The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-28
USE A BIG STICK.
Probate Judge Hayden Reaches
Limit of Patience.
VIII Send Bad Boys to Reform
School.
Do NOT KEEP PLEDGES
OFTEN Commit Thefts as Soon as
Released.
Do NOT KEEP PLEDGES
Watts and Bagan Children Are
First to Be Sentenced.

Unless the bad boys of Topeka, a
least those who have been bad enough
or rather unlucky enough, to get arrest
| ed, mend their ways in hurry, it will
be a case of what is Topeka's loss will
be the Reform schools gain, for r. F
Hayden, judge of the juvenile court
has reached the end of his patience ir
dealing leniently with the unruly
youths of the town.
He has made up his mind to use a
sort OF a mailed fist" in dealing with
| under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile
| court. He has found that q good MANY
| OF these boys are not susceptible to lee
| lures and kind words directing them to
the straight and narrow path which has
a possibility of leading them to the
presidency of the United States
TWO youngsters. who have occunied
tne attention OF Judge Hayden, and the
Propat1on onncer of the juvenile court,
John Lucas, for many moons because
OF their FRANKS, many of which have
been OF really criminal nature. felt
the mailed fist" today. They were
waiter watts. a negro lad, nearing six
feet In stature, but who is only IL
years old, and Elmer Bagan. 10 wears
olo, Who seems to be about as onery
youngster as there is in town I'M
less MS younger brother be excepted
Young Watts and Bagan were sent
to the Reform school this afternoon by
Judge Hayden Watts has been under
the jurisdiction of the Juvenile court for
more than year and has been behav-
ing himself fairly we'll until last week
when he went, or broke into the Smith
home on East Second street and stole
pocketbook containing $40 Pettier
thefts OF this sort have been charged up
to him in times past and Judge Hay-.
den concluded today that it would be
waste of time to try and reform him
with further talks and opportunities to
mend his ways so he sent him to the
place where they make boys behave
while they are there, at least.
AS to the Bagan lad, he and his lit
tie brother have been known to the
police as criminals since they got out
of dresses. OF late they have been
stealing, kidnapping and petty thefts.
They are mere mites in size for their
years but nothing is too large or small
for them to take possession of, if it
takes their fancy 1t was only last
week when they, with some other boys,
were up before the probate court for the
horse stealing and kidnapping episode
Judge Hayden gave them another
chance as well as a heart to heart talk
on how boys should act to become shin
country. 49,
The very day. he allowed them to go
home with their mother, they stole a
watermelon from grocery store. Since
then they have done few other things
quite as bad and so the judge decided
today to send the elder boy to the Re-
form school, He will give the little
tacker one more chance.
There are any quantity of other boys,
under the Jurisdiction of the Juvenile
court, who have not taken advantage
of the leniency of Judge Hayden in his
desire to give them chance to behave
themselves, who will be sent by him
to the Reform school or some other cor
rectionary institution just as soon as
another complaint is made against
them. So it behooves them to take the
opportunity they now have to travel
the straight road.