
1t was recognized that daily sessions
would be valuable and proper, and since
then the Juvenile Court has met every
day at IL o'clock At first the judges al
ternated each day, but last September a
new plan was adopted whereby judge
held the court for two weeks, and then
turned 1t over to the other judge for two
weeks. BY that arrangement cases which
are continued day for further investiga-
ton will come up before the same judge
who considered them first.
The Advantages of the separate Juvenile
Court are becoming better realized every
day. in the separation of the first offenders
from the older criminals. Besides the
business Of the court light at first, has
now grown SO large that the separate Ju-
venfle Court Is required In the first three
years the court was held there were about
1000 cases brought before it. During the
last two years there has been an average
for each year of about 2000 cases. or
about seven a day. While many OF these
cases are the results OF boyish FRANKS,