East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-10-25

That boys Of but 10 or IL years OF
age should break into houses and
otherwise follow the methods of adult
crooks seems hard TO believe, yet such
Is shown by facts that have come to
light here during the past few days.
Several burglaries, in which the
thievery has been done by mere chill
dren, have been committed here late
ly and what to do with the boys is
proving a hard problem for Marshal
Gurdane, District Attorney Phelps
and other officials.
A few days ago young Willie Reed
was caught In the act OF stealing from
the Lyman butcher shop on Court
street and at the time he had a part
ner who managed to escape. Young
Reed was closely questions ed by Chief
Gurdane regarding what he had done
and the story told by the boy and by
others Of the gang showed a highly
cultivated state OF youthful depravity.
While quarreling among themselves
over the distribution Of the spoils the
lads told the police officer some
stories that made his eyes bulge.
other boys I'm the crowd were Willie
and Bert Ruper and Willie Finneran.
Raidcd Marshall Cellar.
or the different Jobs" perpetrated
by the small boy gang the most re-
markable was q raid on the cellar
of Il. p. Marshall. Going to the Mar
shall residence on the north side one
OF the boys informed Mrs. Marshall
that her husband had been hurt on
the Main street bridge and that she
was wanted there at once. She hur-
redly followed instructions and ac-
cording to the confession of the boys
they ransacked the cellar meanwhile.
Jams and jelles which they found
looked good to them and they took
some along. Likewise a dozen bot
ties OF beer. This the boys later
drank so they declared.
While being questioned by the mar
shal young Ruper accused the Fin
neran boy of having taken SO away
from him, and in reply Finneran de-
clared that the money was due him
as his part of a recent deal and that
his pal had refused to divide peace
fully. Also the boys admitted steal |
ing faucets from water pipes In |
lawns about the city and evidently |
they have been doing general thiev-
ing business.
May Form Juvenile Court.
So serious has the small boy situa-
tion become that the officers declare
that either a bunch of them must be
juvenile court must be established
here District Atturney Phelps is
partial to the latter method, and 1t
now seems likely that the court will
be organized.
Under the state law the county
Judge serves MS judge of the juve-
nile court in counties of this size
II is specified that all Juvenile mat
ters must be acted upon at special
sessions of court wherein all the at
tention is given to the matter at
hand.
According to Mr. Phelps any in
terested party may now have an err
ling boy brought before the court by
filing a proper charge with the
court. The lad will then be brought
before the court and handled as may
,eem best. The law provides that the
,ourt may appoint probation offic- ,
ers, either male or female, to have
general supervision over boys report
ID to the court. These probation Of
'icers while not drawing salaries,
rave all necessary expenses paid by !,
he county and they have all the pow
RS of peace officer. They serve,
n fact, as guardians of the boys
lnder the control and report to the
ourt regarding their behavior.
1.-The success Of the juvenile court 1
depends largely upon the unselfish
interest taken by residents of a CITY,"
aid District Attorney Phelps today.