Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-30
HELP FOR
KEEN BOYS
JUDGE BEN 3. LINDSAY SPEAKS
ON JUVENILE WORK
DECLARES THE BAD BOYS ARE
MIspIREcTED
Asserts That the Bright Juvenile
Stands a Far Better Show Than
the Sissy Lad on the
Rough Sea of Life

"while I do not justify crime, I con-
tend that it is no worse for poor boy
to steal an apple than financier to
steal franchise. The one must SUI
fer while the other p-r-a-y-s and then
p-r-e-y-s!"
The foregoing was the substance OF
expressions made by Judge Ben b.
Lindsay, who is famous for his juvenile
court work among boys, yesterday
morning at the Los Angeles Fellow
ship service.
Blanchard hall was crowded to its
fullest capacity and fully 500 people
were turned away. Judge Lindsay said
in part: a., :,
ally intelligent and of keen wit. lie
often thinks that If he can play a
trick on the cop, in clearing himself
and his pal. he is doing something
proud, for he seldom goes back on his
companion in mischief and crime. But
in following up the life of the boy we
find that he is misdirected.
lone boy said to me that he lfveo
in a piano box, and sure enough
found that he had crawled into q
piano box nightly for month. He
was one of those so-called bad boys
whom some other boy said got full
once week, or month. l became IN
terested in the boy and asked him how
1t was regarding what the other boy
had said about him. to which he said:
"'Well, jedge, one kid says de moon
gets full onst a week, an anodder Kid
says it gifts full onst a month! SO we
can't b'lieve all we hear!
"It is so all along the line of child
life. We cannot comprehend the mag
nitude of his troubles. We have to
learn from the child and in the same
way the child must learn from us.
Heritage Is Denied
"a boy often caught up in jail has
no father and his mother, with hall
dozen other children, Is compelled to
deny him the divine heritage. He is
allowed to run with bad company and
falls into disgrace. Society owes
something to that boy and uqtil we
solve the social problems in his be-
half he will continue to be the suf-
ferer.
At one time boy was called up be-
fore me for stealing watermelons
Upon questioning him he tried to dodge
the answer by saying:
Nov ,jedge, 'fess up, didn't youss
ever steal a watermelon when yous'
was a kid?'
with much outward dignity, bu
with much inward amusement. / in
formed the boy that 1t was against thu
rules to cross-examine the court. Bu
1t is evident that society should b.
cross-examined.
"While we expect the boy to grow III
and bear the burden of his generation
IL is hard to- solve the problems fo
his benefit. We must look into th'
causes that hold him down along thu
lines of criminality.
while a certain amount of firmnes
is required with boys, they should b.
handled with great care, aboundins
with much sympathy and Justice. The!
must be led to feel that help Is beint
given them instead of injury. The!
must be taught to stand alone in self
respect In this connection a police
man admitted to me that the rougl
usage OF boys in arresting and IL
handling them caused forty to escap'
to not one under the care of the juve
nile court association. Those are facti
on record.
1.-THE boys in care of the juvenile
court association are industriousl,
taught to feel the great benefit of self
respect and the control of themselves
for the building up of their good char
acters. In this way they understand
the methods calculated and used fol
their good.
Encourages Firmness
"There is much in encouraging firm
ness in the life OF a boy to Withstand
temptation. rushing. bright. inteili
gent boy stands far better show fol
the obstacles of life than a sissy boy
who is afraid of a hard word or &
sharp look and will run to cover.
when we speak of bad company fol
boys, when there is a bad boy in the
family must the others of the house
hold abandon him? Certainly not
They should hold him up and help him
1t would be so in the case, for instance
of boy across the street who did no
do just right. He should have good in
fluences thrown around him instead o.
openly condemning him. 1t is here
where justice and right come in u
help another who might go still further
down but for the needed help. While
not good to curry bad company, the
boy should be put upon his mettle ant
determination to defy anything tha'
will mix him up with any bad char
acter he is endeavoring to change fol
the better.
1.-THE building up of a good character
of the boy is not by roughly arrestine
him and thrusting him behind the bars
We want formation as we'll as refor'
nation. The juvenile court can dt
much for him, but to begin with the
home life and surroundings should b'
we'll considered.
How can we be kind to the bo,
and not be too lenient? I would sug
gest Fairgrounds with extra help from
teachers. School teachers make th'
very best probation officers. The po
licemen should be their friends anf
social factors. The boys then, insteat
OF hating the cops, would respect then
and expect help and not rough usag'
from them.
1--WE are glad to see the home
church, school and society working to
gether in this great work of helpini
the children by getting rid of the bar
and considering love and Justice II
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