Bisbee daily review., 1907-11-03
NEW MEXICO NEEDS
A RE0RM SCHOOL
(Albunuernue Journal.N

lAADuluSEQut JOuI NAIL
That New Mexico needs a reform
school is a matter which can allow of
no argument No one cares to argue
ii, and least of all the police of AL
buquerque who are up against a live
question every day in the year. as TO
what to do with the more or less
riotous small boys who of late have
caused more trouble than ali the
crooks and petty criminals in this sec
ton of the world. The useless insti-
tuition located by a former legislature
at Ell Rito, off the railroad and off
of every avenue of communication
that could make it useful to the ter
ritory were it in operation, is in no
fair way to get into operation. That
the school should never have been To-
Gated at Ell Rito is now recognized
by everyone who gives the question
unbiased consideration, and even
some of the politicians who took part
in the political deal which sent it
there are ready to admit that it was
crazy politics and insane business
policy. The Ell Rito Hchool even
when money is forthcoming for It's
completion and operation, will be of
little use, and the demand for mod.
Gill; CSIlll lOCdlCu SClOOif OpSA
ated on modern lines of correction is
going to become so great before the
next legislature meets that something
is liable to occur which will solve the
infant criminal question.
A case came up in police court
Monday which illustrates something
see have &c meet IN coma selipn WA
ka inf Nth oy.i,,,fra1 TnndnnricG
Il is an unusual case, somewhat
worse than the others which have
had to do with small boys stealing
gunny sacks and firecrackers, fire
arms and bicycles. This was a case
of the stick up game, played out in
most approved fashion, and done as
thoroughly and completely as if it
had been done by pair of we'll
trained veteran crooks. Two small
boys, not over twelve years of age.
one of them a colored boy, the other
white, Sunday wandered down a back
street, met another small boy whom
the lznaass had a fe4Z nannias- in his
! nocket and while one of them held
him with his arms behind his back.
the other went through his pockets,
| extracting a quarter and some pen
y
contained. The two youthful hold
ups then proceeded to decamp, leay-
| ing their victim in tears. The boys
when arrested at first denied the rob
cry, but under persuasion admitted
that they held up the boy with intent
| to take what he might have with him
There is no way to punish these
boys. They have been in trouble be
~
Judge Craig, no matter how solemn
! and severe. slides from their infant
shoulders like a duck off platter
| The only sure way to handle such
cases is through a well conducted re
| form school, managed with an eye tc
accomplishing something for the
youth of the land, and not with the
idea of enabling some political game
ster to fix himself more firmly on the
public The bad small boys of Al
buquerque have learned through fire
gent experiences in police court. that
/ there is no way to punish them and
their badness is growing aggressive
/ and dangerous. The Juvenile court
| would help. according to the police
and experts, but there is no way q
provide for a Juvenile court until the
Legislature meets. and even then the
power of the territory to create such
court is questioned.
1t was suggested yesterday that
congress should be petitioned to pass
a law providing for the creation 81
Juvenile courts in the territories. ant
this may result in some concerted
action in the immediate future
It is not TO be Supposed that Albu
( queraue has more bod small bows
than the rest Of the larger New Mex
leo towns She has her fun share
1 but the condition existing here Is
found everywhere else and the need
for a remedy is pressing.