New-York tribune., 1908-07-07
AFTER THE FOURTH
A Lot of Desperate Criminals Hated
to Ch;ldren's Court.

swetersng perspiring. anxious crowd Of
fathers. mothers unclrs and aunts. the fathers
and uneles mostly collarless and the mothers ana
aunts mostly with their shirtwaists coming out ar
the belt. A long line OF youthful criminals. with
scared precocious faces-dreadfuly precocious In
the knowledge OF the street Some Of the youtnfui
criminals are potentates and have handkerchiefs
to bury their snuifies in. some have to use theiI
shirt sleeves. and being shtrtless. are re-
duced to their bare number OF officers
keep order and check the arguments that occa-
sionalIy break ont III OF fifty odd dialects
from the perspiring mass before the rail- Be
hind the rail Jldge Wyatt looks from the very
small toy revolver Just laid before him by the COM
planning witness. q policeman. to Antonio Supino,
the prisoner. Antonio's head reaches about two
inches above the judges desk 1t is the Children's
Court The first session after the Fourth and "
the Court cared to conscate all the toy reyolvers
produced in evidence it would have the nucleus for
promising pawnshop or auction room
Antonio. where did you get this revolver? asks
the judge.
Antonio falters something 1t is curious but a
boy who can yell to his chum: Hello. Skinneei
Comm out tnight?' In voice that can be heard
five blocks can't make himself audible Judge
two feet away. But Judge Wyatt is skilled in
interpreting childish gatherings. and he patiently
disentagIes Antonios humble about ''gettn' it OF
mother feler' and "a o beer We got in a
barber shop
"A barber shopF' says the judge. so that's
where you get your beerY' After more question
ing he turns to the mother. wisp of a woman in
tired looking hat, who has tearfully sworn that
Antonio is .GOod-:t boy. gOod-a boy and gives her
volume OF excellent advice packed into two sen
tences Antonio. having been rathe! TampagOus
with his beer and his revolver, is sentenced "a
dollar day" ana the dollar not being forthcom-
ing. Antonio is haIed upstairs serve his day
which means detention until about p m.
The next boy. whose small. scared face repeats
the face of his mother. tall woman in shabby
mourning gets off with sentence suspended" He
had played with toy revolver. but mildly
But mind says the judge. If you are brought
into this court another time 1 shall have 70 give
you harder sentence
Michael Sterselbaum. the next case. doesn't ge1
off 50 easily. He is older. First he declares that
the pistol was never fired The Judge smells of it.
This pistol has been fired" he says.
''WeII-he fired it, says Michael pointing to the
policeman who brought him in.
Michael" said Judge Wyatt. with all the stern
ness which his bengnity is capable. If you had
told the truth you would have got off without pun
shment. AS it is-a dollar or day"
The next case brings. touch Of romance into
the dngy courtroom. The prisoners are two
mite OF "A girl with tangled yellow hair and boy
a head taller 1t appears that they eoped on the
Fourth. and found late at night wandering
about Battery Park in vain attempt to get to
New Jersey.
Did you have any money!" the judge asks
gently
Il had eight cents an he had four" pipes the
girl. We found some tickets
The judge ponders
The mother of this girl" he says
The mother comes She is very fat and tears
uingle with her perspiratton.
why, you had this child in this court the other
day. the judge says to the mother You told US
you couldn't make her go to school Can't you
take care Of your chld?
Judge I tell you the truth the woman as
severates II go to work at O'Clock l come
home late When I come 1 say 70 Lille, You
been good girl to-day and she says yes
mamma. I went TO church to-day am at work
all day Lille is alone" The woman spreads AeF
hands apart hOpelessly.
well" saws the Judge eff you cannot take
care of your child I must take care OF her There
she was wandering about all day, and II was
Gods providence that she didn't fall into the
water and drown. II you can't keep her at nome
I must put her in institution Sentence sus-
pended
Moro cases foIIow-sn7au boys with toy revolvers
and boys accused Of playing ball in the street.
rows of boys generally with names ending IN
.stsipy or "sky'-are brought up. charged with
neddIinc ito earn a little money for de Fourt'
thew plead nlurnblingly. and are admonished oy
the court that they mustn't peddle because they
aren't old enough to have licenses
Then comes a towheaded boy. charged with
buildfn a fire in a vacant lot
"Aud using vile language when I told him ne
mustn't adds the officer who arrested him.
..I1-bat was the Ianguage?'' asks the Judge
The officer Is a modest young man. with red
hair and a bulging brow. and he oiushes reuuel
than his hair he leans over and Whispers III
the judicial ear.
The 1udge questions Towhead. and has the father
,1n The father is unshaven. but smiling
NV boy is good boy" he says
Best boy you ever knew, l suppose inquiries
Judge.
"A1vavs good to me-" says the unshaven one
And you don't care what he does to other peo-
pIe?"
He is a good boy. The neighbors never COM
plain OF him"
My boy" says the judge. didn't you know II
was wrong build a fre?