The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-04
MANY CHILDREN
MIGHT Be PLACED
WITH DELINQUENTS
CONTINUED From Page OneD

enteen years who shall violate any law /
OF this state or ordinance OF city;
or who is incorrigibe; who knowing
ly associates with thieves, or other
vicious or immoral persons; or who
is growing up in idleness or crime; or
who knowingly visits or DatrOniZes
any policy shop or place where any
gaming device is or shall be operated;
or who patronizes or visits or enters
any saloon or wine room where intOX-
icattng liquors are sold; or who know
ingly patrOnizes or visits or enters
any public pool room or bucket shop;
or who wanders about the street OF
any city in the night time without
being Oh lawful business or 0ccupa-
ton; or who Wanders about in any
railroad yards or upon railroad tracks;
or who jumps upon any moving train
or enters any car or engine without
lawful authority. or who uses vile,
obscene, vulgar. profane or indecent
| language, or who smokes cigarettes:
or who loiters about any school build
ing or school yard: or who is guilty
)
! boy or girl under the ages stipulated
! who commits any of these acts shall
| be deemed a delinquent child and may
| he proceeded against by law in such
manner as provided for prosecution of
| persons charged with misdemeanors
The section of the statute under
| which Stegall is charged provides
! that any person who knowingly per
mits, contributes or encourages any
child to be guilty of any vicious or
| immoral conduct shall be guilty Of a
misdemeanor and shall be tried for
such offense. Upon conviction he shall
| be fined in any sum not exceeding
$500 or imprisoned in the county jail
not to exceed six months.
Study's Objections.
Mr.. Study argued that the statute
is SO broad and general in it's provi-
siOls that q person who may happen
| to bear a reputation that is not of the
best can not do an act of kindness
even toward a child. Why a man
with a bad reputation could not take
a child to church without contributing
to its delinQuencies," said Mr.. Study
He commended that there is no posi-
bility for a person of bad reputation
to associate with his own children
and endeavOr to teach them the prop
er kind of life to lead without at
the same time contributing to their
delinquency. He asserted the affi-
davit is in error because it does not
show the child has done anything
vicious or immoral.
The prosecutor held the affidavit to
be valid, inasmuch as it charges the
man himself is of vicious and i'm
moral character and had encouraged
acts of delinquency on the part of the
girl.
Judge Fox held the statute has re-
suited from individual opinion 1t was
proclaimed that the part making
children delinquents and subject to
prosecution for petty affairs as enum-
Grated overreaches the intent of the
law. 1t is declared to be a blanket
statute created by some person of mis-
taken ideas. The Judge held error
was made when the meaning of vi
ciuOs and immoral as used in the stat
ute indicated individual consideration
and not the general acceptance of the
term. He said any person might
charge some other of different be-
liefs with being vicious and immoral
and enter prosecution.