Evening star., 1909-08-19
SCH0OLEO IN |N|QU|TY
Boys and Girls Taught to
Drink and Smoke.
AMAZING STORY IN COURT
House in Northwest Alleged Meet
ing Place of Children.
POLICEMAN ACCUSES HIS SON
Complaint Of Incorrigibility Leads
to Exposure in Juvenile Court.
Investigation Begun.
AMAZING STORY IN COURT
POLICEMAN ACCUSES HIS SON

Incredible details of young girls rang
ing in age from twelve to eighteen years
old smoking cigarettes and drinking beer
In company with boys and young men,
and conducting themselves in an even
worse manner. formed the basis of a
story which will cause the police to take
immediate action against a house i'll the
northwest section of the city. This con
d1tion OF affairs first became known to
Judge Callan and Judge De Lacy in the
juvenile Court yesterday afternoon,
when policeman brought before the
court his own son and charged him with
incorrigibility. He alleged that the boy
had broken his mothers health and hap
pness by hanging continually around the
house in question. though he is only f1f-
teen years old. From his brief descrip-
tiol Of affairs the judges determined to
have action taken against the place i'm
medlately. Zed H. Copp. one of the
court officers, was designated to make
an investigation and 10 lay, il possible,
sufficient evidence in the hands of the
police TO warrant raid.
Ihe policeman further characterized the
place as the worst den of iniquity he
mas ever known, and told Judge Callan
that he was amazed by the conditions
in the house that he did not know what
course 10 pursue.
Smoke and Drink Beer.
He said that young girls. some of them
not more than twelve years old, gathered
at the house from every section Of the
city and there smoked cigarettes and
drank beer in company with men and
boys no older than themselves. Judge
Callan characterized the place as a breed
ing place for crime and wasted lives.
The house is conducted by an old wom-
an, 1t is declared, who apparently well
comes the girls and their companions
and gives them the freedom of the place
for what money she receives. In addi-
ton she either sells or serves them with
refreshments Men who visit the place
rush the can" and take the beer to the
children who could not otherwise OBJ
tain it.
A raid on the place it is stated. will
probably be made within the next few
days, following the rigid investigation
which is now being made by the police
and Juvenile Court officers.
The place itself is a small one, in a
highly respectable neighborhood. and has
never excited suspicion. There is a store
connected with it, where the children
ostensibly go to buy candy. snowballs
and other sweetmeats 1t is alleged that
men play cards in the place in the pres
ence of the children. but whether the
younger attendants at the house engage
in these games is not known.
One girl fourteen years DID, who fire.
quents the place. and who, it is alleged,
has been instrumental in bringing in
many of the others, is said to be heavy
beer drinker and a confirmed cigarette
smoker. Her fingers are darkly stained
with nicotine, from incessant smoking
1t was with this girl that the policeman
found his son on the last occasion, and
determined to bring him to court. He told
Judge Callan and Judge De Lacy that
the boys mother and himself had done
everything they could to restrain the hoy
from frequenting the place. but without
avail
Specific Instances Cited.
The policeman told the Juvenile Court
duct witnessed by him, either one of
which, he said, would have justified ar
rest He explained that the place was
not in his precinct. that he had told the
members of the precinct in which it was
located, and that he was at loss what
to do. The instances cited by him had
to do with girl about twelve years old
and one little older. In both cases the
girls were in the company of grown men,
one of them a foreigner living nearby.
The authorities are determined to bring
those responsible for the existence Of the
place Of justice. Judge Callan and Judge
De Lacy have issued instructions to the
Juvenile Court officers to investigate and
to bring the suspected persons into court
If 1t can possibly be done Judge De
Lacy is on his vacation but he happened
to hear the case, through his interest
in Lee Pong, the Chinese boy whose case
was called yesterday. With Judge Callan