Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-22
Committee of One Hundred
Make Definite Plans.
ISSUE A CALL TO ARMS
Ask Everybody to Unite in Move.
ment to Secure Measure.
MEET AT MRS. sMALLW00D's
Editorials From The Star Basis of
Speeches-To Form "Minute
Men" Committee.

Men" Committee.
Giving actual experiences of sorrow
and wrecked lives. picturing the grief of
parents over children gone astray from
influences Of the city streets, and calling
upon the clergymen of the city, the news
papers. the police, the Commissioners and
upon the members of Congress to unite
in an active movement to bring about a
curfew law or something similar. a cur
few committee Of 100 members met un-
der the auspices of the w. c. T. U. at
the home Of Mrs. G. T. Smallwood, 21O7
s street, last night. A definite campaign
of action and Of publicity was formed.
1t had been decided to celebrate the
first Sunday in February as "Curfew
Sunday" and to ask every clergyman in
the city to use that subject in his SER
mon. 1t was decided also to form a
gigantic committee Of minute men
ready to go to Congress If necessary to
point out the need for a curfew law in
this city; and this big minute men" or
ganizatiOn is to be made UP If possible
OF one parent from every block in the
District Of Columbia.
Those who have followed the move
say that last nights meeting was the
most formidable movement taken in
the direction of final enactment. A
meeting was called for Wednesday
evening, January 20. at which time, II
was announced, any one with data on
the subject Of curfew laws in other
cities will be welcomed.
The officers of the curfew committee
elected last night are: Chairman. .. T..
Darnall, superintendent of the National
Training School for Boys; Mrs. G. I.
Smallwood, vice chairman; secretary.
Warden Mckee of the United States
Jail, and treasurer. w. H. Lipscomb.
The executive committee to act with
these officers is made up of Rev. Led
II. Copp, ex-36dge I. G. Kimball. F. NJ
Bradley, Mrs. Margaret Dye Ellis. ma.
tional superintendent Of Legislation Of
the w. c. T. e., and Mrs Emma Shell
ton, president Of the w. c. 7. U. Of this
city.
Use Editorials From The Star.
Many Of the remarks of those who
spoke were based, in part, upon edi-
torials from The Star favoring the enact
ment Of a curfew law, and upon the re-
cent news articles in The Star, particu-
larly concerning the 10y ride" of five
young high school boys who came to
grief in a borrowed automobile after buy
ing a quantity of wine, in violation OF
that part of the excise laws pertaining to
the sale of liquor to minors.
A vivid picture of conditions which
were held up as showing need for q
curfew law was that presented by Mrs
Kate Waller Barrett, who is connected
with the Florence Crittenton Mission
Home, on John Marshall place. She
- ~ <,% oil nxy n fnk1
runs back of the home. In this alley. she
said, children of all ages find rendez-
vous where all laws, civic. moral and
polite, are broken.
1T is harboring place for vice at all
are beyond description. This alley is a
clearing house for crime. 1t is possible
to buy cocaine there at any time. and in
spite of our many complaints to the pc.
lice nothing seems to break the place
up"
She spoke Of the influence of the home
and added that there are few good
homes in Washington, and 1t therefore
seems that the best people of the com.
munity should take it on themselves to
do some uplifting. II the lawbreakers
and lawmakers of this community knew
there was as much sentiment as there
really is toward the enforcement Of laws
then perhaps the laws would be en-
forced"
supt. Darnall said that he had
great experience with boys after they
had come to him from the Juvenile Court,
from whence they had been sentenced
because Of infractions of the law. He
said he believed that many boys would
have escaped sentence had they been kept
away from some Of the after-dark In
fluences.
Rev. Zed H. Copp. chief probation OFF,
Ger Of the Juvenile Court, gave many sta
tistics compiled from court records. He
said that So per cent of the arrests OF
boys that came under his notice were
made at night, with q constantly ascend
ing percentage as the night wore on. He
told of some Of his midnight tours around
the city and specified places where the
liquor laws are smashed nightly without
fear of interference.
Prisoners Defective From Childhood.
Warden Mckee spoke Of the paragraph
in the proposed curfew law which would
keep children on their own blocks after
dark. Some blocks" he said. would
need q lot Of cleaning before they would
be fit for children" He also said that
one-third of the 1900 prisoners that have
been under his care at the Jail were
defective from childhood and showed
the lack of home training.
lit is the rule Of the city to let chill
dren run loose" he said, land a curfew
law would not reach all the trouble. "A
of responsibility in parents
must be awakened. A curfew law will.
perhaps. keep wandering children near
home but curfew law will never cor
dect incorrigibility. Here in Washington
we have many laws and some of them
are not enforced. We see the spectacle of
officials trampling on laws every day, so
what chance has a new law unless some
of the old ones are enforced? We might
do we'll to destroy all the old laws and
begin anew"
It was Warden Mckee who suggested
the idea of having parent from every
block to be ready to wait on Congress
IL necessary to show what public opinion
is in this District.
Mrs Shelton outlined the curfew law.
which, she said, was lost in a pigeonhole
In the District building about a year ago.
This law, she said, had been declared
by Corporation Counsel
Thomas. She suggested having Supt A.
T. Stuart announce to all school children
Just what a curfew law is.
Mrs. Smallwood outlined the history of
the curfew movement. and took charge of
the meeting for half the evening, until
the appointment of q chairman She
furnished copies of the proposed curfew
law. She told the meeting that arrange
ments had been made to give the present
movement great publicity and invited the
residence.
Vote for Senator in Montana.
HELENA. Mont. January 21.-The re-