The Washington herald., 1907-03-23
JAIL NOT FOR ERNY
Widow Finds Young Son
Obstacle in Her Way.
WOULD UNLOAD HIM ON STATE
Judge De Lacy Learns Lad Is Net In
corrigIbIe and Declines 10 send
Him TO the Reform schooI-Ceusin
Kate Cherished Wrong Four Years
OId-Don't Likes de Country.

Maternal aheetion of the quality so pop
ular with sylnpa by writers-that blind.
deathless faith in the offspring surviving
police court. JAIL penitentiary. and gall
lows-is a tender and beautiful thing; but
1t is often more beautiful than rees as
was shown in a case yesterday bsfore
Judge De Lacy in the Juvenile Court.
when Mrs Beulah Adorita Jackson
sought strenuously TO have the State un-
dertake the care and bringing up of her
twelve-year-old son Ernest.
Having looked into the case previous TO
its coming up in court, Judge De Lacy
refused to commit the pitiful little pick
aninny to a reform school, for the simple
reason that it appeared on investigation
that the mother. a young widow, was
about to move into new quarters, where
she intended 70 occupy but one room and
where the youngster would be in the way,
this being, apparently, her real reason
for wanting 10 dispose of her one and
only
She Cain't DO NuthiR' Wild Him.
But this was not the reason advanced
In court. Nay. nay; nothing AXE that
for Beulah. She appeared with several
alleged witnesses to back her assertions
as 10 the incorrigfbility and incOmpre-
hensible Wickedness of little Erny. and
pleaded with the court to put him away
out OF mischief.
'Ah jes CANT do nuthin' tall wild him.
He won't go ter school, an he goes out
In de ebenin an stays till eleben an
twelve er'clock He spen's all de money
he makes sellin' papers an cavorts aroun
wild de mos sean lous boys in de block.
Doesn't he ever save any Of the money
he makes selling papers" asked the
court
Sometime he'll sabe er doller an den
hen take il out an spen' it
Katie, niece OF Beulah and neighboT
took the stand to tell what she knew 10
help incriminate Erny, who sat sniyelling
in the front row OF seats, and looking re-
proachfully at his mother and relatives,
Katie Nevah Seen NuthIn'.
What do you know about this?" asked
the court Of Katie.
''Ah knows he's er bad boy"
what have you ever seen him do?"
"Ah ain nevah seen him 40 nuthin
Ah knows whut his mother done tell me
bout him"
/ Il don't want to know what his mother
+ told you What do you know from your
/ personal experience with this boy?"
We'll. all An knows pusnally is dat he
amt very prudent and takes money"
"Takes money? Has he ever taken any
! from you?"
"Yassuh
when was it, and how much did he
+ take from you?'
He tux some change from man book
bout 70 yeahs back,
"Four years ago. How much did he
/ takeg"
He TUX l2 cents"
Lets see. Four years ago he was
eight years old, and he took T. cents On
the strength Of that you consider him an
! incorrigible. is that all you know?
/ '-Yassuh."
You may retire.
Mother DOn't 'sturb Him Much.
Ernest came forward, and after his
frightened sobs had been quieted by kline
words and questions on such irrelevant
subjects as trees and birds and kites, he
was asked TO tell his version of the affair
BY aFtful questions. the court drew forth
a story radically different from that told
by his fond mamma.
How long have you been selling pa
pers?"
Eber sence All was eight yeahs ole. -
How much do you a.ake2'
'Ah makes bout two bits er day mos
days"
What do YOU do with it?''
"Ah spen's some oh it, but An takes
mos OBJ it home an sabes iO''
What do you do with what you savc?
Nah mother spen's it foh my eloes."
DO you earn ali your clothes?'
II ''Yassuh
What's this about your going out al
night and staying out until after Il
o'clock2 Is IL true?''
M A "a sr,s r7o4,o.. I-,-, fr+s s4fg