The morning journal-courier., 1907-12-27
YOUTHFUL THIEyERY.

Not the least urgent complaint to be brought up before the Business Mems Association at it's recent annual meeting was the matter of the ever- increasing number of showcase rob | berries and petty thieving done about the center of the city. Since that time several additional thefts have been added to the number They are known to be the work of boys and young men. Their very daring has seemed evidence of youth and inexperience The young men have done their work almost within a stones throw of the Central Police station and in the early evening when there have been many people on the streets,
 Chief Cowles is not to be censured in the matter. It Is believed that he has bent his every energy toward the pre- vention of similar trouble, Indeed. at the meeting of the business men. all ready alluded to, in spite of the exas- peration of the store proprietors, which was very evident. 1t was decid- ed not to appeal to the chief of police in the matter, since it was believed he was doing his utmost with the ap-
 propriation at hand to protect the
 center of the city with a sufficient
 number of policemen.
 Recently a gang of six young men
 ranging in age from IA to IS years
 were run to earth in this city ant
 taken to Bridgeport by a detective from that city. It is believed that they
 are the young men who have beer
 causing so much trouble here and tha
 they have been working in both cities
 They had with them a miscellaneou collection of merchandise, revolvers
 cartridges and burglars tools The situation may seemed to hay l been cleared It is not--entirely. Wit present conditions there seems to b l little reason why a similar gang car $ not gain experience by the mistake $ of these misguided youths and offe
 to the local detective squad situs $ tion even harder to solve than Il T one just at hand. The trouble seen $ not to be for want of sufficient p n lice protection. Those belated wayfa d CTS who find themselves on Chap n and other streets in the center of u r, city in the wee sma' hour 1t can tell of the scores of blu " coats that they find at every tur t. looking out for the protection g. property.
 D. Some time ago Chief Cowles p
 himself on record as out against t
 street-corner loungers. Whether or I
 he has taken active steps as yet I uncertain. If not it is to be hop " that he will do so ana with all eai
 estness, for right there seems to
 the teart of the trouble. It is not
 the earlv morn when there are f
 on the streets that these petty | s. exasperating thefts take place; it ve when the streets and corners a crowded with loungers, Then 1t Is u to these light-fingered gentlemen { sts hide each other while they do tn nd work and no number of policen ho can watch each one of them. of chief is to be commended He is ne the right track. But if an outsi err can see the matter rightly his l m- advice would be to follow up this sa att track more zealously. The Flati 'ti- corner in New York is one where ars police will not let those with noth per better to do watch the ladies pass
 is a windy day; the Church-Chapel md other corners in New Haven can md made places where those with nc net ing better to do cannot hide each ( k. CT while they go about their p fly, thefts. Keep them moving, as on- chief suggested.
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