The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-12-13
STUDY OF CRIMINALS.
Bavarian States Attorney Writes
Article ON Juvenile Courts.
Munich Prosecutor Finds Less Than
500 Youthful offenses in One
Year Among More Than
100000 People.

New York. States Attorney Rup-
precht Of Munich, Bavaria, has writ
zen an article for the Munchener Me-
dizinische Wochenschrift on juvenile
courts and the study Of the juvenile
delinquent as the result OF his expe-
riences as practitioner in the chill
drens court in Munich, concerning
which the Medical Record says:
Zone result of the establishment Of
children's courts hould be more in
telligent study Of the Juvenile delin-
quent. The boy criminal differs radio
ally from the girl offender Youthful
offenders differ from adults. The chill
dren also differ, as to the relative fire.
quency Of offenses, according as they
dwell in agricultural, manufacturing
or commercial communities.
I'm that city (Munich) the chill
dren's court takes cognizance of all
offenders between the ages of thir-
teen and eighteen, inclusive. The lad
or girl of healthy stock must at this
period be regarded as potentially a
criminal because character and will
are undeveloped. and experience has
not yet had it's innings. Such must
not be confounded with detectives.
Munich has but small contingent
of youthful criminals. In population
of nearly 100000 there are less than
five hundred serious offenses year
committed by juveniles. Petty Of
lenses multiply this five fold. but with
these we are not concerned.
Theft is the great offense of youth.
1t overshadows all others so far that
the latter appear almost freakish. The
boy steals in an unprecedented fash
ion, while the girl has plan. Boys
tend to steal Junk to sell. but
for making playthings. Girls tend to
appropriate cosmetic, articles.
I'VE have heard much as to moving
picture shows tempting boys to pat
tern after burglars and highwaymen.
This theoretical position may be quite
offset by the actual knowledge that in
Munich boys steal to be able to visit
these entertainments, which, for all
we know, may be highly moral. The
temptation is SO strong that even a
good boy may pilfer the price Of the
entertainment. He will do as much to
get hold of Nick Carter or Sherlock
Holmes story.
The boys in Munich also steal in
connection with deep laid plans for
visiting the frontier and fighting saw
ages. But the Bavarian youth must
be much more long headed than the
IAnglo-Saxon in this respect, for he
usually steals horse and firearms be-
fore sallying forth. He robs the fam
lily strong box for the sinews of war.
Girls sometimes steal to make a
present to a favorite school teacher.
One took the flowers of a grave for
this purpose.
when caught in the act of a theft
boy usually confesses, repents and
refuses to betray his associates. A
girl lies until the last minute, and
then endeayors to throw the blame on
some one else. Boys almost always
rob in bands; girls usually act alone.
"A boy seldom robs his employer,
but some outsider; the reverse is the
case with girls, who, since they pilfer
cosmetics, adornments, ETC., must al
most necessarily rob their mistresses.
THE chief value Of Rupprecht's
study Is that 1t deals with normal
subjects, the policies advisable in
dealing with whom have hitherto re-
ceived comparatively little attention"